PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Postings Below From Fellow Cruisers Are Listed in Chronological Order, Based on Publication Date
A short distance south off the Waterway via Parrot Creek, then Morgan River, Dataw Island Marina lies just west of marker #6 at the intersection of Parrot Creek and Morgan River. Dataw Island Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
The restaurant is open and is called Sweetgrass. The food is excellent. It serves dinner 6 nights and is closed on Wednesday.
Pat Judd
Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Dataw Island Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Dataw Island Marina
Palmetto Moon with Jim, Su and Lazy Cat Alex have just traveled from Georgetown, SC To Brunswick, Ga. Palmetto Moon cruises at 8.5 MPH and draws 4.5 ft. Here are the issues and observations of their travels:
2-Isle of Palms (MM-456.9) to Port Royal Landing (MM-539.5) We left 2.5 hours before low tide.
In the White Point area (MM-495-500) at low tide
Between R-110 and G-121 center of channel;
At G-111 – G-113 we saw 4 feet under us
At G-115 – G-117 we saw 3.5 feet under us
Running at just above Idle Speed stirred up a lot of mud/sand through most of the area from G-111 G-119
This info is what we experienced in our travels. As always you are the captain of your vessel and should use this as info only. Safe travels.
Palmetto Moon
What a nice set of special pricing and discounts for cruising visitors to this SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!! And, the offer to have groceries waiting for you upon coiling your lines is really going above and beyond!
Dataw Island Marina actually lies on the Morgan River. It is easily accessible from the AICW’s run along Broad Coosaw River, via Parrot Creek. Follow the link below for more information!
Cruising News:
Dataw Marina is offering free electrics for transients for the months of October and November. Stay with us for two nights and the third night is free! The Outpost Coffee Shop and Bistro is offering 10% off to transients for October and November. Sweetgrass Restaurant will provide a free bottle of house wine with the purchase of two dinner entrees (dine in only). If you need groceries or supplies, call ahead to the marina (843) 838-8410 before 12 PM and we will try to have them here for you when you dock. Don’t forget to ask about our long term storage rates. Hope to see you soon!
Carol Clayton
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Dataw Island Marina
A short distance south off the Waterway via Parrot Creek, then Morgan River, Dataw Island Marina lies just west of marker #6 at the intersection of Parrot Creek and Morgan River.
Wanted to pass along an excellent review on Dataw Island Marina. We are on a trip from Charleston to Hilton Head and finally stopped there for what we thought would be one night and then on to Beaufort. Dataw was so incredible we spent two nights and skipped Beaufort this time! The one year old Sweetgrass restaurant was incredible – so good we ate there both nights. It looks like the most special beach home right out of a novel, with a great screened porch for dining, or inside that is truly special.
They just opened their “fishcamp” store while we were there – breakfast and lunch items that are great, as well as many general store items to stock up on. It looks like an old fishcamp, complete with vintage mementos.
The staff of the marina and restaurants all couldn’t have been more kind and made us instantly welcome.
We enjoyed the amenities available to those that stay, at the club – playing tennis and hanging at the pool one day. Next time we will pack the clubs as we could have played either of the two courses. Riding our bikes and seeing the beautiful island homes was also worth the visit – this is now on the chart as a MUST STOP!
Bill Saint
President and CEO Classica Homes
Office – 704-940-3923
Cell – 704-507-2068
bsaint@classicahomes.com
1101 Wood Ridge Center Drive #155
Charlotte, NC 28277
Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Dataw Island Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Dataw Island Marina
Captain Bob Poovey has thoughtfully provided us with reports on several AICW problem stretches along the South Carolina and Georgia portion of the Waterway. This particular segment deals with the southwestern mouth of the Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff. The AICW uses this man-made stream to connect between Rock Creek and the wide reaches of the Coosaw River.
While Captain Poovey found reasonably good depths here, others have not been so fortunate. We would love to hear what soundings you observed while cruising through these waters. Please click the “Comment on This Posting/Marina/Anchorage/Bridge” link below, and share your information.
Ashepoo/Coosaw Cutoff
Came through here Saturday, Oct. 23 traveling South at 1:20 PM (2 hours and 15 minutes before low tide). Lowest reading was between markers “184″ and “185″ at 8.2 ft.
