With this book in hand, boaters can cruise down the Jersey Shore--from New York Harbor to Delaware Bay--in the good company of Captain Donald Launer. Captain Launer brings many years of experience as a skipper of small boats to this engaging nautical and historical guide to New Jersey's tidal waters. Cruise with him from the New Jersey/New York state line near the mouth of the Hudson River, past Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook, and into the Manasquan Inlet. From there, he gives you a choice of voyages: the inside route through the Intracoastal Waterway to Toms River, Barnegat Bay, Atlantic City, and Cape May, or taking the offshore passage. Then you explore the Delaware Bay and its tributaries and cruise up the Delaware River to Trenton. This revised edition contains updated information about onshore facilities, marinas, restaurants, stores, sites of interest, docking fees, bridge heights, maritime service stations, weather, navigation, and safety, as well as post-September 11 regulations in the waters around New York City. The book also includes a wealth of photographs and sea charts. Donald Launer, who holds a U.S. Coast Guard captain's license, has explored the New Jersey waters in every kind of small craft since he first sailed in Barnegat Bay at the age of eight. His articles on recreational boating have appeared in Good Old Boat Magazine, Cruising World, The Beachcomber, Offshore, and Sail. He berths his schooner, Delphinus, in Forked River, New Jersey.

The Jersey Shore attracts millions of visitors each year, drawn to its sandy beaches. Yet New Jersey’s coastline contains a richer array of biodiverse habitats than most tourists realize, from seagrass meadows to salt marshes to cranberry bogs. Beaches, Bays, and Barrens introduces readers to the natural wonders of the Jersey Shore, revealing its unique ecology and fascinating history. The journey begins with the contributions and discoveries of early naturalists who visited the region and an overview of endangered species and natural history, followed by chapters that explore different facets of the shore’s environments. These start with sandy beaches and dunes and culminate in the engaging Pine Barrens, the vital watershed for much of the state’s varied coastline. Along the way, readers will also learn about whaling, decoy carvers, an extinct duck, and the cultivation of wild blueberries. Including over seventy color photographs, the book also features twenty-three infoboxes that go deep into areas of ecological or historical interest, such as the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge or the Jaws-like shark attacks of 1916. From Cape May to Sandy Hook, biologist Eric G. Bolen takes you on a guided tour of the Jersey Shore’s rich ecological heritage.

In this book, Mark Di Ionno invites you to join him in discovering New Jerseys rich and varied coastal heritage. Hell take you on a personal tour to explore the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Spermaceti Cove Station, admire offbeat collections of saltwater taffy boxes and sand art in Atlantic City, spend an afternoon at Brigantine and unravel the legend of Captain Kidd, marvel at the skills of Tuckertons boatbuilders, discover New Jerseys own version of the Boston Tea Party in Greenwich, and find inspiration at Ocean Grove, a Methodist meeting place.