NJ: Brielle / Manasquan River

Day 364
July 22, 2016
NM Today: 32
NM To Date: 6093 (7012 statute miles)

Before leaving our friends' house, we chatted for a while over tea and coffee. All too soon it was time to part ways - us to continue our Great Loop trip and them to head off to work.

Leaving the lagoon in Barnegat, NJ

We wove our way out to Barnegat Inlet though a twisty-turny maze of red and green markers. As we navigated the waters, we could see the shoaling outside the channel apparent because of the different colors of the water, e.g. different shades of tan and blue.

Barnegat Light with Sailboat in Inlet

As we departed Barnegat Inlet, we saw a "parade" coming in. A tug towed a small barge that was attached to another via a tow line that was attached to some other large floating objects (barrels?) via tow lines that were attached via tow line to more barrels that  ...  I could not say how many tow lines were involved. Two tugs escorted the parade making for an interesting sight.

Tug Boat Parade

We traveled out in the Atlantic Ocean today. Coming out of the inlet, the waves hit us from the southeast, so we got pushed around a little. As we rolled down one wave after another, I yelled, "Ye HA! Ride-em-cowboy!"

After making the turn to head north, those southeast waves became a "following sea", and we "surfed" up the coast. Every once in a while we would catch a good wave that would pick us up and carry us a distance. When that happened, we would see the speed increase from 8 knots to as much as 10.3 knots. Since we do not have autopilot, we needed to correct our heading repeatedly as we rode one wave after another up the coast. What fun the ocean is!

Traveling in the Atlantic Ocean by Seaside Heights, NJ

We were not the only ones enjoying a nice breeze on the Atlantic.

Parasailing near Seaside Heights, NJ

As we approached Manasquan Inlet, we saw a New Jersey beach busy with people trying to keep cool on one of the hottest days of the year.

Beach near Manasquan Inlet New Jersey

As soon as Clark turned the boat to enter Manasquan Inlet, I felt the air temperature increase by several humid degrees. I knew that it would be hot docking the boat.

About to enter Manasquan Inlet in New Jersey

Manasquan Inlet Breakwater
made of concrete blocks

Beach beside Manasquan Inlet

Riverside Cafe in Manasquan, NJ
(north side of Manasquan Inlet)

Wharfside Restaurant, Point Pleasant, NJ
(south side of Manasquan Inlet)

Coming into Manasquan, Clark saw two young men on paddle boards caught in the midst of fast boats and their wakes. Clark slowed to a stop to allow them to paddle across in front of us to the beach on the Point Pleasant side. We signaled other boats coming up on our stern to slow down. The one who was standing on his board, dropped to his knees, and used his hands to paddle out of the way. I guess he figured two hands were better than one paddle.

Rude boater "waking" two paddle boarders

To get to our marina for the night, we had to pass through the opening for the railroad bridge. This bridge is normally up unless a train is coming through. Since we docked at a marina near this bridge, we have heard the "coming-down" bridge siren multiple times throughout the day.

Railroad Bridge in Manasquan

When we arrived at Brielle Yacht Club, the dock master told us to tie up temporarily at the fuel dock while they figured out our slip assignment. With the wind and the current pushing us into the fuel dock, it was a hard landing. Then, with passing boats making wakes, our boat repeatedly slammed into the pilings alongside the fixed dock. With the way it hit, I worried that the railing on the boat would be damaged since the railing, and not the rub rail on the side of the boat, hit the piling with some force.

I struggled to place a fender between us and the fixed dock but could not budge the boat. With the help of Clark and the dock hand, I finally managed to wedge a fender in between the two. We no sooner got the fender in place than they said they had a slip for us, so we could get off their fuel dock. Clark said that if he had known that we would only sit there for only two minutes, he would have preferred to "station keep" out in the water instead of slamming into the fuel dock.

As a result of docking at the fuel dock - a starboard tie, then running around to adjust lines and fenders for a port tie in our assigned slip, and finally lassoing pilings for the bow as part of docking, we were hot and sweaty by the time Sea Moss was in position in the slip for the night. As soon as possible, Clark turned on the air conditioning in the boat, and we sat in the cool cabin for the afternoon where I worked on yesterday's blog update.

At 7:00 Clark's friend, Dom, who lives in a condo next to the marina property, came to our boat, and we all walked to a local restaurant for dinner. On the way past our marina, we saw a wooden painting of a Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse that I insisted Clark take a picture of for the blog, so here it is.

Since it was only a very short distance from the marina, we walked to dinner at Simko's Restaurant in Brielle, New Jersey. With a diverse menu, Clark ordered lamb, I ordered stuffed shrimp, and Dom had steak. Afterwards, when the waitress presented the dessert tray, instead of indulging in one of their many rich desserts, Clark lamented the fact that no ice cream shop was within walking distance whereby Dom offered to drive us to Hoffman's for ice cream.

Hoffman's Ice Cream Shop
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

We arrived at Hoffman's ice cream shop just after 9:00 hoping they would still be open. I have never seen such a madhouse in my life at an ice cream place. They were mobbed with people. When we walked inside, we learned that we needed to "take a number" to be served. We pulled number 93; they were currently serving number 79; and a continuous flow of people came in behind us. Clark checked and found the closing time on Friday night to be 11:00 - a very good thing given the number of patrons swarming the place.

I had decided that I did not want ice cream given I was full from dinner. Clark, however, had other ideas. As luck would have it, Hoffman's sold sorbet, and he had to have this refreshing treat - both the raspberry and the lemon flavors. However, he also wanted to sample the vanilla ice cream. He convinced me to order a vanilla cone, so he could have some vanilla as well as both flavors of sorbet. I told Dom that he was my witness that I had ordered ice cream "under duress"! Somehow I managed to suffer through eating the ice cream cone.

After our cool treats, we went back to the marina and sat on the fly bridge of Sea Moss enjoying the sea breeze and pleasant conversation until it was time to work on the blog and retire for the evening.