Guide helps boaters launch summer season The thousands of boaters who trailer their vessels around the state now have a definitive resource guide to help them better plan and enjoy recreational boating in New Jersey. The New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium (NJMSC) and the New Jersey Sea Grant Extension Program (NJSGEP) have teamed up with the New Jersey Department of Transportation's "I BOAT NJ" program and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to produce a long-awaited New Jersey Boater's Ramp Guide. According to Michael Danko, Marine Recreation Agent for the NJSGEP, and project coordinator, the guide is the end product of a two-year boat ramp count and condition assessment conducted by the New Jersey Sea Grant Extension Program and funded by a grant from the "I BOAT NJ" program. "Between 2005 and 2006, NJMSC staff visited every boat ramp in New Jersey from the New York/New Jersey border on the Hudson River to Cape May and all the way back up to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Information was collected on the condition, type of ramp, parking, possible repairs and improvements, fees, hours of operation, water depth and amenities such as fuel, bait and tackle shops and restaurants." The New Jersey Boater's Ramp Guide, is a compact, concise and comprehensive booklet available free-of-charge by request and at various marinas and marine related businesses around the state. The 64-page, user-friendly guide lists all coastal boat ramps open to the public and provides essential information such as ramp type, water depth, parking and amenities at the facility and other information relevant to boaters who regularly use these ramps. In addition, the guide includes sections on boating safety, trailering tips, boat ramp etiquette, navigation, pump-out stations and facilities, environmentally sound maintenance practices and a useful resource directory of phone numbers and internet sites for a variety of marine and coastal organizations and agencies. The guide can be requested online at www.njmsc.org, by e-mailing Amanda Betsch, at abetsch@njmsc.org or by calling (732) 872-1300, ext. 10.