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Section” Listing For Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff
Click Here To Open A Chart View Windows Zoomed to the Location of This AICW Problem Stretch”
Captain Orin’s good experiences at Dataw Island Marina are not a surprise to anyone here at the Cruisers’ Net. Since the current management team took over, this has been a very well run establishment. Note that you do have to leave the AICW’s run through the Coosaw River, and then follow a marked passage south through Parrot Creek to Morgan River, in order to access Dataw Island Marina. The trip is worth the effort!
We stayed here one night this week and were extremely pleased. The staff is excellent and there have been changes since the last edition of Claiborne’s book. The restaurant is open. It is right in the marina and excellent. The shower rooms are private and the best e have seen in this area. All transients are likely to be on the face dock because the Morgan River current makes it too tough to get in the slips. The dock help is excellent. We are coming back!
Orin Guidry
As we have posted recently, Ladys Island Bridge is on a temporary on-the-hour-only opening schedule Monday through Friday. However, as Larry Shick states below, if you ask nicely or if it’s a weekend, you might get an opening on demand! Isn’t it grand when we get those little surprises?
Submitted on 2010/06/06 at 5:22pm
For what it’s worth, we went through this bridge today (6/6/10). The bridge opened “on request.” Perhaps this was because it was a weekend, but at any rate, the “only on the hour” rule did not apply this time.
Captain Larry Shick
Submitted on 2010/08/16 at 5:50pm
This bridge is very old, has problems, and the city has out grown it! There is far too much boat traffic holding up far too much road traffic, and causing traffic jams when people need to get places! Slow down SOME on highway construction and build a bigger, TALLER bridge that does not have to be opened!
Gilbert R. Murrell
Surprise, surprise!, This past Sunday morning, I tried to get through the Lady’s Island Woods Bridge (Swing Bridge from Beaufort, SC AICW mile 536). I hoped to transit on demand since road traffic was almost non-existent. No luck. It is obvious that the bridge tender has no flexibility.
Again, I called Gene Stratton, Bridge Management Specialist, Seventh Coast Guard District, Miami, Florida (305.415.6740) for clarification on when to expect the temporary change to be rescinded. To date there have been two confusing notices of the temporary change: one states the bridge opens on demand on weekends and the other states that there is no exception to the rule on weekends. Stratton said the temporary change would be lifted one year after the rule has been published in the Federal Register or whenever the new bridge is completed, which ever comes first. The temporary rule has yet to be published in the Federal Register so who knows.
This change to the bridge opening schedule was made without public comment. Stratton said he welcomes written comment on this situation and suggested that comments be sent to him at the following e-mail address: allen.e.stratton@uscg.mil.
Captain Ray Gallagher
15 miles north of Beaufort and just to the east off the AICW via well-marked Parrot Creek, Bass Creek offers 8-13 feet depths for secure holding and the peace and quiet of South Carolina’s many marsh anchorages.
Currently anchored here with one other boat and it’s delightful. Being Chesapeake sailors, we initially found these open marsh anchorages less than desirable and then they began to grow on us. Not for nasty weather, but usually a nice breeze and the sounds of the marsh birds make for wonderful relaxation.
s/v MicMac
Dataw Island Marina actually sits off the AICW’s run through Coosaw River. This fine facility is accessed by way of a marked channel running first through Parrott Creek, then across the Morgan River.
Dataw Island is an SSECN CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, and we are proud to number a facility of this caliber among our active supporters.
Things have changed at Dataw. The maarina keeps getting better and Ken and Carol Treadway are working to make it even better. The restaurant has closed but is due to re-open very soon. According to Ken, it should be a big step up. Call to check the status.
Plenty of help available if needed when arriving or departing. Fuel costs are generally much cheaper than other marinas in the area.
I have stayed several times totaly over two months. I have also taken advantage of their yard.
Capt Dave
Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Dataw Island Marina
In spite of dredging in 2008, the AICW’s southern exodus from the Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff canal, into the wide Coosaw River, is once again shoaling. This is going to be a real trouble spot for the spring, 2010 transient season, and all this summer for year round South Carolina cruisers!
Just went through this stretch at low tide and shoaling is getting worse. At midway between markers 184 and 185, only had about 5 feet at best. Can’t recommend to favor one side or the other.
Kathy and Jim
The message below come from “Mike,” who I think is on the Army Corps of Engineers staff out of the Charleston, South Carolina office. We can take his word as gospel that the waters of the Ashepoo – Coosaw Cutoff will NOT be dredged this year!
THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE AREAS WE ARE DREDGING THIS YEAR.
