Osprey Marina lies at the southern foot of AICW section known officially as the Pine Island Cut (a. k. a. “the Rock Pile”), just as the Waterway sweeps south into beautiful Waccamaw River. Osprey Marina is one of the finest marinas you will ever discover, and these good folks are A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

Stayed the night in late April on our way south to Savannah. I second the great review. Very protected and super staff. Had a great Italian dinner in town with free transportation from the restaurant. Highly recommended stop!
Richard Brown

As of 6/5/2012, the Grill at Osprey Marina is still not open, but as Richard points out, there is an Italian restaurant nearby, Scatori’s (843-650-3370), that will come and pick you up at the marina, and then return you to the docks after dining. Their website is http://www.scatoris.com.

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Many good words about newly renovated (and under new ownership) Bucksport Marina and their on-site restaurant, continue to be recorded here on the Cruisers’ Net! And, of course, these good people are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS NET SPONSOR! PLEASE patronize them and all our other sponsors whenever possible!!!!

Glad to see them open yet once again; we were saddened by the appearance of the closed marina last year on our way south. We have been cruising the waterway for many years and have watched them open and close so many times we lost count. We have enjoyed many meals at the restaurant and love the homemade sausage. Bucksport is a quaint, cool and refreshing stop along the ICW.
Cap’n Norman s/v Blown Away

Called this morning [6/5/2012] to ask if they had Conway sausage. The person I spoke to told that they do NOT have it and that he did not know what the problem was. We always used to drop by and purchase more than a few pounds of this delectable sagey Hot and Mild sausage. Haven’t had any for several years.
Betsy Basch

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Osprey Marina lies at the southern foot of AICW section known officially as the Pine Island Cut (a. k. a. “the Rock Pile”), just as the Waterway sweeps south into beautiful Waccamaw River. Osprey Marina is one of the finest marinas you will ever discover, and these good folks are A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

We visited Osprey earlier this week (17th May 2012) on our 50′ Beneteau, with a 6′ draft in an attempt to avoid some nasty storms. What a great place, a real hidden gem! Great surrounding, helpful staff, including driving us into town to refill our propane tank. The marina is clean and well cared for. We will be back.
Andrew

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Good words about newly renovated (and under new ownership) Bucksport Marina and their on-site restaurant, continue to be recorded here on the Cruisers’ Net! Well, of course, these good people are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS NET SPONSOR! PLEASE patronize them and all our other sponsors whenever possible!!!!

We stayed at Bucksport on 4-5 and had a great time. Ralph sang all night and really did a great job entertaining us. We were the only boaters eating that night along with a couple other locals. It was the best time Sarah and I had had in a very long time. Food was great and very reasonable. Don’t pass this up on your way north or south. Its well worth an extra day devoted to the grand strand. Very pup friendly. Can’t say enough good things. Ralph and his wife treated us like family. See you soon.
John/Sarah Beaver
Forget About It 3.

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Good words about newly renovated (and under new ownership) Bucksport Marina and their on-site restaurant, continue to be recorded here on the Cruisers’ Net! Well, of course, these good people are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS NET SPONSOR! PLEASE patronize them and all our other sponsors whenever possible!!!!

Ahoy friends!
We are currently enjoying the warm hospitality @ Bucksport! Owner, Ralph said he will start sausage tomorrow! Best darn burgers we have had in a long time! Real meat and hand packed, yummy!
Live music Thursday, Friday & Saturday’s. Stop in and meet this fabulous group of people!
Be sure to say hello to Ralph!
Jay & Susan

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Island Anchorage lies off the rear of the loop stream, north and northeast of flashing daybeacon #29, 3.5 nautical miles south of Socastee Bridge.

We turned in northbound off marker 27A and rounded #1. We first motored north to investigate the entire reach of the oxbow but ran aground in what chart and plotter showed as deep water just as the channel turns back toward the ICW on the north side of the oxbow.
We reversed direction and anchored in the Oxbow near the 8 foot depth shown on the chart. We dropped our Bruce in 10 ft of water at near-low tide and the anchor dug in quickly. We first motored a circle to assure swing room and found the charted depths to be accurate.
Thinking back on our last time anchoring here, I regretted not rigging a trip line as I dropped our anchor because we grabbed some bottom debris on our last visit making anchor recovery difficult. On this visit, we luckily recovered our anchor easily the next morning.
It’s a beautiful anchorage and the bird life here is terrific. The only caveat, until sunset, is the waterborne cowboys who zip though the area like mentally challenged houseflies.
Max Miller

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This NEW Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net sponsor is really racking up the “kudos” during the early months of 2012! Well, of course, they are now an SSECN SPONSOR!

