Blackbeard Creek - Click for Chartview

Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge is on the south side of Sapelo Sound and is accessible only by boat. Capt. Reeves offers good advice for visiting this untouched island.

Turning into Blackbeard Creek that separates Blackbeard Island from Sapelo Island at green 11 off the ICW in Sapelo Sound, we anchor and go to the almost deserted beach of this protected wildlife refuge. Watch your pets and children as we always see alligators and sharks.
http://www.fws.gov/blackbeardisland/
To visit Blackbeard we recommend you contact http://www.privateislandexcursions.com/ to tour any of the Georgia coast with an experienced and reliable Captain.
Limit your visit to the tide line of the beach and take all trash out with you.
Sonny Reeves

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Walburg Creek - Click for Chartview

Walburg Creek shapes the east side of Walburg Island and the Waterway lies on the west side. Good depths and great beach combing. While the creek has both a northern and southern entrance from the AICW, we prefer the northern passage, though there is still an unmarked shoal in St. Catherine’s Sound which must be bypassed.

Walburg Creek is a nice place to anchor between Brunswick and Thunderbolt. We found good holding and plenty of swing room. The only caveat is that it can be a rough ride in heavy wind when the tide and wind are at odds with each other.
Sharon and Ken Vogel
M/V Docker’s Inn

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Brunswick Landing Marina - Click for Chartview

Brunswick Landing Marina, a very popular facility with long term resident cruisers, actually sits well off the direct path of the AICW, flanking the eastern banks of Academy Creek, just off Brunswick River, near the heart of downtown Brunswick, Georgia. I personally visited here in April of 2012, and, as usual, found a bunch of contented cruisers, some of whom who had happily spent the preceding winter at this facility.

Yard manager referenced in earlier comments is no longer employed by BLM.
Chris and Janet

Click Here To View the Georgia Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Brunswick Landing Marina

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Two Way Fish Camp - Click for Chartview

Two Way Fish Camp is on the South Altamaha River, off the Waterway departing north of marker #218A. Old South charm, well worth the trip!

My boyfriend and I were there recently in the kingfish tournament and we had a wonderful time. Great people, great food and we will definitely be back.
Kim

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Morningstar Marina at Golden Isles - Click for Chartview

Morning Star Golden Isles Marina is located on the Frederica River, between Lanier and St. Simons Islands, south of the charted 9 foot bridge. Depart north from the Waterway south of ICW marker # 247 and Frederica River marker #1. While the Frederica River has good depths north of the marina, access from the Waterway north is not possible because of the fixed 9ft clearance bridge.

I love Morningstar Marinas. and Golden Isles is no exception. We stayed three nights in late May, as we have done many times before. The staff are great, as is the free delivery of the paper and muffins in the morning. The showers are clean and maintained, and my favorite Catalina Dealer, Dunbar Sales, is on the premises.
We used the pool and the local restaurant, as well as Jekyll Club and a restaurant in St Simon’s and had a uniformly good experience. St Simon’s and Jekyll Islands are great tourist areas, so rent a car, and have some fun off the boat as well.
We are Morningstar Gold Members, and as such receive discounts at all their marinas. This program is worth looking at if you like their quality. Golden Isles, St. Simon’s is just a great example of their marinas.
William Lawrenson

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

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Sunbury Crab Company Marina - Click for Chartview

The Sunbury Crab Company Marina lies off the AICW along the western shores of the Medway River, on the charted Sunbury Channel, north of Dickinson Creek. And they are A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

Stayed at Sunbury May 23, 2013. The dock is great and the restaurant is fantastic (see web site for days open). They are very friendly, kind people.
I printed the map on their web site and followed it ‘“ be careful not to cut the corner on the entrance to the Sunbury Channel ‘“ otherwise navigation is a cake walk, and never less than 14 ft. or water.
There are few alternatives in this area, and although it’s a way off the ICW, it is a great place to visit. This is our second visit, and I am sure we will stop there again as we pass through Georgia.
William Lawrenson

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

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On 4/26/13, in a supplementary question to our Wish List of 4/22/13, we posed the following question:

2. Statute Mile 666 – Who has anchored on the Frederica River lately? Did you enter the river from its southern or northern intersections with the Waterway? Did you drop the hook abeam of the Fort Frederica National Monument, and, if so, did you dinghy ashore? Were you impressed with the tour, and/on slide show in the National Monument?

