PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Postings Below From Fellow Cruisers Are Listed in Chronological Order, Based on Publication Date
Harborwalk Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! is the northwesternmost marina on the downtown Georgetown/Sampit River waterfront. Check out their shiny new, first-rate, shower and laundry building!
We were in Georgetown for one week. We anchored our cat in the harbor and dinghied over to Harborwalk Marina to use their laundry and shower facilities. Chris was very friendly and helpful. The night before our departure, we stayed on the face dock– fueled/filled our water tank, and once again used the very nice laundry/bath facilities. We were overall very pleased until the day of our departure.We had made prior arrangements with Chris to stay until late afternoon (my husband works from the boat and needed wi-fi. ) Around lunchtime that day, the dockmaster, Dave inquired about our departure time and I informed him of our arrangement. He was not very friendly about our staying past noon– We felt very pressured by him to leave and it really put a negative spin on an otherwise pleasant experience. We totally understand that dock spaces can at times be limited, but Dave’s attitude made us believe he simply wanted us “off the dock”. We would consider staying here again, but will be more careful about verifying “check – out” times.
Robert and Becky Nordstrom
S/V SeaQuell
We stayed there for 3 months in the winter and have stayed there several times before. They are great, Chris is a real Pro. He always goes the extra mile to help everyone. There are several really good marinas in GT but we switched to Harborwalk because of service and location. Don’t let one guy that had a bad day desuade you from staying at HW. See you in the winter Chris!
John/Sarah Beaver.Forget About It 3
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Harborwalk Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harborwalk Marina
Located just south of Hwy 17 Bridge in the mouth of the Great Pee Dee River, Georgetown Landing Marina has a long, welcoming transient/fuel dock that makes easy handling of the occasional opposing wind and river currents that can occur.
Another good price nearby is at Georgetown Landing in Georgetown, SC where we paid $3.78 for diesel four days ago.
Cathryn and Bob on “Next To Me” currently in Beaufort, NC
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Georgetown Landing Marina
Boat Shed Marina guards the northeastern banks of the Sampit River along the downtown Georgetown Waterfront.
We stayed at the Boat Shed on April 17 2011. The staff were friendly but the price is now $1.50 a foot and the WiFi does not reach the transient docks.
Paul Robson
The fuel dock is the transient dock, either on the inside or outside. 1.50 per foot includes 30 amp and cable. Floating docks. No pumpout.
Max Miller
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Boat Shed Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Boat Shed Marina
Normally, I confine my role here on the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net’s “Cruising News” sections to comments and introductions to fellow cruisers’ messages. However, last week, Dec. 5-9, 2011, I undertook another one of my land yacht trips of the South Carolina coastline, calling on every marina and repair yard between Georgetown and Beaufort.
As part of this sojourn, I had occasion to review several of the restaurants along the way. Restaurant reviews are a really dirty part of my job, but someone just has to do it!
The thought occurs to my tiny mind that the cruising community could really benefit from a fuller understanding of the outstanding dining choices available in Georgetown. This medium sized community has an embarrassment of riches when it comes time to slake a healthy appetite!
All the dining attractions mentioned below are within walking distance of the marinas set along the town waterfront/Sampit River, including SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Harborwalk Marina. If you choose to coil your lines at Georgetown Landing Marina on the Pee Dee River, your walk to the downtown dining attractions will be longer, or you might choose a quick taxi ride.
If it’s breakfast time, spare no effort to make your way to Thomas Cafe (703 Front Street, 843-546-7776), a Georgetown institution for as long as I can remember. Everything here in the breakfast line is good, but the Blueberry pancakes are particularly worthy of honorable mention! Thomas is also open for lunch, and while there is nothing fancy about the mid-day bill of fare, I’ve never had anything I wouldn’t call quite tasty!
Another advantage of breakfast at Thomas Cafe is the local color you will enjoy. This is where ALL the locals meet for the first meal of the day, and every time I’m there, some interesting tid-bit of local news comes my way.