Cruising News:
Glad to see you have these folks as a new sponsor . They are very welcoming and should definitely be a stop.
Geoff Groat

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In 2010 – 2011 Bucksport Marina, now a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, closed for an extended period of time for renovation and expansion. Now reopened under new, cruiser friendly ownership and management, this facility, along with its also newly reopened, on-site restaurant, makes for a great stop between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown. Bucksport Marina is set in a lovely location on what many consider to be the most beautiful portion of the entire AICW, the Waccamaw River.

1/21/12
We pulled into Bucksport Marina after deciding that too late to anchor in very deep anchorage. Nice accommodations at the tall wooden dock with great dock hands. There are floating docks but not for our 21 foot beam. had dinner at the Seaweed Grill and was very pleased. the steak was exceptional and the grilled cabbage was delicious. they have been open only a short time but are off to a good start with the new owners. Many locals were coming in as we finished our early dinner. would stop here again.
Dick Flaherty

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Osprey Marina lies at the southern foot of AICW section known officially as the Pine Island Cut (a. k. a. “the Rock Pile”), just as the Waterway sweeps south into beautiful Waccamaw River. Osprey Marina is one of the finest marinas you will ever discover, and these good folks are A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

Subject: Osprey Marina
To: CruisingWriter@cruisersnet.net
Claiborne,
Osprey Marina. A quick 1/8 mile off the ICW!
Nice snack bar.
Great people!
Great fuel prices!
Good depth!
Very reasonable dock rates.
And with their new dock, they can accommodate 100ft boats. I have no trouble fueling up with my 63 Viking.
Stu Schechter
M/V Evening Star

There is nothing I can think of to say! The personell at Osprey are just the most professional, from the highly skilled dock master to the office staff. When we pulled in we knew just what to expect. Wonderful, if you don’t stop there you’ll miss a treat!
Terry and Charlotte

I happened to stop at Osprey southbound a year ago. Returning this spring I made a special effort to reach there arriving just at closing time. No problem. I requested an easy exit space because I had one cranky engine. No problem. The staff are all helpful, cheerful and positive. They are on my list for the next trip.
Jamiedhu aboard Gemini 34

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Certainly the Waccamaw River is one of the most scenic portions of the AICW. The dark waters and moss-hung cypress trees take you to another time before GPS and Iphones. Ben seems to have found a favorite spot in Thoroughfare Creek. These two anchorages lie west of the Waccamaw River/ICW flashing daybeacon #73.

We anchored here a couple years ago. We stopped here again a couple weeks ago but now we have a dinghy. We cruised the canals, then over to the beach for some swimming. We had some conversations with the locals who come there often for swimming. We hiked a little on the trails and then spent a quiet night on the hook. It’s a great anchorage.
There was a mention above about developers. The was a PBS special on this island, but the short story is, the state of SC bought it and recently turned it over to an environmental group. While there may be some more homes on the canals and in the traditionally black town on the other side of the island, there will be no bridge or `development’.
Skipper Ben

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For many years one of the most popular stops between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, Bucksport Plantation Marina, closed for an extended period of renovation, is now fully reopened after undergoing much needed upgrades. It is still a lovely location on what many consider to be the loveliest portion of the entire Waterway.

