I copied the question and answer below from the AGLCA mailing list. I think this exchange gives excellent information that many in the cruising community wil find useful.

My wife and I are hoping to buy a trawler early in the new year. One of the possible boats is located in Florida. Because we are not Florida residents and want to avoid the 90/183 day rule, it's been suggested to us that we do the closing in Georgia and remove the boat from Georgia shortly thereafter. 
Does anyone have information regarding Georgia Tax Regulations with regard to purchasing a boat in Georgia (but not as a Georgia resident)? 
John

John:
You can buy the boat in Florida as a non-resident from a resident.  You have 10 days to move it out of Florida, longer if bought from a dealer or broker.  That's what I did when we bought Georgia Peach in Florida.
In Georgia, if a Georgia resident buys a used boat (or car, for that matter) from another Georgia INDIVIDUAL, no sales tax is charged or due in Georgia.
Bear in mind, you will probably have to register, and probably pay applicable tax — ad valorem or sales or use taxes — in some state.
And don't confuse taxes with registration.  Different can o' worms.
Bill

I've been saying for some time now that it's WELL worth a trip from the AICW up the Medway River to Sunbury Crab Company Restaurant and Marina (A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS' NET SPONSOR). As you will see below, Captains Carol and Dick heartily agree, and they correctly point out that Sunbury is a GREAT stop between Isle of Hope Marina and Golden Isles Marina (both also, SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS' NET SPONSORS). Oh yes, and don't overlook the GREAT food!

Subject: Sunbury Crab Restaurant & Marina
Cruising News: WOW!!  We usually make the long slog from Isle of Hope to Golden Isles Marina in one day.. Timing the tides makes the treck long and difficlt.  Today we took your advice and stopped at Sunbury Crab Restaurant  and Marina on the Medway River. Approach is very easy, the welcome is genuine, and the food is wonderful.  If you are tired of the long slog……make sure and STOP AT SUNBURY!! Floating docks, fuel and great food!.
Carol and Dick Rosenberg
Carrousel Fleming 55

Two good sets of recommendations!

I have heard good things about Hinckley, but we use Thunderbolt Marine. Their primary business is mega yacht type boats, but they do plenty of smaller boats too, including sailboats of every size and description. Their hourly rates are good, but a few notes:
1) they are very thorough, and don’t do things half baked, so those cheap hours mount quickly
2) they charge for everything: dockage, “yard fee” etc.
On the other  hand 3) they will give you a very thorough work order/estimate in advance, which tends to estimate on the high side so that “surprises” are minimized unless something is discovered once they open ‘er up.  
4) They stand behind their work with the highest degree of integrity. 
Our most recent experience  with them was pretty amazing  in this day and age. The project manager for boats under 100′ is a  younger guy named Phillip Howe. He was a QC guy (I think) with  
Mainship prior to Thunderbolt, so is familiar with trawler and simpler craft. He will not BS you, and will steer you away from unnecessary or ill advised repairs and projects.
There is a “captain’s lounge” at the yard, and the marina across the basin, which is part of TMI, has very nice shower and laundry  facilities.
George
“Incentive” Hatteras 56MY
currently anchored off Cocoa FL.. actually wore a T-shirt on the  
flying bridge yesterday! Headed to Vero Beach later on.

I too heartily agree with Bill and his recommendation for Hinckley Yacht  Services.  We were at Hinckley off & on this past summer.  We left  Life’s2Short there for 5 weeks when we went back to MO to visit friends &  family.  We also had to return back to Hinckley after heading north when we  had an elcectrical fire on board just south of Hilton Head.  The guys in  the yard are outstanding and really know their business!!  I never met  Dustin when I was there but you can call Mike Pranschke @ 912-629-2400, Mike is  the Service Operations Manager.  We also found that Hinckley had the best  in-the-water transient rate of anyone in the Savannah area.  Note that  the tides are between 8 & 10 foot in that area, plan your approach at slack  tide if at all possible, high slack tide if they are going to put you on the  inside of the face dock!!  Hinckley is not a true marina when it  comes to all the bells and whistles a transient might need but they have clean  showers and a great crew to support your
mechanical needs!!  Tell them  Life’s2Short sent you.
Brenda &  Todd Lanning
M/V Life’s2Short

