raritan bay show your pride!

[wish4fish]

whos got some nice pics of the raritan? post up!

[captnemo]

I remember when the Raritan bay was very dirty. There were hardly any regs on the polluters. I feel it has cleaned up pretty nicely compared to what it used to be in the 1970s.

[DarkSkies]

Too much dumping on Raritan Bay and all that lately, getting depressing. I love that place, been fishing it many years, some great memories from Sandy Hook to Perth Amboy.

So let's see some Raritan Bay shots. :thumbsup:

[LennyD]

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2344/51383463.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/my.php?image=51383463.jpg)

[LennyD]

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/2056/62936369.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=62936369.jpg)

[LennyD]

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4233/93877294.jpg (http://img21.imageshack.us/my.php?image=93877294.jpg)

[hookset]

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4233/93877294.jpg (http://img21.imageshack.us/my.php?image=93877294.jpg)


Just a fishing pole, quiet water...time to relax. Nice pic. Nice sunset pics too.

[lostatsea]

Anyone have any stories or pics from earlier times? I was told the origin is the twin lights up on the hill in the Highlands, but have never been there.

[finchaser]

Caught bass to 30# off of there 2 weeks ago still a good spot since it lies between the Hook and the Shrewsbury Rocks. Also near the rattlesnake and Sandy hook reef we always keep it honest and give it a look see

[skinner]

end of the day

[Monty]

skinner, Nice pics :clapping::clapping::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[cowherder]

great pix guys!


7285

[cowherder]

7286

7287

7288

7289

7290

[cowherder]

7291

7292

7293

[madcaster]

Cliffwood beach with the tide going out

[wish4fish]

Cliffwood beach with the tide going out

dude i rember those days, if you wanted the fish you had to wade out to the vz,lol. at least back then if you soaked clams all night you would nail a bass or 2, i hate the summer fishin, might as well hit the ti**** bars:plastered:

[baitstealer]

Does anyone have pics of the old romer shoals lighthouse compared to what it looks like now?

[captnemo]

Here you go along with some history
http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=655

Location: Located 2.4 miles due north of the northern tip of Sandy Hook in Lower New York Bay.
Latitude: 40.51356
Longitude: -74.01339

Description:
Many sources claim that Romer Shoal is named after the pilot boat William J. Romer, which reportedly sank nearby in 1863. While this claim sounds plausible, the following facts offer proof to the contrary.


The Lighthouse Service had already erected a daymark on the shoal in 1838.
The Romer sank off the New Jersey shore over fifty miles south of the shoal.
Maps, predating the sinking of the vessel, clearly mark the shoal as "Dry Romer."

An 1870 edition of The Historical Magazine records that the shoal was actually named after Colonel Wolfgang William Romer, who sounded the waters of New York Bay in 1700 on order of the governor of New York.

Following the appropriation of $15,000 in 1837 and $10,000 in 1838, Winslow Lewis surveyed the shoal and selected the position for the erection of a day-beacon. After construction started at the site, two naval officers complained that the tower was being built in the wrong place. Work was allowed to continue, but mariners were warned not to "run for the beacon, or they would infallibly get on shore."

Still, the misplaced daymark, a frustum constructed of granite blocks that supported a wooden mast surmounted by a wooden case, did help mariners avoid the underlying shoal.

By 1877, the tower was off vertical. Steps were taken to shore it up, but it was clear that a new structure would be needed in the not too distant future.

The Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board for 1886 has the following entry for Romer Shoal Lighthouse, near the northeast side of Swash Channel, entrance to New York Bay:
The work of establishing the light at this point was steadily pushed forward, although severe weather frequently made a landing at the site impracticable. The foundation was well advanced, and the first section of the pier set up in October. In November the second section of the pier was erected, and work was suspended during December on account of the weather. In January, 1886, the iron-work of the tower was received at the lighthouse depot. The foundation was strengthened in May with a cargo of stone, and by the end of June the entire structure was completed ready for lighting. The light will on July 15, 1886, be exhibited for the first time.

