Downtown Marina – Click for Chartview

Beaufort, SC, will begin fining or removing boats remaining in the Beaufort City Anchorage, just to the west of the Downtown Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!. This anchorage has been designated as the location of a city mooring field since 2011. Today is the last day of a 30-day period during which boats anchored in the proposed mooring field to remove their vessels, be fined or agree to rent a buoy in the new field. Our friend John Kettlewell sends us this story from the Beaufort Gazette:
http://www.islandpacket.com/2014/02/08/2937028/monday-is-deadline-to-move-boats.html

The city will be Installing 16 professionally-managed moorings for transient boats in an approved area of the Beaufort River, The new moorings will replace the approximately 12 randomly placed anchoring and also will involve removal of dilapidated boats which will improve water quality. In years past as many as 500 visitors come to the fine city of Beaufort South Carolina. They come for the charm of a small seaside village and the simplicity. They come because it quaint and has that non-commercial touristy cost usually associated with most waterside cities like Hilton head, Daytona, and Panama City Beach.
Curtis

As someone who has cruised to Beaufort many times, and who lived and worked there for several years, I lament the passing of another anchorage on the ICW. I will say that the anchorage was notoriously difficult, with strong currents and nasty exposure in bad weather. It was not ideal, but those of us who prefer to use our own anchoring gear will now be bypassing this spot and likely the downtown area. Factory Creek across the way still has some anchoring room, and it is also possible to anchor north of the bridge outside of the channel. However, neither area provides convenient access to downtown. Plus, I strongly suspect, as is the case most places moorings are put it, that they will not pay their way and the city taxpayer will be burdened with another expense.
John Kettlewell

As more and more cities and counties go broke, this kind of thing is going to become more and more common.
It’s a lot more fun to go where you are wanted, rather than just tolerated, or looked at as a cash cow.
The Bahamas just keep looking better and better.
R. Holiman

Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For Beaufort City Anchorage

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort City Anchorage

Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Downtown Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Downtown Marina of Beaufort