We stayed at Thunderbolt Marina last year. Very nice. The laundry and restrooms are air-conditioned. There are a few restaurants in the town of Thunderbolt and it is an easy run to grocery store (new Piggly Wiggly) and Home Depot.  Bussing into Savannah is easy.  Big yard across the harbor has excellent service. The marina delivers newspaper and Crispy Cream donuts to your boat every morning.  Try to tie on inside of dock as current can be swift here and there are numerous crab pots in stream.
Isle of Hope a little further downstream is also nice. It is harder to get into town from here but they have a courtesy car. Marinas up the Savannah River are run by hotels and are expensive.
B. Deans 
OCEANUS

Walburg Creek cuts into the western banks of St. Catherines Island, immediately south of Georgia's St. Catherines Sound. It is a superb anchorage, but it is best entered from this northern mouth, which makes into the sound, and does not directly intersect the AICW. An earlier report here on the Net's "Georgia" page reported a missing marker near the intersection of Walburg Creek and St. Caterines Sound, so proceed with caution.
Some cruisers make use of the southern entrance to Walburg Creek, which makes into the AICW near marker #124. We have always found this portion of Walburg Creek to be rather shallow!

We've been anchored in beautiful Walburg Creek, GA the last few days,  enjoying a wonderful full Thanksgiving dinner; one of those times we  really appreciate our energy inefficient galley with full sized kitchen appliances. Gorgeous crisp fall weather enabled fun dinghy exploration. Took the outside route here from Thunderbolt via Wassaw  and St. Catherine's Sounds. This a quick and pretty passage we tried for the first time in the spring on the way up. Highly recommended as  a change of pace, the islands are very pretty too.
George and Ann

We also anchored in Walburg Creek in the Spring of 08.  What a beautifulplace.  Your post brought back a vivid memory of beautiful marshland and fast moving currents.  Just set the hook and watch your speed over water
register about 3kts.
Wayne

The northern mouth of the Frederica River joins the AICW near Statute Mile 666, then cuts into the western banks of St. Simons Island. We have always enjoyed anchoring adjacent to histroic Fort Frederica. Below, Captain Miles tells us about some shallows developing at the Frederica's northern mouth. Sounds like we had all better enter and leave these waters at mid to high tide.

Cruising News: Claiborne,
Entered Frederica River yesterday at it's northern intersection with the ICW near G229, and encountered a shoal building across the entrance.  At 5pm, soundings came down to 4.6ft at mid tide, or 2.4ft at MLW.  We entered the mouth of the river slighltly north of the alternative magenta line to avoid being set onto the charted shoal on the south bank by a southerly current.  We draw 3.7ft and entered without incident, and found the deep charted soundings past the fort where we anchored.
Capt. Miles
MV Europa

The anchorage referred to by Captain Chuck below consists of a charted lobe of deep water running off the AICW. There is minimal protection here from foul weather, but I did not know about the "hard" bottom. Note Chuck's reference below to grounding as well.

Subject: Cumberland Island anchorage ICS SM 694
Cruising News: Anchored on 8/17/08 in the waterway anchorage adjacent to Cumberland Island at FL G 37.  Had a difficult time setting our hook (35 # delta) in 10 feet of water with 7:1 scope.  Bottom very hard.  Grounded briefly the next morning at low tide.  Chart soundings are very liberal!  We bounced like a cork with moderate west winds.  I\'d suggest bypassing this anchorage for one of several within 5 miles further south.
Chuck Taylor
aboard S/V Music

I’m sorry to hear Captain Fred’s inflo below. Wahoo River has always been such a wonderful, backwater haven. Looks like the ugly arm of development is about to pay a visit to its shores!

