Cruising New Jersey - Manasquan Inlet
Manasquan Inlet (40°06' N) is located on the northern part of the New Jersey coast, about 23 NM south of the northern-most point at Sandy Hook. NOAA Chart 12324 "Sandy Hook to Little Egg Harbor", covers the coastal details of this area.
The significance of the Manasquan Inlet is that it marks the northern end of the protected NJ Intracoastal Waterway. South of Manasquan Inlet a barrier island separates from the mainland, creating a series of navigable back-bays providing protected travel along the Intracoastal Waterway. About 2 NM inside the inlet, the Intracoastal turns through the Point Pleasant Canal for about a mile and a half to join the first of the naturally connected back-bays.
Cruising south on the Intracoastal passes behind some developed areas of the barrier beach including the towns of Mantoloking, Lavellette, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. A fixed bridge with 80 ft. of clearance carries traffic from Island Heights, on the mainland, into Seaside Heights, on the coast. On the south side of the bridge the bay extends westward up the Toms River to the town of Toms River with a number of roads including the Garden State Parkway which generally parallels the coast.
South of the bridge lies the large Barnegat Bay extending about 12 NM to Barnegat Inlet. The Bay is easily navigated with ample water in the northern half of the bay, especially along the marked Intracoastal. In this area the barrier island narrows and coastal development disappears.
Barnegat Inlet is a navigable inlet, although subject to rough water and shifting sands. It is marked by a nearby lighthouse 163 ft. high, known as "Old Barney", which is privately maintained. The village there is also named Barnegat Light. The Intracoastal continues inside and does not exit the inlet.
As the Intracoastal Waterway continues south of Barnegat Inlet it leaves the open waters of Barnegat Bay and follows a much narrower channel through Manahawkin Bay into Little Egg Harbor Bay. It passes the coastal community of Beach Haven just before reaching Little Egg Inlet, about 19 coastal NM south of Barnegat Inlet. Although this inlet provides good access to the open ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway will continue inside.