You must leave the AICW and cruise upstream on the Ogeechee River for some distance in order to reach Fort McAllister Marina. However, from both Captain Eddy’s report below, and an earlier posting here on the Net’s “Georgia” Cruising News section, sounds like the detour may be worth it.

We are currently staying at Ft. McAllister Marina. Our boat draws 7 foot. we came in from the ocean and had no problem naviagating to the Marina. There are some navagation marker but mostly private ones. We had no problem following markers back. You can call the marina and they are more than helpful to give more detailed directions.
I would not recommend coming in on low tide if you draw more than 5 foot. There is a shoal just east of the marina on the north side. The marina itself has a depth of 23 ft at low tide.
The marina is well maintain full service marina. They can accomodate vessels up to 100 ft. The staff is very friendly and helpful. There are showers and free laundry. The resturant opened this past spring, “Fish Tales”. The food and staff is excellent. The menu varies in tastes and price. There is something for everyone. Just one downer …. no alcohol on Sunday. I would highly recommend this marina.
Captain Sherry Eddy

Click Here To View the Georgia Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Fort McAllister Marina

More good words about Sunbury Crab Company! Don’t miss this unique facility, and not just because they are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

We left Savannah today and are currently docked at Sunbury Crab Co Restaurant and Marina up the Medway River @ mile 620 on the AICW. Elaine has extended a discount rate of $1.25 plus elect for AGLCA members (regular $1.75) and the 4 of us boats can attest to the down home hospitality that Sunbury has to offer. It’s one of those unique experiences like Hoppies or Bobbies Fish Camp except with real nice floating docks. They have a restaurant and bar on sight…we’ve been to the bar and it is truly unique…more later on the the restaurant. If you’re an AGLCA member and heading down the coast or when you’re heading up in the spring you should plan on making this a must stop.
Jim & Lisa Favors – Kismet

Our experience at Sunbury adds to the kudos this marina has already received! We arrived on a late November Monday (as it turned out the only cruisers that day), and the restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday- No matter, we were welcomed into the marina AND invited to the restaurant, asked what we’d like and were then served a complete meal, at the time of our choosing! We picked fried shrimp and it was the VERY best, bar none, that we have ever had anywhere! It was fresh (caught that morning), sweet and just lightly battered and fried- the French fries were to die for as well!! This was our second stay at Sunbury ‘¦ the hospitality, service and food the first time were terrific, but all were exceeded this time! The Sunbury family treats cruisers as `most favored guests’ and the rural Georgia sea grass/marsh setting is exquisite- We’ll return and we recommend Sunbury Crab Company to all!!
Susan Scollay & Carolyn Bratt,
M/V Sojourner

After reading the above postings we called Bernard and secured reservations for last night, a very cold December Sunday. We were directed to their website for directions, which after careful reading took us right in’¦deep water most of the way, and we did not encounter any real skinny spots Note that it is almost 7 miles in, BUT WELL WORTH THE DETOUR. They are the third set of docks on the Sunbury Creek Canal and have a large flag on their fuel dock, which is up from the face dock. They are the nicest people, so hospitable and the food is GREAT. We had a special shrimp chowder and then a bucket (a big bucket-chock full) of Blue Crabs. It’s also a great place to stretch your legs, a short walk takes you to an old, and now well tended, graveyard. A really lovely family run marina and restaurant. We will definitely stop again on our way north next Spring. Thanks for the tip!
Ade & Jo Salzer
M/V Wandering Star

Click Here To View the Georgia Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Sunbury Crab Company Marina

I’ve stared at chart 11507 several hundred times since I began writing about the Georgia coastline in the 1980’s. And yet every time, keen observer that I am, I’ve missed the designation “Special Anchroage” on the waters of extreme southern Frederica River, south of Golden Isles Marina. In fact, I don’t remember seeing any (or certainly not many) boats riding on the hook here over the years.
Captain Emerson’t excellent, detailed report below rectifies that error on my part.
Now, I would very much appreciate input from the cruising community as to whether these waters should be included in the Net’s “Georgia Anchorage Directory.” Does this anchorage afford enough shelter and/or good holding ground to justify its inclusion, or not. I would really like to have some input from as many of you as possible. Just click on the “Comment on This Posting/Marina/Anchorage/Bridge” link below. Thanks so much in advance!