Subject: Georgia and south to Florida
Cruising News: Hello Claiborne;
We just returnied to Fort Lauderdale having stayed in Thunderbolt until our November 1 insurance date. We never saw less than 8 feet anywhere on theway through Georgia.We rae a slow boat and your uides make great reading while watching the boat go along.Here\’s a small update:Following your advice we anchored up Wahoo Creek and found it to be as advertised being as you promised beautiful, idyllic and possessing tangible isolation. This may not last long, however, for WAhoo Island has been wired for electrical service and the boxes can be seen in clearings just a couple hundred yards from where you show an anchor on page 420 of the sixth edition. It’s time to visit this lovely anchorage before the McMansions go up.
Best regards,
Fred SorensenOA 43
“PENGUIN”

A brief, but welcome review of Brunswick Landing Marina. This facility is within walking distance of downtown Brunswick.

Brunswick Landing Marina is nice and lots of cruisers here….book store and restaurants in town good.
Doug & Charlotte Kerr
Annapolis, MD
s/v Abbotsford II

I’ve never had an anchor dragging problem on New Teakettle Creek, but, then again, it’s probably been better than 5 years since we stopped here. So, better listen ot Captains Doug and Charlotte below!

We dragged 2 nights ago in New Teakettle Creek….went in past about 2 bends and put out 100′ chain on a 45# CQR….strong current and maybe 30 knots of wind in the middle of the night….woke up in dark at 6 am against the bank 1/4 to 1/2 mile beyond where we had anchored….but still had 0.2 feet under the keel and anchor was out in the creek some….motored and cranked on the anchor and drove right out…..found 20′ of chain wrapped around a mud ball on the anchor when we got t up.
Doug & Charlotte Kerr
Annapolis, MD
s/v Abbotsford II

Don't confuse the Savannah City Docks with the Savannah Market Street docks, about which there is a posting just below this one.
Personally, we always stay at Thunderbolt, and take an inexpensive taxi ride into the Savannah Histroic District. However, the city dock is certainly another way to go!

I’m not familiar with the “River Street Market Dock,” unless Captain Pascal (see below) is referring to what I call the Savannah City Dock. If anyone else can clarify this, PLEASE e-mail me at CruisingWriter@CruisersNet.net .

Golden Isles Marina, lying hard by St. Simons Island, is, without question, one of the best marinas on the Georgia coastline, and they are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS' NET SPONSOR! Looks like Captain Pascal agrees below!

Turner Creek intersects the ICW south of Thunderbolt. I have never considered anchoring here, as the Herb River is close by and usually makes a good overnight haven. There are also two facilities on this stream, Sail Harbor Marina, which is primarily a repair yard, and Hogan's Marina, which is somewhat small craft oriented.

Subject: Anchorage
Message: Nice anchorage short ways up Turner's Creek-Just south of the avannah River.!2 feet in the Creek but Hogan's Marina will lert you tie up for $5 not $10.
Howard Glaser

The charming village of St. Marys sits perched on the northern banks of it liked named river, hard by the Georgia – Florida state line. We ALWAYS enjoy cruising upstream (off the ICW) to St. Marys. This community is a great place to visit, with good restaurants and more than a little history!
Cumberland Island flanks the Waterway to the east, jsut north of the St. Marys River  and the Florida-Georgia border., It is a National Park, and is WELL worth a visit. The martime forests on Cumberland, not to mention the two surviving "mansions" are absolutely dream-like!
Thanks to Captains Ben and Barbara for the wonderful report below!