Responses follow:

We have dropped the hook in this river three times and have had good experiences each time.
We have used the spot at the monument twice, both north and southbound. The access point to the monument from the river requires at low tide a slog through about 15 feet of puff mud and then a dubious climb up a rickety wooden ladder to the sea wall top. We chose not to go ashore.
Entry/exit in both directions is pretty straightforward, but some what shallow compared to the channel in the river itself. Bear in mind the manner in which shoals form in these tidal rivers, filling at points and cutting deeper at the outside of curves.
Steve Kamp
S/V Carolina

We have not anchored there, although friends did a year ago and said it worked fine. But we did take the tour by land. The fort is one of many wonderful Georgia historical treasures and well worth the stop. Very informative, and pleasant and peaceful grounds.
Jack&Linda Dunnigan
S/V SILVER GIRL

We anchored in Frederica River on 1/22/13 and had a comfortable night anchored off the fort. We had no trouble entering the Frederica River at the north end, but were hard aground 100 yards in from the south entrance on our way out the next morning. I strongly recommend sticking to the north entrance to come and go. Good holding and dinghied ashore to walk the grounds of the fort. A nice stop if you avoid the shoal water at south entrance. We draw 4.5 ft.
Steve Young
CrossRoads

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On 4/22/13, as part of a NE Florida – Georgia Wish List, we posed the following question:

Statute Mile 660 ‘“ Who has cruised up the South Altamaha River, leaving the AICW north of marker #218A? Did you anchor or pick up a slip at Two Way Fish Camp? If you stayed at the marina, did you dine ashore at Mudcat Charlies? If so, how was the food?

Responses follow:

I made the trip up to Two Way Fish Camp. Wonderful side trip. Marina funky but friendly. I hadn’t been eating in restaurants a lot at the time so it seemed very good then. I’m not sure how many stars I would give it but it is certainly at least worth the trip.
Roger Long
S/V Strider

Click Here To View the Georgia Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Two Way Fish Camp

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On 4/22/13, as part of a NE Florida – Georgia Wish List, we posed the following question:

Statute Mile 676 ‘“ Who patronized Golden Isles Marina this spring? Please tell us what you found and observed. Did you find a good restaurant currently operating at Golden Isles?

Responses follow:

We stayed here two weeks ago and had a very pleasant experience. The dockmaster is very adept at helping you with your lines, which is especially important with the tidal flow at this marina. The dock is in good shape and the shoreside facilities were clean. The marina also owns the pool, so if you like that, it is a great place to have a cocktail in the afternoon. We did eat at the on-site restaurant with another tramsient boater, and the food was excellent. All in all it was a very nice marina and experience, and reasonably
priced with a Boat US discount.
One other added feature that was nice, we discovered a couple of days later in Savannah. We stayed at another Morningstar marina in Thunderbolt, called the Bahia Blue Marina. Once I told the dockmaster there that we had just stayed at Golden Isle, we received a .30 cent per ft. discount on our stay at Bahia Blue.
Marc and Shelley Colby
M/V Rock Chalk
Endeavour 44 Trawlercat

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

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On 4/22/13, as part of a NE Florida – Georgia Wish List, I posed the following question:

Statute Mile 619 ‘“ anyone anchored on Walburg Creek south of St. Catherines Sound? How did you enter this stream? Did you find the anchorage as nice as we remember it to be?

Responses follow:

Spent night of 4/16/13. Chicken to enter from the south and entered from 14′ depth across the middle ground. Anchored at 16′ depth in calm weather. Loved this anchorage, gave it 4 stars.
s/v Skye

Claiborne,
Sanctuary and crew spent the night at Walberg Creek on 4/23/2013. We entered from the south. A very helpful find was that the south entrance, although an unmarked channel, does have a dredged channel that carries better than 12′. Northbound, draw a rhumb line from Red ICW marker “124A” to the 19′ sounding inside the charted shoal path at the mouth of the south entrance of Walberg Creek. That line will carry across a shoal sounding of 3.9′. It re-joins the dashed magenta line of the alternate ICW at that 19′ sounding. We followed that path and found 12′ or better on that rhumb line.
Here is a screen shot or our track, in case my description is so poor you can’t understand it:

The anchorage is excellent. Choose a place that protects you from prevailing winds. Some anchorage areas are shallow (7′ – 9′ at low tide), and some are deep (30′ at high tide). But, the creek is wide, there is little local boating traffic, Verizon WWAN is reliable, if slow, and there is plenty of swing room for 150′ of chain. The place is quiet, beautiful and remote. Magnificent!
Jim
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary

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On 4/22/12, as part of a NE Florida – Georgia Wish List, we posed the following question:

Statute Mile 660 ‘“ Who has cruised up the South Altamaha River, leaving the AICW north of marker #218A? Did you anchor or pick up a slip at Two Way Fish Camp? If you stayed at the marina, did you dine ashore at Mudcat Charlies? If so, how was the food?