Subject: Coffee Break Cafe, Georgetown, SC
Cruising News:
We really love this place, as well as Morsels across the street. Breakfast at CB is to die for, soup and sandwich for lunch is excellent and we take their soups along for the trip. Same with Morsels. In spring their tomato pies cause my eyes to roll back with joy.
Cap and Linda Munday
Georgetown Waterfront
Come lunch time, or just time to restock the on-board larder, run, don’t walk to the Kudzu Bakery (120 King Street, 843-546-1847). Don’t let the name fool you. This establishment is more of a delectable bistro that just a bakery. Sure, you can (and I always do) purchase some of the best chocolate chip cookies on earth and fresh breads, but there are also outstanding sandwiches, a full selection of wines and many, many other gourmet type grocery store items to be had. I’ve talked with more than one cruiser who stops at Georgetown specifically to facilitate one or more visits to Kudzu. May I be so bold as to suggest you join that gastronomically happy throng!
When it’s time for a good evening meal, after a long day on the water, there are at least two totally outstanding choices waiting to greet you in downtown Georgetown. In fact, we often try to time our stay in Georgetown for two nights, so that we can give our full appreciation to both the Rice Paddy (732 Front Street, 843-546-2021) and the River Room.
Neither yours truly nor my first-rate, first-mate, Karen Ann, have every had anything at the Rice Paddy we did not consider absolutely outstanding. However, the Snapper Picatta with Capers and Lemon Butter, served with Creamy Grits, and the Rice Paddy’s Lump Crab Cakes served with Creamy Grits, are the stuff of legend. Beef lovers are not forgotten either. Trip before last, I was in bliss partaking of the Rice Paddy’s Filet of Beef, with Shiitake Mushrooms and Madeira Cream Sauce! Yummmmmmm!
Just diagonally across the street from the Rice Paddy, Sid and Sally wait to greet visiting cruisers at the River Room (801 Front Street, 843-527-4110). Try to get one of the tables overlooking the Sampit River. That way, you’ll not only enjoy great food, but a superb view as well!
Again, it’s hard to go wrong with the River Room’s selections, but the grouper stuffed with crab meat and topped with hollandaise sauce, as well as the 8 oz. Chargrilled Duck Breast with Chorizo sausage and finished with veal demi-glace, are both particularly worth of note!
There are other dining choices in Georgetown, to be sure, but this article is already becoming lengthy, and you are now clued in on our favorite dining choices in this historic community.
Have you had similar/dissimilar dining experiences in Georgetown. If so, please click the “Click Here to Submit Cruising News” link on the upper right of this page, and share your experience. Bon appetit!
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Harborwalk Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location the Downtown Georgetown Waterfront
Harborwalk Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! is the northwesternmost marina on the downtown Georgetown/Sampit River waterfront. Check out their shiny new, first-rate, shower and laundry building!
Stayed in Georgetown for 4 nights waiting for our autopilot to arrive from Defender. Mike and Chris at Harborwalk Marina could not be nicer. We paid for showers (we were anchored), bought our gas from them along with ice. We would come back to this town again and again. Nice places to eat, shop, provision and it is safe to keep the boat.
Dick Anderson
Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown SC. We second the recommendation below. We were going south TG week and ran into a mechicanal issue as we were docking for 2 nights at Harborwalk. Chris and Mike arranged to get us a tech we could trust to correct our problems. We had to order parts, (1 week to get in) so we arranged a good monthly rate with Chris and enjoyed TG week in GT and returned home by car. Our boat remains there until Jan. Everyone at the marina is first class. Very dog friendly marina and town. We could easily stay there for an entire season and be happy. Just steps to all the downtown amenties but very laid back.
John Beaver.
Forget about it 3
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Harborwalk Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harborwalk Marina
Boat Shed Marina guards the northeastern banks of the Sampit River along the downtown Georgetown Waterfront.
We stumbled upon the Boat Shed Marina when once again we were not able to find suitable anchorage in the harbour. Can not say enough about how great they were with us. Even gave us a lift to the Ice House to fill our propane tank.