We recently stayed at Lang's Marina in St. Mary's, Ga. This is the only marina in St. Mary's.? The small town is quite quaint and interesting. The rate was .75 pf weekly and 1.00 pf daily.? We stayed for 10 days since Ben was doing work on the boat. We had water & electric.? No other amenities.? The Harbor Master, Nate is most helpful. We were able to off load the motorcycle which allowed us to get groceries and Ben was able to get the parts he needed. You can walk to several restaurants, but it is too far to get much of anything else without transportation. The town is wonderful to explore with 2 VERY nice museums one on the Cumberland Island (which is a must stop on the ICW on Cumberland Island we anchored out and took the dingy in and went on a very informative tour given by the National Park Service ) and the other museum is on the seaport hay day of St. Mary's.? This little town is one that time has almost forgotten. We were eating on the balcony of a local restaurant and when we saw 2 cars on the street at the same time Ben said, they had a traffic jam! There are more golf carts then cars. They have a BEAUTIFUL waterfront park. The best thing was buying shrimp right off the shrimp boats as they came in! In the 10 days we were there we bought over 15 pounds of shrimp and even bought enough stone crabs for a wonderful Sunday lunch! We recommend Lang's Seafood Restaurant. Food was very good and the cost reasonable.
Ben and Barbara Falmlen
Two Cats Too

I have copied the discussion below from the "T&T" (Trawlers and Trawlering) list. As you will see, it consists of a discussion of he merits of bypassing the Georgia portion of the ICW by going outside, versus the good qualities of the Georgia Waterway. It makes for interesting reading. All cruisers will have to draw their own conclusions based on their wants, expectations and draft requirements.

If your boat has the legs, wait for weather & go from Savannah, Ga to Gulfport, FL on the outside & avoid problems.. Just getting from Charleston to  Savannah,inside is getting to be an emotional experience.. especially now, that we will be getting into the winter tides. If U have never made the trip before, your not missing anything by avoiding Ga, unless U love sawgrass, mudflats & going east & west, as much as north & south.. We make the trip every year & every year it gets worse. Word to the wise……
Ken,
Tampa

We have to cast a vote in favor of the Georgia section of the ICW – we think it is beautiful, and it, along with the South Carolina low country, is not to be missed. There are some shallow areas, but anyone who has any qualms should read Wayne Flatt's post of earlier today. What he said applies to Georgia as well as the rest of the ICW.
The big advantage to going outside, IMHO, is that you can save some time if you are running a tight schedule (but how long are you going to wait for good weather); otherwise, don't miss Georgia!
Bob McLeran and Judy Young

If you commute regularly up and down the ICW, like Ken, I am sure Georgia is a real pain.  However, for first timers like Milly and me, the sawgrass marshes were worth every minute of our passage.
Seemingly endless and silent, abundant wildlife, like no place I have ever seen.  We draw 4.5 feet, so we watched the tides, anchored out every chance we got and enjoyed every bit of it.  To a newbie, such as me, I would say the Georgia ICW is a don't miss.  And, by the time you have successfully navigated Georgia, your skills and confidence will have been tested and improved.
Bob Salmons
Veronica
Willard 40 RPH

Moving south, the Georgia portion of the Atlantic ICW follows the Vernon River for a brief stretch, before heading through shoal prone Hell Gate. As Captian Rick notes below, it is a simple matter to depart the Waterway, and cruise upstream on the Vernon to some nice anchorages. Both of the havens he describes below are covered in my “Cruising Guide to Coastal South Carolina and Georgia.”
We have never had trouble with the holding ground near “Beaulieu,” but after reading about Rick’s experience here, we’ll take another look during research for the next update.

After a false start due to anchor dragging, we spent a pleasant night on the Vernon River last week (9/28).  Our first attempt was near Beaulieu (N31d55.99m/W081d06.92m) in calm wind and ebbing tidal current.  The hook set well for the first hour or so, but then an 8mph SSE wind and the newly incoming tide started us moving upriver.  We relocated around the bend, past Breakfast Creek, to Montgomery (N31d56.25m/W081d07.69m) and stayed pegged to the spot in 7 feet (at low water) to 15 feet (at high water) through three tide swings.  Next day we departed about one hour after high water and passage out the Ossabaw Sound north channel was pretty much routine. 
Rick George, MV Hale Kai

Can someone who has left the Waterway, and cut west up the St. Marys River to St. Marys village, southernmost port of call in coastal Georgia, please give us a report on your passage upriver, and what you found in St. Marys. Did you stay at Lang’s Marina? If so, what were your impressions of this facility. Can you recommend some good places to dine in St. Marys.

