Sheepshead Bay is located off Rockaway Inlet on the back (east) side of Coney Island, about 15 miles from downtown New York City and only seven miles northeast of Sandy Hook. Easy to enter, deep and well marked, both the Rockaway Inlet and Sheepshead Bay are well traveled and popular spots for visiting and cruising boaters.

Inside Sheepshead Bay is an extensive mooring field with limited room for anchoring on the east end. Three marinas dot the northern shore of the bay, and two of these facilities will accommodate transient guests at their slips. Two also have diesel fuel and one has limited haul-out capabilities.

Use NOAA Chart 12350.

Sheepshead Bay is approached from the south via Rockaway Inlet, which is situated on the far western end of Long Island. From Rockaway Inlet, pick up green can “1” and red nun “2” about three-quarters of a mile southwest of the opening to Sheepshead Bay. Once you have picked up the nun buoys, set a course for green can “3” and flashing red buoy “4,” and then honor green can “7” carefully, while proceeding to flashing red buoy “6.”

Follow the channel up to red nun “8,” and then round flashing red buoy “12,” at the western bend toward Sheepshead Bay, which is clearly visible in the image above near the lower left corner of the picture. From here, a 13- to 30-foot-deep channel creeps along the south shore of the bay, splitting the mooring field her into two pieces.

Local Notices to Mariners are now exclusively available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.