MIKE
Submitted 5/18/2010
The Southern end of the Ashepoo Cut is probably the worst shoaling on the ICW – around 4.5 ft at low tide. I got through – just – but two sailboats behind me got stuck on a falling tide. Tackle this on a rising tide only.
Captain Arnold
I just read the notice below on the AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruisers’ Assocation) mailing list, and called Mandy Griffin (co-owner) of the Downtown Marina of Beaufort, without delay. Mandy was very surprised to hear about the upcoming change in the Lady’s Island Bridge’s opening schedule, and allowed as to how they had heard nothing about this upcoming alterating until my phone call.
Captain Mandy further informed me that the “construction” referred to below on the McTeer – High Bridge (St. M. 539) involves converting this span to four lanes of highway traffic. Sounds like this project may take some time to complete.
The USCG notice copied below does look very official, so I think it reasonably safe to say that beginning 1/10/10, and for some time to come, the Ladys Island swing bridge will be on hourly openings. By the way, the sort-of official name for this bridge is “Woods Hole” but EVERYONE calls it the “Ladys Island Swing Bridge.”
At the request of the Lady’s Island Business Association, the Woods Memorial Swing Bridge in Beaufort, SC will go onto a once per hour opening schedule beginning 1/10/10 per the attached Coast Guard Notice. This temporary schedule will likely be in effect until construction on the McTeer High Bridge is complete.
Chuck Gorgen
ODYSSEE
The temporary change in regulation you requested is approved and will appear in the Local Notice to Mariners effective January 11th 2010. The temporary regulation will read:
Due to ongoing construction of the new McTeer Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 539.0, Port Royal, South Carolina; Beaufort County has requested that the federal regulation on the Woods Memorial (Lady’s Island) bridge be changed to: The draw need only open at the top of the hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the exception of between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. when the bridge need not open. This will be in effect Monday through Friday except for federal holidays. Tugs with tows, vessels in distress and public vessels of the United States shall be passed at any time.
We will also issue a Temporary Federal Regulation that will say the same that will be in effect, one year from the time it’s published. Please feel free to call this office if you have any additional questions.
Respectfully,
Gene Stratton
Bridge Management Specialist
Seventh Coast Guard District
Miami, FL
305-415-6740
The new schedule for the opening schedule for the Woods Memorial Bridge from Beaufort to Lady’s Island, SC was confirmed in the local Beaufort Gazette this morning. The announcement stated: “The Woods Bridge will open at the top of the hour between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, except between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The bridge will open at any time for tugs with tows, vessels in distress and pubkic vessels of the United States.
On weekends and federal holidays, the bridge will swing open upon request”
This schedule starts on Monday, January 11, 2010 and will likely last for a year or more while the McTeer Bridge is under construction. Vertical clearance under this bridge is 30′ at high tide and we have an average tide swing of over 7′, so this schedule should have little affect on most of our members doing the Loop.
Chuck Gorgen
ODYSSEE
Dataw Island Marina has always been a good stop on the southern South Carolina AICW. With the recent addition of an on-site restaurant and a ship’s store, what was really good, is now superb. And, these good people are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
Dataw Island [Marina], off Parrots Creek, is the hospitable place we remember from a few years ago. Their red 4 is missing its red 4 — but the stick is there to guide you and gps showed it, too.
Captain Jane Tigar
Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Dataw Island Marina
The entrance to Factory Creek comes up on the AICW’s southern shores, immediately east of the Lady’s Island Swing Bridge. Keeping to the good depths can be a little tricky for first timers at the creek’s northern mouth, but once on the interior reaches, you’ll find plenty of water, and enough swing room for most cruising sized craft.
We anchored between R14 & G15 along with 2 other boats on Monday 12/14/09, just across from the Snook Restaurant. Lots of water and had entertainment for the evening. Just follow the markers into Capri Pass…lots of water here. Will definitely come back.
Capt. RL & Karen
s/v Last Call
45′ Island Trader, ketch
The entrance to Factory Creek lies immediately north of the Ladys Island Swing Bridge in Beaufort, SC. This stream is also home to Ladys Island Marina. The anchorage is located upstream of this facility.
Be careful as you cruise from the AICW/Beaufort River into Factory Creek. Captain Emerson’s comments below and earlier reports here on the Cruisers’ Net indicate the channel is narrowing.