Responses follow:

Fuel dock has both diesel and gas.   Not many available transient slips, One or two restaurants in town are decent.  Typical sports bar/restaurant very casual.  Some anchorages nearby.
Jim

Can someone who has left the Waterway, and cut west up the St. Marys River to St. Marys village, southernmost port of call in coastal Georgia, please give us a report on your passage upriver, and what you found in St. Marys. Did you stay at Lang’s Marina? If so, what were your impressions of this facility. Can you recommend some good places to dine in St. Marys.

Responses follow:

30. Someone who has docked at Brunswick Landing Marina, please give us a report on what you found. Any dining recommendations in nearby, downtown Brunswick would also be very welcome.

Replies follow:

30. Someone who has docked at Brunswick Landing Marina, please give us a report on what you found. Any dining recommendations in nearby, downtown Brunswick would also be very welcome.

Replies follow:

Brunswick Landing is a real find.  Floating docks, no current to speak of, really clean restrooms, showers and laundry rooms.  Walk to main street for good restaurants.  “Christie’s” is the #6 restaurant in Georgia and the best I have experienced in a very long time.  $$$  One note – do not arrive on Sunday hungry unless you have arranged transportation.  Rolling up the sidewalks takes on new meaning here.  At least three West Marine employees live in the Marina and give assistance if needed.

The Hinkley facility at Thunderbolt has always impressed me as being first-rate, particularly for sailcraft repairs!

Subject: Hinckley Yacht Services,
Cruising News: We just had a long list of repairs and improvements done to our vessel, Docker’s Inn, at Hinckley Yacht Services in Thunderbolt, GA.  All the work that we had done was first rate, including the rebuilding of our aft deck wet bar/storage area, which was a major project that our “normal” mechanic at Hilton Head abandoned.  Mike Pranschke, the service operations manager, was very accommodating and professional and had good ideas for fixing that which needed repair.  In the end, we had a list of over 30 items that needed work and which we could not get done on Hilton Head.  The folks at Hinckley can do just about anything, including major refits to very large vessels.  The only critique I would have is that they seem to be a bit overbooked, which leads to delays in completing the work on time.  All in all, it was a very satisfying experience, and I would return.
Ken & Sharon Vogel
M/V Docker’s Inn

Who is suprised, (NOT me) to hear that the name Hinkley is associated with quality service. I’ve always been impressed every time I’ve visited on of this famous company’s repair yards. Sounds like the Thunderbolt, Georgia facility lives up to this proud tradition!

After a recent electrical fire on board Life’s2Short I wanted to take a moment to thank the crew @ Hinckley Yacht Works in Savannah (Thunderbolt) GA. It’s so refreshing not to hear “Hmmmm, never seen this before?” from a mechanic when they step on board. The guys (Tim & Michele) who helped me rewire a number of items that got fried were fast, very knowlegeable & professional!  I would highly recommend Hinckley to those of you who might need assistance as you travel the ICW!
I would also suggest to those of you who have a davit motor to check and make sure that it has some type of fuse or breaker in-line, ours did not. What happened was that over years of use the wire on the control box of the davit motor wore through, shorted itself out on the crane and melted the wire and every other wire that was touching it as it passed along 30′ of chase.
It’s quite scary when you’re anchored out enjoying the evening on the sundeck and all of a sudden your smoke alarm goes off. You then open the salon door and can’t see 3′ in front of you because of all the smoke rolling through your home! However no one was hurt (physically) and we were able to head back south to Hinckley under our own power.
Just thinking about this has made me thirsty, anybody for a Bloody Mary?
Brenda & Todd Lanning
M/V Life’s2Short