Shoreline changed, boats displaced after Sandy

Superstorm Sandy did more than just destroy New Jersey’s shore communities — it made maps of the area’s waterways obsolete and knocked watercraft all over the place.

That’s why state police are urging boaters to exercise extreme caution if venturing out onto streams and rivers.

 

 

Col. Rick Fuentes, the state police’s superintendent, says boaters have to understand that waterways in the central shore region have been drastically altered and are filled with debris.

In some areas, maps that show waters as 18 feet deep may now be sandbars, he said.

Among the obstacles in the waterways are sunken and displaced vessels that were dislodged by the storm and winds. State police are building a database of registration numbers of the boats to help reunite them with their owners.