We got in on half tide without a problem but didn’t do quite so well leaving close to low tide. We draw 6′ and dragged a bit coming out, although it’s likely we were closer to G “1″ than we should have been. Once past this area, however, there’s plenty of depth. The anchorage area is strung out along a moderately narrow channel that curves around over 90 deg. along its length. The current in the creek is significant but manageable. The real challenge the creek’s width. On one side are docks (private or marina) and on the other side is marsh. With roughly 15′ depths, a short scope isn’t likely, but over-doing can be a problem, too. We saw some boats riding to a Bahamian mooring (to limit swinging in current) and some (ourselves included) riding to one anchor. The bottom held well enough to allow riding on chain and a CQR in breezy conditions; the hook was hard to break out when it came time to leave. The trip from Factory Creek to the “day dock” ramp area is long enough to make part of the trip on plane (but NOT in the No Wake areas!).
As mentioned, there are some derelict boats in the creek. We saw one, a motor boat, clearly on its way down. We called Ladys Island Marina to see if they knew about it. “Oh, that happens about twice a month. We worry if we don’t get called twice a month!”
Rick Emerson
Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Factory Creek
On 9/1/09, as part of a “South Carolina Wish List,” I posed the following question:
39. Has anyone turned south from the ICW’s run west though Coosaw River, via Parrot Creek, and visited Dataw Island Marina since the new restaurant and ship’s store opened here. Could you please describe what you found?
Responses follow:
Dataw Island Marina. We visited this marina for the first time in April. They were extremely professional in all respects. It seems transient dockage is limited. Wi-fi works. The on site restaurant is OK–not great–limited menu and so-so service. But the setting of the marina is magnificent. The Admiral went for a walk and spotted several deer and other assorted wild life. (fortunately no snakes) It is a long trip back from the waterway but an easy one and well marked with plenty of depth.
Ken Stickrath
If you’ve been cruising the ICW for a while, a stop at the Dataw Marina is well worth the short trip from the ICW down Parrot Creek. Not only are all the marina amenities available to transient boaters, there are now opportunities to relax and enjoy all that Dataw Island also has to offer…..golfing on championship courses, tennis, outdoor pool, the fitness center with indoor pool, dining at the Dataw Island Club, and using the screened in gazebo next too the marina. The marina staff, and owners of the marina, ship’s store and Bobby Joe’s all work together to provide transient boaters, residents of Dataw, boat owners, and members of the Dataw Island Yacht Club a nautical atmosphere that is fun, casual, and entertaining. (Music on the outdoor patio many Friday nights.) Once you visit this well run marina, and take time to explore this beautiful, tranquil island you may just not want to leave.
Donna McKeown
We are now in Dataw Marina where we have been before. Ken and Carol Treadway are great people and do a fine job here. They have a restaurant open and a ships store which is a welcome addition. We have had work done in their yard on our last visit and plan to have the boat hauled to check for damage from our encounter with a rock north of North Myrtle Beach. We will continue south in January and plan to spend 4 months in Stuart, FL. We will report any local information as come accross it – and will continue our reports wehn we move south. Thanks for all you and your staff do. It makes the whole process a lot more fun and safer to boot.
All the best for a good Fall season and we hope your Chistmas Holiday will be the best ever.
David H. Jenkins
Temporarily not on board.
MV At Last
GB 46
Subject: Dataw Marina
Cruising News: Claiborne, We arrived here 9/10 and have one final tidbit of news before we go about our other life. Dataw Marina is a good place to stop for a day or a while. Ken and Carol as I have mentioned before are really great. They now have a restaurant (open 7 days) and ships store. The Country Club is open to transients for dining and a round of golf can be arranged. A dress code is enforced at the club so please check before going.
There is a pretty good tide run here so arrival at other than slack tides can be a little tricky but the dock hands (plural)are eager to communicate and assist. The tide issue will also be encountered at Port Royal and a little further south and at Skull Creek Marina on the north end of Hilton Head Island. Beaufort should have the same problem but possibly to some lesser extent.
If anything new or exciting comes along of interest, I will let you know.
All the best to you. We will be back at it in January.
Capt Dave GB46 AT Last
Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Dataw Island Marina
I must confess that after more than 30 years of cruising the South Carolina coastline, I’ve actually only traversed St. Helena Sound’s inlet on two occasions. And, my most recent passage is at least five years old. So, I’m glad Captains Bob and Janet chimed in with the very newsy and useful message below.
St. Helena Sound stretaches seaward from the AICW’s run through the Coosaw River. Often, I’ve seen shrimping trawlers working these waters, and they can be a very angelic sight while cruising along! Clearly, these commecial craft make use of the sound’s inlet, so, with the info below, perhaps cruisers can run this channel as well.
