Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

[Frank Acampora]

About this time I turned to my fiancee' and said " I don't like the look of that sky--I'm going back."



A few minutes later---- This boat although small has handled much worse so I was not worried. However, we did get very wet.



It was bad enough though, that even the birds were walking.

 

[oops!]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

arrrgh.......the link gremlin is here again frank.....only one pic

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Got it! took a couple of trys to get them where I wanted

 

[oops!]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

it is suprising how weather can come up on a body of water quick....

i remember being on a lake as a kid......blue sky.....calm ...no clouds....perfect day....

we saw a large black cloud just start to break over the hills.....we continued fishing for about 10 minits.

then we noticed the cloud was big and ugly as it came into view.....

threw the gear in ....and pulled the anchor, started the motor, and hit the throttle.... within minits we were in 4 foot water with short troughs (really big water for the small lake we were on)

lightning strikes....big wind.....rollers and caps.....not good.....we made it back by surfing the waves.

the whole thing took 15 minits till the time we saw it on a calm day, to the time we were in trouble.....very little time to respond.

 

[erwinner]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Nice thing about the small or narrow and snaking lakes here and a little aluminum boat is that when we get the crazy weather blowing in at 45mph I can just pull the motor up as I hit the bank and then drag the boat mostly out and ride it out.
Nice thing about the storms hitting so quickly is that they tend to leave as quickly, and I can get back to fishing.

 

[boyoboy]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Here's an example of a mild blow - up on Tampa Bay http://vimeo.com/12884839

 

[Ben Clegg]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Here's an example of a mild blow - up on Tampa Bay http://vimeo.com/12884839

Wow
That is pretty scary how quick it came about.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Frank, I live on Barnegat Bay. As you know, there are some days when it blows up like you showed in the picture. Luckily it doesn't happen too ofter without warning. Normally you can see 'em coming in the western sky. In Bayville, what you see is what we get.

On a related subject, most afternoons (especially when I am returning from fishing) the wind picks up from the south and creates 2 foot chop.

I do not know how many days you spend on the bay, but a 19-21 foot boat is a pretty good choice for those choppy afternoons, and would also be better in the nasty condition you described.

 

[freelancer]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

How about when your 20 miles off shore and you get the word on the VHF radio that via National Weather Alert that pop up storms are moving your way about 50 MPH

You can see the sky getting dark and the lightning in the distance Happened to us once while fishing for tuna out of Barnegat Inlet, as soon as we got the word we were wide open heading for port.

At 12 miles out all land started to disappear in the wall of rain and by the time we got to the dock, lightning was striking in every direction around us. Very scary and wouldn't want to go through that again. Good thing was that we were in a pretty rugged boat - A Parker with an enclosed cabin that took the seas well and kept us dry.

Like mentioned previously, squall lines can develop quickly and just as fast their gone.

 

[Philster]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

You know when you are smack dab caught in the middle of a bad T-Storm when the lightning/thunder are simultaneous, and you hear an electric ZZZZWAAAAAAP almost a milisecond before the sonic KA-BOOOOOM.... and then you smell the ozone around you burning from the electricity, your friend has wet his pants and your other friend is crying with his head under the passenger console.

No one would do that voluntarily (well, most normal people), so they really do pop up. One minute, radar clear... next minute, they pop up out of nowhere. That's what two fronts will do.

Yes... check the radar... but know where the two fronts are when you head out.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay



Well, Chris: Her brother owns a house in Waretown, on a cul-de sac, right on the bay. We only go there once or twice a year. Last year I took the 21 footer and went out the inlet into the ocean a couple of miles. While the inlet was rough, the ocean had some nice big, long-period rollers which were pleasant to ride over. Coming back in we got into a clot of boats and had a difficult time maneuvering through the channel. But again, aside from one slug of water over the bow, no major problems.

This year, I decided to tow the smaller boat and knew I was not going to try the inlet with it. We were just going out for a relaxing day.

