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Fished the bay for the past 15 years or so but kept away from the inlet . Now I have a biger boat and will be heading out to the ridge and some wrecks. Any advise on navagating Barnegat inlet other then picking my days and keeping clear of the submerged rocks?
Barnegat inlet is pretty easy with the exception of the Double Creek Channel approach. It is well marked, but there are often people fishing there and you need to stay close to the buoys as it's very shallow outside the channel. Oyster Creek Channel is wider and easier.
Also, beware that the north jetty is submerged past the visible rocks so don't head north until you clear the marker.
You already have the most important things listed, the sunken rocks between the "monument" and the end of the north jetty topping the list. Watch the days with a strong NE or E wind and an outgoing tide, the rollers stack up pretty heavy at the mouth of the inlet. One thing that I always do is to run the channel along the north jetty (staying out of casting range of the guys on the rocks) and as soon as I clear the sunken rocks and the monument turn north to get out of the channel. This will immediately get yuo out of the effects of the current flowing through the inlet. Even when heading south to fish, I still employ that method, running out maybe a 1/2 mile to a mile and then turning south. Beware of the sandbars on the south (LBI) side of the south jetty, it gets very shallow in there and quite ugly. Goodluck, it's not bad, now Oregon inlet in NC that's whole other ballgame.
I went out the Barnegat Inlet about a month ago. The south side had markers going pretty far seaward. What are they about? I was headed to AC; but waited until I passed the last one before turning south. OK you guys who block the channel to the inlet; don't give me a dirty look when I rock your world. You were begging for it.
Yes they are some serious markers; and I figured they were not there to help me get to the seabouy. The day I broke the inlet the wind was from the south at about 25-30 fog and rain. As I was starting my turn I spotted three 31Bertrams running south farther offshoue. They had left Long Island several hours earlier; and were also heading to AC for the Bertram Rendezvous. We caugth up to another guy and made a grand entrance into the Trump Marina. Watch that north jetty and the sand to the south.
You already have the most important things listed, the sunken rocks between the "monument" and the end of the north jetty topping the list. ............. Goodluck, it's not bad, now Oregon inlet in NC that's whole other ballgame.
This is an interesting post as I grew up around there graduating form Toms River High School in the 60s. Spent many years on Barnegat Bay and running the inlet there. Ran thru that inlet in a 15 foot Crosby with a 40 horse Evinrude for many years until I could afford a larger boat; then wondered how I could have been so stupid!!
I'm now a couple of hours north of OI and fish out of there and Hatteras on a fairly regular basis (trailer). I have always told folks down here that Barnegat was a much worse inlet than OI, but then I moved from there in the mnid-80s and a lot must have changed. Actually, Time/Life Books put out a whole series of books (like a library type thing real nice bindings) and used Barnegat Inlet as an example of just how tough an inlet could be (I have the complete set of volumes).
BTW, we were fishing along the north jetty one day and saw a decent sized Viking come over the top of the submerged part of the north jetty at high tide and NEVER hit. I told my buddy Bobby it was time to go home.
I saw a 25 foot Sea Ray try to go across the south jetty once (it angles - or maybe used to - out from the beach and runs in a NE direction for about 1/2 mile or so) and he hit solid. The boat's getting beat up so one of his crew jumps overboard into the water (?) and hits the rocks below. Coast Guard comes out and has to go in after the guy because he broke his leg or ankle. What a mess some of the boater's used to be.
Down here in the SE Virginia area we have some winners also. Always glad when December and January come because the fair weather guys stay home. Thanks for letting me reminisce............
Yeah I've seen my share of boats come across the sunken part of the north jetty, amazingly some make it most don't. I remember many moons ago a very large flybridge (viking maybe) came through there, never even thought of slowing down, well he made it to about the center of the channel and started to go down. I'm guessing he ripped out his shafts and rudders at the very least, probably put a hole in the hull too cause she went down fast. There are hazard buoys marking that area now.
Not sure if you were around when the south jetty was extended to about the same length as the north. The inlet has changed quite a bit, mostly back behind the north jetty and the shallows behind the lighthouse. The wooden bulkhead behind the north jetty gradually colapsed, and was replaced with rock this past spring. The small island there that people used to anchor on has been gone for about 15 yrs. Oyster creek channel is always shifting, that's old news though. Seems to get just a bit more twisty and narrow every year.
Only been out OI on a few occasions while on vacation in Hatteras. We chartered the Gecko and on one trip I remember punching through a few (guessing) 6-7" ers and almost launching that entire boat (47') out of the water, the captains response "so much for keepin the curtains dry" Never throttled down, it's kinda fun when it's not your boat.
I saw someone come over the North Jetty about a month ago.
They didn't make it. The boat was about a 21' Striper. I think the boat cleared but the lower unit didn't. A little while latter Sea Tow was bringing them in with the engine tilted up.
As for the inlet, like others have mentioned clear the monument and head north. Be careful in wind vs. tide conditions as you can get good sized breakers usually from the middle of the inlet to the south side where the shoaling is. The tidal flow can easily extend over a 1/2 mile out of the inlet.
in 1975 i motored in against the tide in a 30 foot sloop ...we could barely keep up with the current......the name of the place is currupted/older english for "Burning Gut".....well named.....the skipper promptly got us stuck in the mud in outside the narrow channel some one mentioned.......we tied up and were headed for the local convenience store for a loaf of bread.......the woman had just locked the door when we walked up.....she refused to reopen, but told us there was another store a couple of miles down the road, and she would let us use her car if we brought here back a newspaper, which is what we did
jamesbfishin has it right. Clear tyhe north jetty and get out of the inlet effect as soon as possible by running to deeper water and further from the mouth before making your turn, even if your destination is south. I fhte visibility is poor, you are sometimes better off runnign Oyster Creek Channel and then intercept the ICS further north, even if having to go south.
I regularly run Double Creek Channel and it keeps you alert when navigating it at night. In the day, they fluke drifters who think that you are supposed to be sitting dead in the water and oblivious (NUC?) betweent he red and the green!%$@$#@! Then, they give you the dirty look because you did not run out of the channel on the flats to circumnavigate them!
Oregon Inlet can really be a bear but Old Barney is nothing to take lightly, especially during an incoming tide and fall westerlies.
Barnegat Inlet 