Hi, Claiborne
We never received a reply to our inquiry about the inlet channel through St. Helena Sound (just north of Beaufort, SC, at the mouth of the Coosaw River), but we’re happy to report that we had a very successful cruise through there last month on a several-day excursion from our home port in Beaufort to Charleston. The channel is well marked and was charted accurately on both our ICW chart book and our C-Map NT+ electronic chart of the area, with good water throughout — anywhere from around 12 to 25 feet at more or less mid-tide. The channel does have some tight bends in a couple of spots, so you have to pay attention, or you could find the bottom quickly, even a couple of miles offshore. The only downside to taking this route instead of the ICW route up to Charleston is that, surprisingly to us, running “outside” was longer for us in both distance and time than staying “inside” on the ICW (which we did on our return trip back to Beaufort). This is because you have to go at least 5 or 6 miles offshore to stay clear of shoals, whereas in the ICW, with the dredging that’s been done recently, you can now make very good time without the fear of going aground in mid-channel. We found the recent posts about shoaling to the south side of the intersection of the Dawho and North Edisto Rivers very helpful, and had no problems either there or at the junction of the Coosaw River and Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff, which had been a real problem as recently as last year. Hope this helps! Happy cruising.
Bob and Janet S.
M/V Harmony
Beaufort, SC
Dataw Island Marina is our newest SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! Many, many thanks to these good people for their support!
With the reopening of the restaurant at this facility, cruisers now have a GOOD reason to cut south from the AICW/Coosaw River passage, on Parrot Creek, to Dataw Island Marina
Subject: Updates on Dataw Marina
Cruising News: The purchase of Dataw Island Marina by Creekstone Companies in Jauary of 2007, has resulted in new management and an increase in services at our facility. We are a public marina. The marina office and docks have experienced a face-lift along with the expansion of amenities that are now available for boaters traveling the waterway. Our renovated office and Captain’s Lounge offers a relaxing spot to visit with our staff and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee. Free Wi-Fi is available not only in the office but also onboard your boat. If you need to stretch you legs after a day on the waterway, bicycles are available for a tour of this incredibly beautiful island.
On April 3rd, we celebrated the grand opening of both The Old Ship Store and Bobby Joe’s, our new restaurant. Jeff and Debby Gould will be supplying all the essentials in the store as well as clothing and gift items. A courtesy car and golf cart will be available for short trips to town or around the island. In need of something that we don’t have? Jeff will make every attempt to get it for you if possible.
Bobby Joe’s is a Key West style bar and grill owned an operated by Bill and Ben Thompson. Offering an array of great sandwiches, platters, and pizza all made with fresh ingredients and seafood, Bobby Joe’s is a casual dining experience you won’t want to miss. Wash it down with cold beer, glass of wine, or your favorite cocktail. Seating will be available at the bar, on the screened porch, or deck, wherever you desire all overlooking the Morgan River and our marina.
Our marina boasts the largest working boat yard in the Beaufort, South Carolina area with a friendly and knowledgeable staff to meet all your boating needs. A fifty-ton travel lift is available to haul your vessel for storage, bottom painting, or repairs. Our hold over prices from 2008 for yard work will assure you of top quality work for the best price.
Our dock staff constantly monitors both channels 16 and 68 in order to be ready at a moments notice to help with docking or assist with pumping fuel. We think you will be pleased with our competitively priced gas and diesel fuel. You may also contact us in the office at (843) 838-8410.
We invite you to join us for any of a number of events that take place at the marina throughout the year. Each spring, the marina hosts the Spirit of South Carolina, our state’s tall ship, for a period of about nine days. During this time, local school children participate in classes onboard the ship and short tours are given to the local residents. In addition to races held by the Dataw Island Yacht Club, boaters are also invited to participate in monthly potluck dinners, National Marina Day, the annual Classic Car Club Show, and our Christmas Chili Cook Off and Light Up the Night contest. We are now offering the opportunity to golf at two championship golf courses, work out at the fitness center, and enjoy fine dining at the Dataw Island Club.
The Dataw Marina staff appreciates your business and is constantly looking for ways to enhance your boating experience. Thank you for visiting with us and experiencing our little piece of paradise on Dataw Island. We look forward to seeing you again in the near future.
Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Dataw Island Marina
"Sunset After The Storms"
by: Susan Leaf
