Harbor Notes

This was probably the least satisfactory stop on our trip. We chose it, sight unseen, because it was the marina closest to the entrance to Barnegat Bay, and some of the others were quite some distance in. Not wanting to spend a lot of time crossing and recrossing the Bay, "it seemed like a good idea at the time." It wasn't, for a couple of reasons. First, there was the dock we were at (look at the picture at the top of the Marina's home page, www.lighthousemarinanj.com; we were on the dock to the right, where Discovery is tied up). That dock runs northeast-southwest, and the wind that evening was strong out of the northwest. Not wanting to be pinned against unpadded pilings, we tied up inside (leeward) after a real fight to get close enough and heave lines before being pushed away by the wind. Then after all that work, we discovered that both shore power stations on the dock were out of commission. The dock was seldom used, and it was covered with crab and other shells and seagull poop (it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in 20 years). Second, the price. Despite the primitive nature of the facility, they had the nerve to charge us $2.75 a foot. Third, they close early, and even though we didn't arrive particularly late they were already gone (but they do leave the heads open all night--a point in their favor). Fortunately the town is right there, with all the necessities (restaurants, package stores) within easy walking distance. We would not choose this facility again.