The current (7/24/11) ramp at Bucksport Marina near Conway on the Waccamaw River is not good for heavy boats. Our diesel 250 in 4WD lo could not pull out our Searay 260. Water tank was empty and gas less than half full. The ramp is too steep and tops out in gravel well before your boat is to the top of the ramp. A call two weeks prior to the marina was placed and we were told we were ok with our size boat. Unfortunately that was not so. The marina store is not open yet and we got no help out of the restaurant workers this morning (all kids) when we were stuck on the ramp. A nice gentleman that had his boat slipped there helped to pull us out and said they were supposed to be building two new ramps and opening the store soon.
Kes Crumpler

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Osprey Marina lies right where the Waterway leaves Pine Island Cut (a. k. a. “the Rock Pile”) and sweeps south into the beautiful Waccamaw River. Osprey Marina is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

By the way, on a trip with friends to Georgetown on our boat from the Oak Island area, we stopped at several marinas (Obviously not in a hurry). Osprey Marina was a real treat on our way home. We arrived late, but had plenty of help from slip holders who couldn’t have been more friendly. Osprey mgmt left us a welcome bag, just as they said they would and we enjoyed our stay. One other point, their fuel was the cheapest on our entire trip and their charge per foot was much less than other marinas. Although we enjoyed each of the other marina’s where we stayed, Osprey was literally half the cost and offered first rate facilities. Thanks for the recommendation. We will be returning.
Mike and Carolyn Hackett

We, too, very much enjoyed our few days at Osprey Marina on our way North in April. It is a beautiful harbor in a lovely spot off the Waccamaw River. One feature that your reviewer did not mention is that the Italian restaurant in a nearby shopping area will send a car to pick you up if you choose to dine with them. After dining, you can do your re-provisioning and then you will be driven back to the marina. Very convenient and thoughtful. We recommend Osprey!
Maureen Nemecek

I totally agree with other favorable comments regarding Osprey; we stayed there in Nov. 2010 on the way South to Fl. and on our return trip. Prices are excellent and fair and the staff very helpful and friendly. What can I say, the owner is a Clemson man !!!
Skipper Pat Kenefick

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Sunday Boaters! Hot Dogging can occur anywhere – in a quiet anchorage or in front of a crowded marina where wakes and noise seem not to matter in the least to the offending boaters. The quiet waters of the beautiful Waccamaw River would be a very tempting playground for such Sunday drivers.

[Sunday, April 24, 2011] I was amazed – astonished – at the amount of small boat traffic on the upper Waccamaw. Many drunken kiddies showing off on a nice early spring day!
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary

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Osprey Marina lies right where the Waterway leaves Pine Island Cut (a. k. a. “the Rock Pile”) and sweeps south into the beautiful Waccamaw River. Osprey Marina is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

One of the perks of docking at Osprey Marina is the willingness of a local Italian restaurant to either deliver a meal or come fetch the crew members and take them to the restaurant. Twice we’ve had excellent pizza delivered, but this time we asked to be picked up and driven there. The driver was within a minute of the appointed 6 pm time, picking us up in his own Honda. We were served gigantic portions of lasagna and penne al la vodka, which we are still eating days later. The same pizza delivery guy drove us home to Osprey, and we were back aboard before sundown.

Staying at Osprey due to the above reviews. Agree with all said above. Miles was excellent getting us settled in. We are still well provisioned so we did not take up the restaurant service but were told that was an excellent food and groceries.
Janet aboard s/v Triple Play

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Scenic, historic Waccamaw River flows across Horry County from its northern boundary of North Carolina to its southern boundary at Georgetown County where it empties at the end of its 140 miles journey. Stately live oak trees draped with Spanish moss border the banks of the black water that has served Horry citizens from beginning days of Native American settlements, Revolutionary battles, Civil War skirmishes and African-American communities to the present. Exerpted from www.horrycounty.org

The cruise up the Waccamaw River was spectacular. There was almost no other boat traffic, always a plus, and the weather was superb — clear blue skies and the sort of sparkling clarity in the air one only gets following a passing cold front. The river is wide, getting gradually narrower as one heads upstream, and the foliage on either bank was lush and green. The smooth water was marred only by it’s brown color. This was once big time rice-growing country, and the fields by the river are open and flat with what once were active tidal dams at intervals along the river banks which were used for controlled flooding of the rice paddies. It was cool and sunny, and the current was with us. What more could one ask for?
Checking back to the log of this stretch a year ago, one will find that we were bedeviled by black and yellow flies on this portion of the cruise, and while they didn’t seem to be hungry, they were a disturbing distraction to our enjoyment. Nothing of the sort marred this beautiful day, and we were almost disappointed when the river became narrow and meandering, meaning we were almost at our destination.
Ted Jones