Little Egg Inlet question - The Hull Truth

JerseyMako · 08-31-2009, 11:32 AM

Hey guys,

Can someone that travels the Little Egg inlet help me out.

Whenever I go out of the inlet I stay to the south end of the inlet and follow the marked chanel with the sand bar to my north.

I often see many boats hugging the south end of LBI and the sand bar to the south.
Is this area marked as well? Or does it depend on the tide and the position of the sand bar?

Thanks for the help

txhedg · 09-01-2009, 08:37 PM

On the north side of LEI is the "old" Beach Haven Inlet. I'm told it used to be a marked inlet a while ago (not sure when, but well before i got my boat), but now its unmarked. It basically is a route (calling it a "channel" is probably a stretch) that wraps around the south end of LBI, north of the LEI chanel and north of the sandbars. Its not very deep, but deep enough for my boat even at low tide. My depth finder shows it gets down to maybe 6-7 feet in a few spots.

When I first got my boat, I followed larger boats in and out through it a few times then marked it on my GPS. This year I had another experienced local show me "his" route out through it, and it was basically the same one i had marked over the past few years. Its pretty much running about 100 yds off the beach (south end of LBI) all the way around, but i would highly recommend following someone a few times and marking the track before you try it yourself.

And FWIW, I MUCH prefer the BHI run out to the ocean vs the longer, rougher, LEI route that takes you much further south, and much further east before you get "out" of the inlet.

JerseyMako · 09-02-2009, 08:21 AM

Thanks for the info.

The south side of LEI is pretty rough so I guess I'll give the north side a try after I watch for a while.

After you past the tip of LBI can you go straight out east or would you have to head more north to avoid the sand bar?

txhedg · 09-02-2009, 08:39 AM

From my experience, as long as you don't turn south, you are pretty much ok to head straight out E once you get past the tip of lbi assuming you are within 100 or so yards of shore. You do want to "curl" to the north a bit as you pass the tip so that you are headed NE for maybe the last 1/4 mile or so, then you can start heading due E.....but I am by no means an expert on it since my time in LBI with my boat is usually limited to a few weeks each summer (most of the yr my boat is in CT), so others might have more insight.

08087 · 09-06-2009, 02:17 PM

I go out the Little egg inlet often and head north up the coast of LBI. As mentioned above if you stay 100-200 yards off the coast as you exit the inlet you should be fine. you may see your depth drop in a spot or 2 down to around 5'-6' but it will soon oick back up to 8' or more.

Once you make the turn up the coast I'd move away from the coast to 1000' or so, but as long as you watch your depth once you hit 10-12' of water you should be fine the rest of the way.