Responses follow:

Spent the night of 4/15/13 in South Altamaha River. Anchored just before first red day mark in fair weather. Good anchorage, gave it five stars. Had a scare when a tug/barge came north on ICW and appeared to be entering the creek at 2200 due to direction of the ICW. Will use this anchorage again.
s/v/Skye

Click Here To View the Georgia Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For the South Altamaha River Anchorages

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On 4/22/13, as part of a NE Florida – Georgia Wish List, I posed the following question:

Statute Mile 620 ‘“ those of you who have cruised up the Medway River to Sunbury Crab Company Marina, please describe what you found, and the depths you observed between the Waterway and the Marina. Did you dine ashore at Sunbury Crab Co.? How was the food?

Responses follow:

Another neat run. There is one marker that as you travel from the south, and then have to make a turn to starboard to cross over the river appears to be out of place on an island, but as you get closer, it makes sense. It is an easy navigation, but there are many shallow spots that if you watch your charts, they are plotted correctly. Strong currents, but since you tie to a face dock, it is not big deal. Neat old GA area with nothing there, but if you want to eat, make sure the restaurant is open when you go.
John Winter

We have stayed here in the past for several nights. We love it.
The channel has a few markers, but you can follow your chart for the deep water which meanders from one side of the Medway River to the other as you go west to the marina. We encountered nothing less than 8 ft. on our way up, but most was much deeper.
If you like fresh Blue Crab, then this is your place. They bring you a big bucket of them and a mallet to open them up. The restaurant
owners go out each day to harvest their crabs, so you cannot find anything fresher. Delicious.
The docks are OK, not great. You tie along their long face dock and it is a fair walk to shore. There are really no facilities on shore other than the restaurant.
There is one reason to go here, and it is the fresh Blue Crabs. So good!!
Marc and Shelley Colby
M/V Rock Chalk
Endeavour 44 Trawlercat

Cruising up the [Medway River] was easy. It is well marked and has adequate water depths. We draw 3 1/2 ft. Docks at Sunbury Crab are fine and the food there is GREAT. Best fried shrimp we have ever eaten.
Captain Bren

I intend never to pass mile 620 again without a visit to the Sunbury Crab Company. The best crabs I have had anywhere, hands down. I saw them in the bottom of the boat a few hours before. They try to catch only what they will serve that night each day. You won’t find fresher without catching your own. The marina and the owners make this a very friendly stop.
There is also a very interesting anchorage up the river around the bend with vertical bluffs falling into the water. Very deep but you can find shallow water upstream with some protection from the fast current. I sheltered from very strong winds both here and at the marina.
Lots of history here you would never expect. It was once the major trading port in Georgia.
My SBO post on Sunbury:
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=148218&#post985358
Roger Long
S/V Strider

We stayed there one night in May 2012. We went there for the food and were disappointed to find the restaurant was closed. When we arrived the owner, Elaine, and one of her sons met us at the dock with 2 cold beers in hand, compliments of the house. When we told her how disappointed we were that we couldn’t eat there, she opened up the restaurant for us and had her son prepare a wonderful meal for us. As someone who catches and eats blue crabs every summer on Cape Cod, I wanted to watch how a `professional’ crab picker picked crabs. Her son was only too happy to show me. He brought 3 crabs to the table and picked them all within 3 minutes, then gave me the crab meat as an appetizer. Elaine sat with us during dinner and told us about her family, her business, and the area history. Needless to sat we were thrilled with the stay and will make it a point to stop there whenever we go by.
Pat and Joe Apicella

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

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Lack of security is not limited to Darien City Docks and Captain Stephens offers good advice to transients at almost all public marinas. Especially in the current economy, break-ins have been increasing in the past two years. Even at gated marinas, thefts are not uncommon these days. The two-nights-free Darien City Docks are in a friendly, lovely small town – a highly recommended side trip off the Waterway.

If you do dock at Darien, make sure you lock your boat and anything else you would like to keep when you go ashore. This is a public area with marginal lighting and absolutely NO security. Several boats have been broken into in the past several years, including mine! The police officer told me people roam around the area at all hours of the night!!
Kent Stephens

Click Here To View the Georgia Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Darien City Docks

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