Working on your summer tan, manning the slots or rolling the dice are joined in the Las Vegas of the East by backwater cruising in the city’s extensive wetlands and marshy tidal basins, angling for summer flounder or black sea bass in your center-console, or heading out beyond the Absecon Inlet for offshore gamefishing in your convertible motor-yacht. You will spend endless afternoons exploring Lakes Bay or Absecon Bay as osprey, ibis and oystercatchers circle overhead, while ambitious trips into the salty Atlantic will be framed by the backdrop of the city’s famous skyline to your west.
The boating culture in Atlantic City is dominated by the Frank S. Farley State Marina, one of the state’s largest maritime facilities with an astonishing 630 floating slips in a protected artificial setting, with the capacity to welcome megayachts up to 300-feet in length. Along with the slips it can also boast its own coast guard station, fishing charters, boat rentals and an iconic on-site restaurant, the Chart House, which is directly connected via an elevated walkway to the renowned Golden Nugget Casino. Across Clam Creek you will also find a selection of harbors and jetties with a more home-spun feel, including slips on Snug Harbor, Gardners Basin and the Delta Basin, as well as a set of floating pontoons right next to the must-visit Atlantic City Aquarium.
In the nearby city of Margate, meanwhile, you can find a host of independent marinas including Smiths Dock, the Barbary Coast Marina and the Blue Water Marina that added together offer over 100 wet-slips in a charming setting overlooking the back bay. From here you can navigate the Malibu Beach protected wildlife area, or head out into the ocean, which sits around two miles away at its closest point.
The Atlantic City yachting industry is anchored by the Atlantic City Boat Show, an annual showcase held at the city’s Convention Center each February. The boat show attracts over 32,000 attendees per year, who come to check out vessels and marine goods from more than 350 maritime brands. Atlantic City hosts a number of impressive boating events, including the War at the Shore, a high-speed offshore powerboat race held in June, and the annual Jimmy Johnson’s Quest for the Ring fishing tournament that runs in July.
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