This second beacon, now equipped with a light, was a twenty-five-foot-high skeletal tower that stood atop an iron pier with a diameter of thirty feet. A tank of compressed gas was capable of powering the unmanned light for up to ninety days, saving the expense of an on-site keeper. After a decade of service, however, the tower and light were requiring more frequent attention, and funding was obtained for a manned lighthouse on Romer Shoal.





http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/romershoals.JPG (http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/romershoals.JPG)



Romer Shoal Lighthouse (http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/romershoals.JPG)
Photograph courtesy U.S. Coast Guard







The present fifty-four-foot sparkplug lighthouse, established on the shoal in 1898, was originally erected on the grounds of the Staten Island Lighthouse Depot in 1883 and used as an experimental lighthouse for testing fuels, wicks, bulbs, and other lighthouse equipment before it was disassembled and relocated just a few miles offshore. The four-story tower is topped by a cylindrical watch room and an decagonal lantern room. A concrete pier extends southwest from the tower and is home to a hoist used to lift the station's boat from a semi-protected boat basin.

Following World War I, six signal quartermasters from the Navy were crammed into the lighthouse along with the three regular keepers, who were responsible for the light produced by the tower?s fourth-order Fresnel lens. The duty of these post-war additions was to monitor all vessels entering and leaving New York Harbor. Much to the relief of the keepers, the six guests were removed after about a month due to shortage of Navy personnel.

The following year, the Navy took control of the entire lighthouse, assigning three of its men to mind the light and observe ships. Shortly after the men had arrived at the lighthouse, a vessel approached the station on November 13, 1920 to deliver provisions. William Walker set off in the station's launch to meet the vessel as choppy seas prevented it from tying up near the lighthouse. As the two ships were maneuvering near each other, a large wave pushed them close to the rocks that protected the lighthouse. Seeing the danger, the captain of the larger vessel ordered his engines reversed. The resulting prop wash swamped Walker's craft and pulled him under the water to his death. The Navy removed its men from the lighthouse on October 16, 1921, and keepers from the Lighthouse Service returned to the station.

[captnemo]

In 1939, Romer Shoal Lighthouse, along with all navigational aids in the country, fell under the control of the Coast Guard, who stationed four men at the light. Three of the coastguardsmen were always on duty at the lighthouse, while a fourth enjoyed a week's leave. The daily routine of watching the light and maintaining the structure was a bit monotonous, but one of the crew explained to a reporter that the job had its advantages as well. "About the only excitement we have is running the launch out in heavy seas, or going out to help a boat with a broken-down engine. That doesn't happen very often. But it's not so bad here. And how many people get a week's vacation every month?"
Romer Shoal Lighthouse was equipped with a diaphone fog horn in 1939, replacing a 1,300-pound fog bell that had served since the tower was completed. An incandescent oil vapor lamp was also installed that year in place of a wick lamp.

When Romer Shoal Lighthouse was automated in 1966, its Fresnel lens was replaced by a 190-millimeter acrylic lens that continued to help mark the entrance to the busy harbor with a pair of white flashes every fifteen seconds. After a storm in December of 1992 damaged the lighthouse, the Coast Guard considered scrapping the lighthouse and replacing it with a steel skeleton tower. Joe Esposito, who served as caretaker of the Staten Island Lighthouse at the time, refused to let the tower be destroyed, and through his ardent efforts it remains in place today. A metal awning that covered the main gallery at the base of the tower was removed in 1997. That same year, use of the station's submarine power cable was discontinued, the light was solarized, and a generator and fuel tanks were removed from the tower.

For years now, there has been talk of returning the lighthouse to its former home on Staten Island, which is now slated to become the National Lighthouse Museum. Unfortunately, the effort to get the museum started has been bogged down for almost a decade due, at least in part, to insufficient funding. Fishermen will, for now, still have the brown and white tower to direct them to the popular fishing site where doormat-size fluke are often taken.

A Notice of Availability, dated June 1, 2010, announced that Romer Shoal Lighthouse was excess to the needs of the United States Coast Guard and would be "made available at no cost to eligible entities defined as Federal agencies, state and local agencies, non-profit corporations, educational agencies, or community development organizations for educational, park, recreational, cultural or historic preservation purposes." Qualifying organizations were given sixty days to submit a letter of interest.