You can not see it but the lighthouse was off the top right of the photo. We were in the flats almost directly east of Barnegat Township ramp.

This post was not meant to be a " My worst experience," I have been in much more worrisome conditions. For example: In the East River, N.Y. when a 100 footer blasted by me throwing a 5 foot wake and nowhere to go to avoid it, in the center of an electrical storm in the center of Lake Champlain with 4 foot whitecaps, and yes, Philster, Some really nasty stuff in the Upper Chesapeake with one friend leaving finger impressions in the OH, SH**! bar and the other guy who once wanted to be a Navy Seal crying.

Typically, the boat can take a lot more than the people inside it.

 

[wgl333]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Looking at the 1st picture I see no reason for any concern. You have obviously added additional flotation material to the port side, I assume you balanced it out starboard as well...my only hope is you color coordinated!

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Frank, As you have realized, Barnegat Inlet is almost always rougher than the ocean. I have heard folks remark that the Army Corp of Engineers tests their Inlet equipment there, because if it survived BI, it will work anywhere.

Freelancer, Sometimes those storms can come from the land rather quickly as you have found out. That thought keeps me up at night, or close to shore. So did you catch anything on Barnegat Ridge that day?

I was out there one day in a neighbor's 35 foot Scarab. All of a sudden the waves were 8 footers, so we decided to go in. That boat and operator did a masterful job driving up the waves, cutting the throttle and falling off them softly. We were able to stay on plane the whole way, but just barely. I had to hang on with two hands. Of course if I would have had three hands to hang on with that would have been better.
Happy Holiday

 

[freelancer]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Frank, As you have realized, Barnegat Inlet is almost always rougher than the ocean. I have heard folks remark that the Army Corp of Engineers tests their Inlet equipment there, because if it survived BI, it will work anywhere.

Freelancer, Sometimes those storms can come from the land rather quickly as you have found out. That thought keeps me up at night, or close to shore. So did you catch anything on Barnegat Ridge that day?

I was out there one day in a neighbor's 35 foot Scarab. All of a sudden the waves were 8 footers, so we decided to go in. That boat and operator did a masterful job driving up the waves, cutting the throttle and falling off them softly. We were able to stay on plane the whole way, but just barely. I had to hang on with two hands. Of course if I would have had three hands to hang on with that would have been better.
Happy Holiday

WOW BARNEGAT INLET - Simply describe as "A partially submerged hazard to the unknowing navigator often with a following sea"
Even if you didn't catch any, you had a good day if you get back in.

Chris- we did pretty well that day with several Bonito Tuna, some nice flounder and some monster chopper blues.
The nice folks at the Sushi Joint right on the water there in Waretown were nice enough to prepare it for us as we enjoyed some of the house sake. You couldn?t beat it super fresh as it gets!

 

[Philster]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Rollers (big 'uns) collapsing/condensing their energy as they enter an ocean inlet: Good times! Of course, this is a friendly warm up to the same exercise in a natural inlet with breakers and shoals.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Bad weather on Barnegat Bay

Old Barney Inlet. Bay side of it.

Go back 40 years.
I rented a 14' OB rowboat at the N J light house place. Went 300' away from the rental place. Was fishing with my back to the mainland side of the bay. Few clouds floated by reducing sunlight. Few minutes later I shivered as COLD air dropped the August temperature fast. Turned around & the hair stood up EVERYWHERE on my body. SECONDS away was a GREY SHEET of water tearing the water surface apart as it approached. Noise rose also. I PANICKED. Started the motor. Yanked the anchor up. & guessed were the marsh island was as I did a HOPEFULLY correct 180 degree turn & ran the boat up on to the marshy island grass. Motor stalled. Rain is REALLY LOUD & PAINFULL as the full force of the squall peaks. I am on my back in the bottom of the boat with my arms wrapped aroud the bench center seat. FEAR.