Brickhill River Southern Anchorage
Brickhill River Southern Anchorage
Statute Mile: 704
Lat/Lon: 30 51.576 North/081 28.051 West
Location: southern mouth of Brickhill River cuts into the eastern flank of the AICW south of marker #60
Depth: 9+ feet (Be SURE to read “Navigational Detail” below to maintain these depths)
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 45 feet
Holding Ground Evaluation: excellent
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent, only unusually strong northwesterly winds might be a problem
Dinghy Dock Access: small US Park Service dock and beach near Plum Orchard Plantation can serve as a dinghy landing
Pet Friendly: pets can be taken ashore at dinghy dock or small beach near Plum Orchard Plantation
Rating:
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
Comments from Cruisers (6)
We just came thru here and took the Brickhill all the way thru after docking at the Plum Orchard pier for a couple of hours, and agree with this posting. Go slow and your depth finder will tell you which way to go. The Brickhill was easy all the way using normal navigation techniques (chart watching and outside of curves)
John Winter
Stayed here 4 17 13 easy in and out. Goood depths, not much wind protection , Good holding.
Greg and Donna
on Lady in Red.
We recently very much enjoyed a night at the south end of the Brickhill River and did visit Plum Orchard. We entered the river from the south and after passing the shoaling to the west at the opening found 20+ feet around the bend to the protected water. Beyond the bend it shallows to about 10 – 12 feet at low tide. This is a most enjoyable anchorage protected from the wind, gentle tidal flows, beautiful scenery and dingy access to the island. While at the dock, you need to be mindful that ferry’s and supply boats do tie up here and make sure you are not in their way. There is a $4/person “on your honor” box at the dock along with envelopes and a pen.
To summarize, it is one of the best anchorages on our recent trip from N. Myrtle Beach to Fernandina. The persistent winds had made other anchorages less comfortable. Our pet on board insists on trips to shore and the protection along with the accessibility made this one stand out.
Rod Busbee
Still a great stop and still has courtesy car. Price could be cheaper, but given they have a pool, car, etc, then the price is ok. Restaurant is still there and good. Water depths thru Jekyll Creek still shallow, but we see 5′ draft boats going thru threre at dead low tide. We did it at dead low tide in our 4′ draft and were nervous, but did fine (saw nothing less than 5′)
John Winter
It has been 2 yrs. ago, but I did enter at this marker unfortunately. When entering in center the water depth was good; stayed in center and water dropped out to 5 ft. and less and yes I went aground; All charts indicated 14 ft. of water at MLLW, but obviously very incorrect; it took Boat U.S. over 2 hrs. to get me off; deeper water was actually almost on Northern shore – 10 ft. Would not go in here again not trusting what is correct with charting etc.
Pat Kenefick
Cruisers hear that Brickhill River is “mis-charted” and has a “really shallow entrance” … but, “once inside, has excellent depths.”
What does that really mean? Do you just “feel your way in” and hope for the best? That might turn out to be a disaster and is almost certainly not worth the stress. So you pass on the anchorage and move on.
But wait! Brickhill River is a real gem of an anchorage, particularly for active boaters who enjoy hiking in national parks.
Thus Brickhill River (South) anchorage turns out to be one of the better examples of the value of our new AnchorGuides with their digital breadcrumb tracks.
Look at the depth-annotated survey track on the page [below]. You can see the entrance surveyed as low as 10 feet (at 7.0 feet above MLLW) along the southern shore. The northern shore had much more water, with depths consistently in the teens. Now the “shallow entrance” anecdotal report can be confirmed and visualized as an extension of shoaling from the southern bank, with a natural channel running along the northern bank.
And now you can see the true ICW path, EAST of the red navaids, right over the non-existent “mis-charted” shoal and island!
Once you’re safely in Brickhill River, you’ll enjoy a beautiful anchorage with all-around protection off Cumberland Island National Park. Cumberland Island is one of the largest undeveloped barrier islands along the Atlantic coast, home to a national seashore and one of the largest maritime forests in the U.S.
You can access the national park at a small park dock or adjacent tiny beach, both for a nominal day-use fee. Nearby shore amenities include picnic tables, trails, and restrooms.
For a hi-res detailed map of the island, visit http://1.usa.gov/NZMHsW
Brickhill River (South) anchorage is located just off “Plum Orchard” on the map.
Best and see you On the Water,
Captains Mark & Diana Doyle