After no group stepped forward to take responsibility for the lighthouse, it was placed on the auction block on March 14, 2011, by the General Services Administration (GSA). An opening bid of $15,000 was placed on June 16, after an inspection trip to the lighthouse was offered on June 9.

1762217623

The auction saw ten bids being submitted by five different individuals and concluded on June 24 with a winning bid of $90,000 by "jvscalia," who had seemingly won the auction for Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse in 2008 only to have the GSA declare that the bid of $40,000 did not exceed the fair market value for the property.

John Scalia, the auction winner, says he has always had a sweet spot for Romer Shoal Lighthouse as it was the first part of their new homeland his immigrant grandparents saw when approaching Ellis Island. Scalia plans to spend around $80,000 fixing up with property with an eye towards making it accessible for tours from the National Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island.

Scalia owns owns several businesses on Staten Island, including a florist, a funeral home and a limousine service, and views renovating Romer Shoal Lighthouse as a gift to his community.

[captnemo]

baitstealer the lighthouse that was destroyed was Old Orchard. Here are some before and after photos of that

17626


17627

[fishinmission78]

I used to fish the rb and sandy hook years ago and cut them out of the rotation because there were better opps down south. Now with the north jetty rebuilding and some other issues am looking to make some moves north for fishing. Does anyone have the status of the keansburg or spy house piers? Were they damaged by Sandy or are they fully rebuilt. thank you gents.

[ledhead36]

^^^^^Spyhouse pier is almost completed. They were able to rebuild by using the old pilings. The new footprint is relatively the same. I was there on the weekend and took these pics. Hit me up back channel when you want to come up and Ill let you know if the bite is on.

1797117974

17973


1797017972

[fishinmission78]

Thanks dude will be in touch soon.

[VSdreams]

New waterfront park its pretty awesome!
from nj.com
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/05/middlesex_countys_old_bridge_waterfront_park_ready _for_the_summer.html

Middlesex County's Old Bridge Waterfront Park ready for the summer

5-25?14


By Sue Epstein/The Star-Ledger (http://connect.nj.com/user/sepstein/posts.html) The Star-Ledger

on May 25, 2014 at 6:00 AM, updated May 25, 2014 at 6:15 AM

http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_lx.ads/www.nj.com/middlesex/2014/05/middlesex_countys_old_bridge_waterfront_park_ready _for_the_summer.html/1161550801/StoryAd/NJONLINE/default/empty.gif/6241567038564f443937674144576935?&lid=35f055437b1f1cc0a6631a61d99c0ab1&tag0=hurricane-sandy&tag1=middlesex-county&tag2=old-bridge (http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/middlesex/2014/05/middlesex_countys_old_bridge_waterfront_park_ready _for_the_summer.html/1161550801/StoryAd/NJONLINE/default/empty.gif/6241567038564f443937674144576935)


MIDDLESEX COUNTY (http://www.nj.com/middlesex/) ? There's extra reason this weekend to celebrate the unofficial start of summer along this part of the Jersey Shore.
A year and a half after Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to Middlesex County?s Old Bridge Waterfront Park, the repairs are done and the park is ready for summer.

Ralph Albanir, director of the county?s Department of Parks and Recreation, said the new playground is open, the third fishing pier is complete and opened, and the heavily damaged boardwalk is restored from Cliffwood Beach, closest to the Monmouth County border, all the way into Laurence Harbor in Old Bridge.
?The boardwalk looks great,? Albanir said. ?There is new lighting. We have replaced the damaged playground with a larger one that has a nautical theme. We just need a safety certificate the contractor must obtain that all safety measures were built in. Then we can open the playground.?

Like Middlesex County, many other Jersey Shore communities are ready to welcome back Shore visitors after completing repairs to parks, boardwalks and other infrastructure damaged by Sandy.

Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers said last month that his town's portion of a boardwalk damaged heavily in a September fire would be ready for summer and Mayor Robert Matthies in neighboring Seaside Park said he, too, expected his town's portion of the boardwalk to be finished by Monday, Memorial Day.
Shore beaches also were reported to be in their best shape in years heading into this weekend, thanks to a major replenishment project after Hurricane Sandy and winter storms that took it easy on the coastline, according to an Associated Press report.
In Middlesex County's case, it has taken more than a year to return Old Bridge's Waterfront Park and it?s beachfront to its pre-Sandy shape.
The 54-acre park runs 3.1 miles along the Raritan Bay to the Monmouth County border at Pirate?s Cove.
Hurricane Sandy did more than $5 million in damage to the park, primarily due to the intense storm surge that hit the bay. The park was closed ?indefinitely? after the storm so the cleanup and repairs could be made.

