Examples of the Sneakbox and other boats native to the New Jersey coast can be found at the Toms River Seaport Society Museum. Because of the relative abundance of lumber, boat and shipbuilding became major industries during the 19th century. The Intercoastal Waterway, a series of protected passages hugging the shoreline, allows small ships to travel the east coast without being subjected to the perils of the open sea. The north entrance is located in Manasquan Inlet near Point Pleasant. It follows the Atlantic shoreline in protected back bays, south to Cape May and into the Delaware River.
Lighthouses guide ships along the busy and often dangerous mid-Atlantic coast.
Barnegat Lighthouse marked the entrance to Barnegat Bay and served as a reference point for trans-Atlantic mariners. Sometimes, lighthouses were unsuccessful m warning ships of dangerous shoals and rocky reefs. These stations maintained crews and equipment to rescue shipwrecked victims. Today, the U.S. Coast Guard performs these emergency functions. Many of the 19th century Life Saving Service stations have been converted for use as private homes and offices.