Penny Pond Inlet

About

Introduction:

Penny Pond is one of three bodies of water tucked in between Ponquogue and East points off Shinnecock Bay, just east of the Shinnecock Inlet. Located in the town of Ponquogue, Penny Pond has three marinas with one having slips available to transient guests. Penny pond is a convenient stopover on the approach to the Shinnecock Canal, which is about a four-mile zigzag journey away.

Navigating the Water:

Use NOAA Chart 12352.

The entrance to Penny Pond is located off the northeastern portion of the “western” Shinnecock Bay, which is west of the Ponquogue Bridge (55-foot fixed vertical clearance) near the Shinnecok Inlet. From the main channel southeast of East Point, pick up green can “1”, and then work your way toward red nun “2” at the beginning of the approach channel to the pond.

Green can “1” and red nun “2” come next in the sequence, and they are the last two aids to navigation in Penny Pond. Depths here hold steady at about six feet, and there is no current to contend with, aside from the usual pull toward Shinnecock Inlet on an ebb tide. The water is normally very translucent, and the darker water will help you spot the channel on the rest of the way in.

Inside Penny Pond there are three marinas lining the narrow channel, and of the three, one of them will accommodate transient guests. Anchoring is not really possible here, as the narrow width of the channel leaves little room for boats swinging on their anchors.

Local Notices to Mariners:

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