Welcome to Sandy Hook, NJ

Boating in Sandy Hook, NJ Map View

Sandy Hook Bay, westward of Sandy Hook and eastward of Point Comfort is an excellent anchorage, the depths of water ranging from 30 feet just inside Sandy Hook to 15 feet near its southern part; the shoaling is gradual and the bottom is good holding ground. The best anchorage during easterly and southeasterly winds is in the eastern part of the bay.

Shallow-draft vessels can reportedly find satisfactory anchorage in Horseshoe Cove, on the east side of the bay. In 1999, the spit of land that forms Horseshoe Cove was reported visible only at extreme low water. Shoals extend an additional 200 yards southeastward from the end of the charted spit to about 40°26.7’N., 73°59.9’W. Mariners are cautioned not to navigate over this finger of land. Heavy fish traps extend out to a depth of 20 feet in places on the shoals on the southwest side of Sandy Hook Bay between Atlantic Highlands and Point Comfort.

Sandy Hook, the southern entrance point to New York Harbor, is low and sandy. A Coast Guard station and two radio towers are near the northern extremity of Sandy Hook. The towers and a large green standpipe to the southeast are the most prominent objects on the northern end of Sandy Hook. Southward of the standpipe are several houses and Sandy Hook Light (40°27’42″N., 74°00’07″W.), 88 feet above the water and shown from a white stone tower, 85 feet high. This light, established in 1764, is the oldest in continuous use in the United States.

Sandy Hook is a Government reservation, and landing is prohibited as far south, approximately, as the bridge over the mouth of Shrewsbury River. Vessels awaiting favorable weather for an outside run can anchor in Sandy Hook Bay south of a line bearing due west from Sandy Hook Light.

Coastal Stories See All

Sugar Creek flows over a dam initially created with beaver dam analogues to help improve habitat for coho salmon and other wildlife. Photo courtesy of Scott River Watershed Council.

Start-Up Beaver Dams Transform Parched California Creeks into Salmon Havens, New Research Finds

9/17/2026

Coastal News

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Battered by early gold mining and diminished by logging and diversions,the lower section of Sugar Creek often ran dry in summer. The tributary of the Scott River in Northern California’s Klamath Basin once supported coho salmon—but as it diminished, so did they. In 2014, NOAA Fisheries researchers… SEE MORE

Concrete Ships Hiding in Plain Sight: The Forgotten Breakwaters of America's Harbors

9/11/2026

Maritime History

By Jordan Hanssen, best4boats. There’s a good chance a concrete ship is lurking in your local harbor — and you’ve never noticed. Built during both World Wars when steel was scarce, concrete vessels served as tankers, barges, and cargo carriers before finding a remarkably durable second life as breakwaters in… SEE MORE

Is Offshore Construction Noise Stressing New England's Lobsters? WHOI Scientists Want to Know

9/8/2026

By Kiran Johnson, whoi.edu. As offshore wind farms multiply along the New England coast, a question with real consequences for one of the region’s most valuable fisheries is getting its first rigorous scientific investigation: does the noise from wind farm construction affect the American lobster? WHOI scientists are working alongside… SEE MORE

Sandy Hook, NJ

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In The Zone: The Sabre 51 Salon Express

Coastal Stories See All

Start-Up Beaver Dams Transform Parched California Creeks into Salmon Havens, New Research Finds

Concrete Ships Hiding in Plain Sight: The Forgotten Breakwaters of America's Harbors

Is Offshore Construction Noise Stressing New England's Lobsters? WHOI Scientists Want to Know