Albanir said county parks employees cleaned up the damage and brought in 1,000 pounds of sand to replace the sand lost during the storm, so the park?s beach could reopen last summer.

Two of the three fishing piers?all of which suffered significant damage in the storm?have been open for some time, but the contractor still had to install the railing on the third pier before the public could use it. The railing was finished last week and the pier opened to the public.

?That park really provides such a great access to Raritan Bay,? Albanir said. ?It was sad to see it damaged. To see it come back is a pleasure.?
Albanir said the damage done by Sandy to another county park?Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in Sayreville and South Amboy?is also complete and will open to the public this summer.

Meanwhile, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is in talks with NL Industries, previously known as National Lead, which the agency has identified as the only potentially responsible party for the massive contamination found in Raritan Bay and a large portion of Old Bridge Waterfront Park. The affected areas had to be closed to the public.

The EPA ordered the corporation in February to begin the $79 million cleanup of what is known as the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site. The work is expected to last five to seven years.

The order covers cleanup in three areas contaminated with lead: the Laurence Harbor seawall next to the county park; another section that includes the western jetty in Sayreville and then from the Cheesequake Creek Inlet into Raritan Bay; and the third section of about 50 acres of Margaret?s Creek.
?The EPA remains in ongoing discussions with NL regarding funding and implementation of EPA?s cleanup plan for the site,? said EPA spokesman Elias Rodriguez.
NL Industries was named by the EPA in 2012 as the only potentially responsible party for the massive cleanup because the lead remains, known as slag, of the smelting process from the company?s former Perth Amboy facility was dumped by a private trucking company at the affected sites from about 1960 to about 1980.

The affected areas were placed on the national list of Superfund sites in 2009 when high levels of lead were found in the bay and surrounding waters in those locations. A large portion of the park had to be closed to the public as a result.
About 200 feet of the Old Bridge park?s waterfront has been fenced off since early 2012 after high levels of lead were found in the soil. The areas repaired and open by the county in the park are not part of the affected area.

[ledhead36]

Took some pics of the spy house pier yesterday. Will be closed as of july 5 for beach restoration.

185921859318594

[wish4fish]

^^^^ yeah and they r f'ing up the whole area wit muddy water they got cranes and dump trucks going at all hours of the night. when u look at it from the side its like the gasoline city in mad max everything else is dark and this whole site is lit up at nite they must be getting big buxx from the feds to work ot like that. getting paid big time!

[ledhead36]

VSdreams the new piers look nice. I'll try to take a pic next time we're there.

Found this on youtube. Does anyone remember when the South Jetty actually existed and you could walk out on it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRjlJx5uhpg

[ledhead36]

The Leonardo Quick Stop from the cult classic Clerks


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2iBX__p3js

[jigfreak]

This dolphin came into the raritan river. About 2-3 miles from the bay.
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2015/08/dolphin_in_south_river_awes_dozens_of_spectators.h tml#incart_most-read_ocean_article




(http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2015/08/dolphin_in_south_river_awes_dozens_of_spectators.h tml#incart_most-read_ocean_article)

[porgy75]

Was checking out the robbins reef lighthouse and found info on this as well. Great Beds light. Right at the mouth of the raritan river.
http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=656

[lostatsea]

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/ferryboat_mary_murray_to_leave.html


(http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/ferryboat_mary_murray_to_leave.html)Ever wonder about that ship that used to be in the raritan river east of the turnpike in new brunswick? I looked up and found this. it was called the mary murray.
(http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/ferryboat_mary_murray_to_leave.html)



(http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/ferryboat_mary_murray_to_leave.html)

[ledhead36]

^ Very cool history of that ship. We had all sorts of stories we made up about it when I was a kid, grew up in the area.

[ledhead36]

Great beds lighthouse some interesting stuff and an old pic.
http://www.njlhs.org/njlight/greatbeds.html