Dennis Lawrence aboard S/V Thate Wata
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Boat Shed Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Boat Shed 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:
1-Georgetown (MM-403) to Isle of Palms (MM-456.9) We left 3.5 hrs. before low tide and had a favorable tide most of the way, averaged 9.25 MPH and only found shallow H2O just before Jeremy Creek (McClellanville MM-430) and 500 yards after Jeremy Creek.
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
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To Jeremy Creek
Located just south of Hwy 17 Bridge in the mouth of the Great Pee Dee River, Georgetown Landing Marina has a long, welcoming transient/fuel dock that makes easy handling of the occasional opposing wind and river currents that can occur.
Very good marina. People are very helpful. They helped us move our sailboat to other side of facedock to point into wind for storm. Not many marinas this considerate. Arranged for free transport to local WalMart and stores. Highly recommend a stay here on way through ICW.
Dean & Nancy aboard S/V Pegasus
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Georgetown Landing Marina
Very good news indeed that fall mariners can cruise the AICW between Wrightsville Beach and Georgetown, SC without having to worry about Hurricane Irene damage. Also, notice Captain Divers good words about SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown, SC
No storm damage or obstructions of any kind between Georgetown SC and Wrightsville Beach NC.
In Georgetown dined well at the River Room and Thomas’s. Great new floating docks at Harborwalk Marina.
ICW between Myrtle Beach and Southport now sets a new standard for dock density without benefit of boats. Not the prettiest or fastest stretch of the Waterway.
Tom Divers
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Harborwalk Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harborwalk Marina
This is certainly good news for area boaters. We’d like to hear from others about boating conditions in your waters.
This morning took icw Charleston to Georgetown. No damage visible. No significant floating debris. Marinas at both ends doing well.
Skipper Tom Divers, aboard m/v Tanqueray
Located just south of Hwy 17 Bridge in the mouth of the Great Pee Dee River, Georgetown Landing Marina has a long, welcoming transient/fuel dock that makes easy handling of the occasional opposing wind and river currents that can occur.
We are first timers on the ICW and can’t say enough good things about Georgetown Landing Marina. They couldn’t do enough for us and helped us with restaurants and incidentals. We had no real experience docking in the presence of a strong current and they responded right away on Ch 16 and helped get us in. Each day that we went up and down the ICW they asked us where we were going and about when we’d expect to be back. Agree w/statements about their general orientation to sport fishing but it had no effect on the hospitality they showed us.
R & T Fishleder
aboard M/V Tessie Belle
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Georgetown Landing Marina
Harborwalk Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! is the northwesternmost marina on the downtown Georgetown/Sampit River waterfront.
Harborwalk Marina, Georgetown – had another great trip to Georgetown a month ago. The marina is in perfect condition, with incredible service (we arrived late and they waited for us and had three dock hands to assist with a an easy landing. Excellent facilities at this marina, in fact the cleanest restrooms and laundry I’ve found yet! New docks and a great view of downtown. We were amazed at the recently redone boardwalk all along the harborside. Did a lot of exploring of the Georgetown area on bike and had two great meals, one at Portofino and the other at our favorite Rice Paddy.
Skipper Bill Saint
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Harborwalk Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harborwalk Marina
We have received a number of recent reports of shoaling south of McClellanville and have set a Navigation Alert near green marker #37, statute mile 431.
4/24/2011, we departed Dewees Creek NORTHBOUND, at 06h15, about 1 hour before low tide. That brought us through Andersonville and McClellanville through the low tide period in the area. Our chartplotter’s Tide Almanac reported the low tide at 0.3 ft above datum for that low tide. Several observations. It was a very quiet morning on the water, so we ran the charted midline course. For that entire 25 mile run, we never saw less than (to be very conservative) 8 to 8.5 ft of water. Yes, lots of mud flats and dock floats sitting on the bottom, and careful about following the magenta line, but no water depth problems! Second, after the tide started rising around McClellanville, we had a fair current all the way in to Myrtle Beach. In fact, we averaged about 1 mile per hour greater SOG than we run in normal, still water over that distance, and made 100 miles from 06h15 to 17h45, which we deemed a long but not uncomfortable day.
