I personally visited Dock Holidays back in February of 2012, and this facility seemed to have a general air of being “down on its luck.”
Cruising News:
Stayed at this marina in April. They have removed the laundry, closed the restaurant, and services are minimal.
BJ Reckman
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of The Marina at Dock Holidays
We understand from other contributors that Leland Oil Company Marina, under a new owner, is steadily making improvements to this very affordable facility and long a source of good fuel prices. We hear, too, that the owner will take time to drive you to nearby stores. Also note that if you have never visited the backwater village of McClellanville, SC, you owe it to yourself to stop here and at least take in the community. It’s like stepping into a time machine that transports you to what most of the Low Country must have looked like 50 years ago. Try it, you might just like it!
Stayed here 4-30. Great new floating docks as advertised. Daune greeted us at the dock and did a good job tying up the boat. We had a wonderful afternoon biking thru the town. Saw a 1000+ year old oak tree. The village museum is only open Thurs Fri and Sat. We will have to see it next time.
Ron & Audrey aboard Lucky Girl
Stayed overnight on Sunday 4/29. Great new floating dock. Full up that night, 7 boats. Great place between Georgetown and Charleston. Amenities are spartan, should be upgraded on ground level. Met by Dockmaster Duane to tie up. Highly recommended.
Has Royer
Stopped in last fall. nice people-short walk into small town ‘˜down home’ cooking in local restaurant.
JiM Lady Lady
Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Leland Oil Company
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Entrance to McClellanville Channel
Ladys Island Marina lies on the shores of Factory Creek, just across Ladys Island Bridge from downtown Beaufort, SC. The entrance to Factory Creek cuts south from the Waterway, just east of the Ladys Island span. Note that the marina here has been in flux for some time and you should call ahead to confirm their facilities. However, as of today, they are accepting transients at $1.50ft.
Cruising News:
After several unsuccessful changes in ownership over the past couple of years, the former “Ollie’s” restaurant [aka “Groupers”] at Lady’s Island Marina in Beaufort, SC has been renovated and re-opened a month or so ago as “Dockside” restaurant by the folks who also own and operate the very successful “11th Street Dockside” restaurant in Port Royal. We haven’t eaten there yet, but if the crowd in the parking lot is any indication, they’re off to a great start!
Bob Schwerzel
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Ladys Island Marina
Capt. Miller shares good advice regarding northbound currents in the Waterway.
Subject: Favorable Current Northbound from Dock Holiday Marina
Cruising News:
We departed Dock Holiday Marina two hours after North Myrtle Beach low tide and enjoyed a following or slack current all of the way to Southport.
Subject: Northbound Boost from Current when Departing Southport
Cruising News:
We tried Skipper Bob’s suggestion of departing Southport one hour before high tide and found that we enjoyed a following current all the way up Cape Fear River and as far as Carolina Beach Inlet.
Max Miller
Capt. Miller’s advice about making the bridge tender aware of your position, especially if you are near the end of the line and/or on the blind side, is a good idea indeed.
Subject: Sailboat Dismasted Under Bridge
Cruising News:
On or about April 23rd, just before departing Dock Holiday Marina in North Myrtle Beach, I heard a report on channel 16 of a bridge coming down on a sailboat.
I sometimes radio bridge tenders to indicate that I am “entering the fender area of the bridge” so they know that I am there. I do this especially when my boat enters from the tender’s blind side. I plan to do this every time I pass through a bascule bridge.
Max Miller
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
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Directory Listing For Bucksport Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Bucksport Marina
Lightkeepers Village is one of three faculties located on Coquina Harbor, a body of water that was once a rock quarry. The two others are Coquina Harbor Yacht Club and SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Myrtle Beach Yacht Club. The Coquina Harbor entrance channel cuts into the northern banks of the Waterway, opposite marker #13.
Floating docks, climate controlled bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities. On site pool. 1 1/2 mile boardwalk around the harbor. Friendly and welcoming dock master, James and assistant Bob. Two restaurants within the harbor. Clarks (formerly Umbertos) and Jug Handle Inn of the South (formerly the Officers Club.) Waffle House, Dunkin Donuts and Sunnyside Grill within walking distance.
