| Well we wanted to get together & stretch our paws a little & cruise. We decided to go to one of New Jersey's many lighthouses. Old Barney.
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park stands on the south side of Barnegat Inlet situated on the northern tip of Long Beach Island, NJ. The Inlet was christened "Barendegat" or "Breakers Inlet" because of the large cresting waves which made navigation difficult. The site of the lighthouse was considered as one of the most important "change of course" points along the eastern seacoast for sailing vessels. The original lighthouse was completed & placed into service in July of 1835. Because othe sand which supported the lighthouse was being eroded away by southern migration of the inlet. A new lighthouse was constructed under the supervision of then Lt George G. Meade & was completed & illuminated on January 1, 1859. At the turn of the Century there was consideration to abandon the lighthouse & replacing it with a lightship anchored off the coast. Throughout it's long history the lighthouse was even used as a lookout tower for enemy ships during WWII. It was designated as a state park in 1951 & formally dedicated to General George G. Meade in 1957.
For next year we are planning a Prowler cruise in conjunction with the NJ Lighthouse Challenge, where we will spend the weekend cruising to 11 of NJ's lighthouses. We will sure to post information when the time comes! |
