Reviews: Rum Point Basin

Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Lance Williamson on Jun 3, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.8'

This is a great anchorage. A dredge is anchored close to the entrance to the anchorage. Follow the sticks/markers going through the entrance. Hug the port side to avoid the sand bar that extends from the sandy beach. The anchorage opens up with 8' of depth once passed the last marker. We head to the port towards the condos to anchor. Last evening a local cruise boat came by twice. Sometimes you are the show and sometimes you watch the show - last night we were the show! A great anchorage.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Brian Speicher, S.S. Minnow, on May 31, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.6'

Don't skip this anchorage. One of my top 5 anchorages on the east coast. As said in other reviews. The entrance is a little tricky. We came in at low tide but still had 6 ft at the shallowness. Just stay to the port side of the channel when entering. Once inside, it really opens up. Room for lots of boats. The further in you go, the less boat wakes you need to deal with. Wave protection is excellent on all sides. The bottom is sand/mud. Anchor set quickly. Cell coverage is 5 bars on T Mobile

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Lance Williamson on Oct 7, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.8'

Rum Point Basin is a good place to spend a night on anchor when going down the New Jersey coast. As noted by others, there are some "stakes" to assist going into the anchorage. Stay close to the grassy side (not the sandy side) for deepest water. The shallowest water is partway through the entrance where the sandy spit goes out into the water. Anchor in the larger part of the anchorage. We were the only boat there the night we anchored there. Absecon Inlet was a little "sporty" coming in from the Atlantic with opposing wind and current.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Rainer Ridder, Stromer, on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 33'
Draft: 4.0'

touched ground at the narrowest spot in the inlet,although staying as north as possible,
MLW (0.3ft), 3.5ft draft
but came through with little power (sailboat) , bottom in the inlet is soft sand

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Laureen Wagoner on Jun 28, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 31'
Draft: 3.5'

I can't give Rum Point Basin as high of a rating as others because the local inhabitants have salted the anchorage with stakes and "mooring balls" (no one is moored to them!) spaced just far enough apart to make anchoring difficult. We thought we had anchored far enough away from the minefield but a storm during the night swung us right into one of the balls. Needless to say, this is dangerous so I'd think twice before deciding to use this spot as an anchorage again, or ever.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Kevin King, High Tide, on May 31, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.0'

Excellent anchorage overnight transitioning the njicw

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Capt. Mac Rubel on May 26, 2023
LOA: 48'
Draft: 5.0'

The entrance to Rum Point Basin is on the east shore of the Absecon Inlet a quarter mile before the Brigantine Blvd Bridge. While the entry looks intimidating it is essentially a matter of staying close to the grassy side of the channel (port side coming in) for a minimum of 8 feet MLW in the channel. Pass the white "Shallow Water" buoy on your starboard side. The channel was dredged in 2022. As you enter the basin the anchorage icon is to the southeast and is currently located in the middle of what looks like a mooring field. The mooring balls were there but no boats. We left the channel and moved towards the north and anchored at 39? 23.293 -78? 23.575 in 7 feet MLW. The anchor set and held immediately for the entirety of our stay which included long periods with winds over 30mph. Wind protection is fair but there is limited fetch so the anchorage remained comfortable. There is a strong current in the entrance channel but there is none to speak of in the basin. On good days there is quite a bit of small boat traffic but during our weather enforced stay most boats remained at their docks. Wakes may be a problem during the day but traffic drops of to zero at night. There is some road noise from Brigantine Blvd but it was not intrusive. There is an Acme supermarket, a Walgreens Pharmacy, and several restaurants at the north end of the basin but no shore access is provided for boaters in the area and there are reports of issues with the local authorities. If Fido needs to go to shore you can use the lovely sand beach at Rum Point in the entry canal. Atlantic City is across the Absecon Inlet. Cellular service is excellent for all three major carriers. This is definitely a good place to hunker down or spend an off day relaxing.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Captain Gene on Aug 13, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 4.0'

August 6 2022 anchored here on weekend. Lots of traffic during the day but only a few anchored through the night. We had constant 20-25 MPH winds but anchor held without dragging. We anchored just inside No Wake Barrel a little further in. This area seems to be less crowded then the first location as you come into the area. The channel is narrow coming which can be uncomfortable when someone is coming at you. Also at the mouth be careful when the current is running as it will push you and you need to power in and out to maintain control.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Robert Sprague, Sarah Lynne, on Jun 9, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.5'

Narrow entrance stay close to the north. Shallow as you pass the markers but 7 to 10 feet once inside. No ocean fetch. Good holding.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Laura Briggs, Simpatico, on Sep 27, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 34'
Draft: 4.0'

As of this date, the channel to this anchorage is well-marked and has 6' of water two hours past low tide. Within the anchorage do some exploring. We found good spots (7 - 8.5') but when we let out enough rode our stern was in 3'. A lovely, scenic, quiet anchorage with great holding in mud.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Capt. Mac Rubel on Jun 23, 2021
LOA: 48'
Draft: 5.0'

The Entrance to the Rum Point Basin anchorage lies on the north side of the Abescon Inlet channel after the Red "12" bouy. On the chart the entrance looks intimidating and, in truth there is little room for error but it is not as difficult as you might think. First, others have said to stay on the grassy north side of the channel going in. To reinforce this some enterprising individual has put up a series of marker poles on the souith side of the channel delineating the shallow water on the south side. Stay in the middle of the :"channel" and you will have 5 feet of water MLW through the entire channel. We entered at MLW and saw the 5 foot depth about three quarters of the way into the basin. At high tide the marsh grass almost totally disappears so you need to pay attention to the charts and where the grasses are marked.

Anchor on the north side of the basin going back from the entrance several hundred yards. Plenty of room for six or more boats in 7' of water MLW by our calculation, not having explored the totality of the anchorage. Holding is good. in mud We experienced 30 mph winds in a squall and did not budge. The weather was poor so boat traffic was light. Looking at the neighborhood we can imagine lots of boat traffic on a good weekend day.

Cell service was good to very god for ATT, Verizon, and T-Mobile. We did not see any clear access to shore oi the basin. You will have to motor over to the Casino side of the channel (1 mile) is you want to go to shore. . An excellent stopping points for slow boats going up or down the Jersey coast.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Michael Cotton on Sep 8, 2020
LOA: 33'

One great hidden anchorage. Very tight channel coming in. You are almost hugging the reed grass on the North side of the channel to stay in deep water. Once in you have a great anchorage with a great view of Atlantic City.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Judy A, Just Fakin It, on May 18, 2017
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 35'
Draft: 4.5'

Stay to green grass side (not beach side) when entering. Deeper coming in than shown on charts. Left this am 1 hour before low tide, saw no depths less than 5 feet. Dingy across channel to first entrance at Gardner Basin. There is a public dock, aquarium, and great little restaurant. Time limit of 4 hours on public dock.

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Review for Rum Point Basin

Reviewed by: Skipper Bob on Jun 1, 2016
Draft: 0.0'

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