Sailboat Rides 44 Hunter Sailing Yacht ... Seaside Sailing Co. Sailboat Charters .. Barnegat Bay .. Island Heights, NJ. Toms River, NJ. Seaside Heights, NJ. Seaside Park New Jersey

A typical sailing cruise begins with departure from our dock at Pier One Marina, Toms River, NJ. This marina is located directly next to the Big Bridge that spans the Barnegat Bay. Our sailing adventure begins just as soon as the boat clears the inlet. From here, the route depends on the prevailing wind and weather. A strong southerly or northerly wind will take us west up the Toms River. One of the first sights you will see on our starboard side (right hand side looking forward) will be the majestic homes sitting on the bluffs of Island Heights. My favorite is the big red house highest on the hill. I can just imagine myself sitting on that porch in a white wooden rocking chair with a cold drink in hand.

The next two gathering of boats will be the Island Heights and Toms River Yacht Clubs. As we pass by, we may get a chance to observe one of their many sailboat regatta-taking place. Sometimes, it gets very crowded and your captain must “give way” to allow the racers to pass unimpeded. The wind that propels our boat sometimes blocks the wind the racers need to stay competitive so we will alter course to allow them the “right of way”.

Continuing up the river and again on the starboard side, we will see the Toms River Golf Club. You will notice that one of the greens protrudes out into the river. The shortest distance from tee to green is over the bay. Anyone want to stop to dive for golf balls?

At the head of the navigable water, we will come about and return on the southern side of the river, passing the towns of South Toms River, Beachwood, Pine Beach and Ocean Gate. By the way, all of these towns also have their own yacht clubs and may be involved in racing each other’s teams. The clubs have sailing programs for their younger members, so we may again encounter a sailing fleet getting lessons in how to handle small sailboat. Not to worry, your captain knows just how to avoid all those sailboats.

At any time along the way, you can expect to see the river’s only paddle wheeler, the River Lady. Get out your cameras because it’s your chance to take a picture of the areas only boat that is really propelled by the paddles, and not a propeller. You might even want to tell your friends how you really were sailing along the mighty Mississippi and sailed past a riverboat.

Occasionally, and when ever two sailboats come close together, there is almost always going to be a race. We can tighten up our sails and see if we can’t put some distance between us and the other sailboat in a race for bragging rights. But, please be gracious winners, or heaven forbid gracious losers.

As we proceed east, towards the Barnegat Bay, you will undoubtedly notice the salt marsh with all the telephone poles. This is Good Luck Point where they grow the best telephone poles in New Jersey!!! Not really but, every one in a while I get a passenger to almost believe me. If you look closely, you will see that there is a wire antenna strung between the poles. An old timer has told me that this site was once a spy radio station during World War I and then again during World War II. AT&T now owns the property but know one knows for sure what its function is these days.

Since the wind is blowing hard on the Bay today, we will turn the boat around at Good Luck Point and head back up the river. On the way back you will be able to see the two bridges that cross the bay from Dover Township to Pelican Island. One bridge is a drawbridge the other is a 60 foot fixed bridge. This boat needs to have the lower bridge draw and will just fits under the fixed bridge. As we round the Toms River #10 red buoy, we will head back to our dock in Toms River.

On days when the wind is blowing east or west, our cruise will take us east on the Toms River passing the AT&T property and out into the Barnegat Bay. Because the Barnegat Bay has an average depth of only 3 feet, we will have to sail down the bay on the deeper west side. It’s in this portion of the bay that we will be joined by many other power and sailboats traversing up and down the Intracoastal Waterway. Did you know that this waterway route begins in Manasquan NJ and continues inland all the way to Brownsville TX. Except for a couple of low bridges and few shallow spots, we could make the trip all the way to Texas and not have to go into the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico just by keeping the red channel markers on the starboard side of the boat.

On our starboard side, we will pass one of the local waterfront restaurants, the Water’s Edge. With prior arrangements, your private party can anchor in the cove just south of the restaurant and be ferried in by the restaurant’s water shuttle for a waterside dinner ashore.

As we continue south, and far off on our port side (left side of the boat facing forward), is Island Beach State Park. The park is a 12-mile natural barrier island, with two bathing beaches and all the surf fishing one can handle. On the starboard side, we will be passing acres of undeveloped waterfront land. Most of it is always going to be remaining a salt marsh with little development allowed. Over the past few years, there have been a couple large housing developments popping up. What a view they must have!

At Berkeley Island County Park, we will come about and begin our return cruise home. We will be basically covering the same track up the Intracoastal Waterway. However, before we start home, look towards the state park and just to the south is the famous Barnegat Lighthouse. This lighthouse marks the entrance to one of the most dangerous inlets on the east coast of the United States. It’s still about six miles away but can be very visible even with out binoculars on a clear day. After a run back up the bay and around Good Luck Point, we will once again head back to our dock at Pier One Marina.