Lanier Island, on the Frederica River, has a designated anchorage area south of the fixed Frederica River bridge (9′ vertical clearance) and Golden Isles Marina. Currents are typical for this area (1-2 kts) as are the tides (about 8 feet). The holding is reported to be spotty, however our CQR dug in on the first try and has held through three tide changes. Wind protection is minimal, with a marshy spit to the west, open water north and south, and St Simons Island to the east but not close. Again, in unsettled weather, protection from wave action isn’t good. There is some wake from SeaTow boats, the Brunswick pilot boats, and larger power boats heading to the marina. Depths vary with the distance from shore. However, charts show the remains of pilings and we found one float, from a crab trap, that was just below the surface at high tide. Finally, although charts show a designated anchorage area, not setting an anchor light is simply asking for a rude surprise in the middle of the night.
We looked at the anchorage area a mile or two above the bridge. There’s a little more shelter from northerly and southerly wave action, but it can only be reached by following the river south or taking the narrrow cut north of Lanier Island.
Options ashore are limited. We called Golden Isles Marina and were politely told they don’t rent bicycles and the ones they have are for customers only – no surprise, really. The nearest source for a bicycle is 2 miles away, on St. Simons Island, and they don’t deliver bikes. We did find a dock, just above the bridge and on the St Simons Island shore, where it’s possible to tie up a dinghy and go ashore. Be careful of the fishing lines from people fishing from the pier! According to the park signs, overnight tie-ups are not allowed and tie-ups are limited to two hours when permitted. We walked ashore and found there are no obvious paths to follow into a town. The one map we have of the area shows only one road from the bridge or park and that’s busy road with no sidewalk. The only way to see the area, then, is to rent a car.
In short, the anchorage is good as a stopover, in settled weather, before making the final push, inside or outside, to Fernandina, FL. It doesn’t have much to recommend it as a place to stop and see the area. (As an aside, our plotted routes to Fernandina, inside and out, match within less than a mile. The choice comes down to the weather and preference for seeing Jekyll and Cumberland Islands or pressing on to Fernandina.)
Rick Emerson

Lanier Island isn’t a good place to be in bad weather, but it is a very good stopover point and, as such, should be listed. There were 4-5 other boats anchored there when we were there.
Cheers,
Rick

After extensive search with a depth finder, I could not find the charted submerged pilings. This confirms local knowledge that they dated from WW2 and have not been in existance since the ICW was moved from the East side of Lanier Island to the West side some time in the 50’s. Holding is spotty and the depths are less than charted toward shore. Also, about half of the designated area is occupird by a private marina (not Golden Isles which is North of the private marina). All this said, it is a useful anchorage in appropiate weather.
Captian JJ

There had been some earlier reports here on the Net about shallowing depths on the Creighton Narrows (south of Sapelo Sound and Front River) section of the Georgia AICW. Looks like Captain Emerson found good depths.

We ran Creighton Narrows an hour after low tide today (15 Nov 09) and didn’t have problems with our 6′ draft.
Rick Emerson

New Teakettle Creek, which runs off the AICW’s passage through (guess what), Old Teakettle Creek, offers several overnight anchorages. The marsh grass shores do not give the best protection in really heavy weather, but, hey, that’s true of most coastal anchorages in the Peach State.

An anchorage I had always meant to try, but had never fit into my travel day. Planned it out, anchored up past Mary Creek about 0.5 mi, a little bit to port of the charted deep water, and had good anchorage, with 10-15 kts out of the NE.
Capt Bill,
s/v Kittiwake

We anchored in New Teakettle last night, Nov 15, and got in just at sunset and near high tide. There were about 6 boats already there, and lots of room left over. We anchored in about 20′ at high water, and found the holding to be excellent. Not only that, but that chain and anchor came up clean! Lots of room to swing, and the chorus from the marsh creatures (frogs? birds?) was like nothing we’ve ever heard before, and this is our 6th or 7th trip on the ICW
James Forsyth
S/V Solution

Anchored there in opur 41′ boat; also anchored in Duplin River (mm649.3) and anchored 11/04, 5/05 and 11/09 in Back River (mm651.3) in our 53′. There is lots of current, but plenty of room to swing; enter on North side and anchor on south side as the north side is cused by fishing boats. Also anchored: 5/06 (mm525.5) Cattle Pen Creek, 5/05 (630.0) Wahoo River.
We have also anchored many times in Frederica River (mm665.7 to 673.4). We look forward to Georgia anchorages when the bugs are not too plentiful!
Margo

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Georgia Anchorage Directory Listing For New Teakettle Creek

Golden Isles is certainly an excellent operation, but also give a look at Jekyll Harbor Marina, just to the south on the eastern shores of the AICW/Jekyll Creek. This latter facility is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

Just spent three days here waiting out the remains of IDA. Great staff (Melissa, Rose, Chick et al). Coastal Kitchen at the top of the dock had excellent cuisine. Rented a car at the airport (closeby) to visit St. Simons and Jekyll Island. Gonna miss the muffins and newspaper in the morning when we’re in a marina next.
Pete & Mary Ann s/v MicMac

Click Here To View the Georgia Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Jekyll Harbor Marina

Click Here To View the Georgia Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Golden Isles Marina