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Dewees Creek
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at McClellanville
The Esterville Minim Creek Channel connects the North Santee River with the Western Channel of Winyah Bay south of Gerogetown, SC. The missing range markers are charted between green marker #7 and red marker #16. Range markers are typically not as sturdy as daymarkers and a good high wind will often knock them down.
Three of the four range markers between the North Santee River and the Estherville – Minim Creek Canal (mm 416-418) are missing. There was at least 7 ft. at mean low through the cut when we went through so it should not be a problem, but if you are looking for them they are gone.
Mitch and Carole Brodkin
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Minim Creek Channel
Harborwalk Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! is the northwesternmost marina on the downtown Georgetown/Sampit River waterfront.
We left the protection of the ICW at Cat Island and entered the western channel of Winyah Bay where the wind really began to howl. It was against the ebb tidal current causing steep, short seas which covered the bay. Everywhere we looked were windblown streaks of foam, and every wave was breaking at its crest, I estimated it was blowing force 8, similar in appearance to what we had experienced a year earlier at Fort Myers, Florida. Despite the strong adverse current, we were driven to hull speed by the wind, dead astern — surfing — showing 6 and 7 knots actual speed on the GPS. It was an exciting, but not a dangerous, ride, and we were happy to make Georgetown by lunchtime. A call to the harbormaster at Harbor Walk Marina had obtained a slip. We were met at the dock where we tied up with surprisingly little difficulty with the wind pushing us away from the float and toward the shoreline rip rap, only feet away. Good line handling and, dare I say it, good boat handling saved the day. After we got tied up, the wind began to really howl. Two boats came in after we did, their crews wide eyed and appearing thankful to have found shelter.
Captain Ted Jones
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Harborwalk Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harborwalk Marina
Between the Winyah Bay Entrance south of the AICW from Georgetown, SC and the Charleston, SC harbor entrance, there is really no safe inlet and Dewees Inlet carries this emphatic warning from Claiborne: WARN ANYONE OFF FROM USING THIS INLET. THERE IS NO CHANNEL TO SPEAK OF AND TO SAY IT’S TREACHEROUS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. IT COULD BE DEADLY!!!
We are headed back off-shore to the south – Charleston, but would prefer Isle of Palms as it takes about two hours off the trip… if we can get in through Dewees Inlet. Charts show no marked channel to the outside but inside the water is charted deep (no channel markers), tides run 5+ feet and there are some tempting areas that may not be shoaled up. Does anyone know if this passage can be made safely with a ~6 ft. draw at HT? Thanks
Captain Ric
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Showing the Location of Dewees Inlet
Located in the calm waters of the Sampit River harbor and convenient to all the attractions of downtown Georgetown, Harborwalk is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
We just stayed at Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown, SC and found it newly renovated… great showers and laundry. Low tide is a trip coming in – stay to starboard after the entry marker and hug the docks. At Harbor Walk Marina depth is around 6.5 ft. at the inner most dock at low tide. Outside and finger docks have plenty of water even at a dead low tide.
Captain Ric
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Harborwalk Marina
Georgetown Landing Marina has a long, welcoming transient/fuel dock that makes easy handling of the occasional opposing wind and river currents that can occur. Because of the expanse of open dockage, Georgetown Landing makes a great rendezvous spot for groups flotillas.
Great place to stay. The dock staff were very friendly and helpful (including Bella the yellow lab pup!) The bathrooms were very clean. It was an easy walk into town. We were inside the long face dock and had no problems in strong winds from both the south and north. Being at a sportfishing marina wasn’t a bad deal–someone didn’t want their king mackerel catch and gave it to us!!
S/V Moondance
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For
"Sunset After The Storms"
by: Susan Leaf