Mary
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Lightkeepers Village
SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR Barefoot Marina keeps racking up praise here on the Cruisers’ Net. Clearly, this is a GREAT place for northbound snowbirds to spend an evening, or even a few days resting from their travels, and, of course, year round Palmetto State cruisers should make this facility a regular stop.
Don’t confuse Barefoot Marina, which guards the AICW’s northern banks, with Barefoot Landing Transient Dock, which flanks the southern banks, hard by a LARGE shopping center complex.
Rick and I have stayed at Barefoot Marina since October, 2011. We just left today April 22, 2012, headed for Norfolk.
We just wanted to pass on that this marina is a great place to stay for an extended time or just for overnight. The service at the docks is great and the attitude of the entire staff is outstanding. They have excellent facilities and a restaurant on site. A grocery store, drugstore and medical facility are within walking distance. Barefoot Landing with all the shops and more restaurants and other entertainment options are also within walking distance. You get all this at very excellent rates ($1.25).
We cannot begin to say enough nice things about our stay at this marina.
Rick & Margi Decatur
Journey
44′ Endeavour Power Cat
I can echo the recent reviews. We stayed at Barefoot Marina April 21-22, 2012 and found the facility and the staff terrific. The layout is great, with the dock close to the office and only a short walk to the showers, laundry, etc. Also had a nice dinner at the new restaurant, DockSiders, last night. Flounder was very nice, and reasonable. The rates here can’t be beat, $1.25/foot, and free pump-out. Boat-US discount on fuel as well. It’s only a short walk over the swing bridge to the ocean which is beautiful here.
Eve-Marie
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Barefoot Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Barefoot Marina
Due to persistent shoaling, in early 2011 we designated the Waterway south of McClellanville to Awendaw Creek, as an “ACW Problem Stretch.” As before, we recommend passage at mid or high tide.
And what began as a caution has turned into an excellent discussion on GPS. Read and learn!
Yesterday we traveled from Charleston to Georgetown on the ICW. At GREEN 43 we were dead on the magenta line when the depth under our props went to 0.2 feet. We draft only 39 inches so this is really a problem for most boats.
We put out a securite call on the VHF and saved a couple of boats from going aground. I later heard chatter from a couple of sailboats we had passed earlier that they were having to wait for high tide to traverse this section. It was only a bar and lasted a few seconds as we cleared it but it gave us a start. Today I heard locals in Georgetown talking about trouble in the same place. Be careful out there.
Rusty and Jan Carlisle
I too experienced the shallow water following the magenta line on my Garmin 4210 in this area. I have found that Mr Garmin has put my “boat cursor” in the marsh while in the waters of Georgia and S. Carolina. I have find deeper water by going off the magenta at slow speed usually toward the inside of turns. I poke around a bit and find the “real channel”. With all this said, I still love my Garmin electronics. Most of the time the magenta is right on.
Rick, Sun Gypsy
I think you meant the outside of the turns. General rule of thumb is stay 2/3 rds of width to the outside. Imagine the current flow scouring out a channel. The scouring velocity is greatest on the outside of the turn.Seek the side with larger vegetation and steeper banks. Of course there are many other factors that can cause variations with this “thumb” rule.
Joe
This may or may not be another example of what can happen by spending too much time following the magenta line rather than using visual observations and following the channel markers instead. Often coming up and down the waterway, we found our plotter showing us crossing land instead of being in the channel. We have transited this section many time and were told by other boats over the VHF that there was shallow water, one telling us they
found 4 feet in the channel. When we crossed we actually found 8 feet of water in the channel some five minutes after they passed through. There are other areas like Cumberland Dividings where following the chartplotter will put you solidly aground. I’m not saying this is the case here, but would caution everyone to not depend on the plotter for more than a reference and use good old fashion navigation. When I hear any reports that the boat was aground and on the magenta line, I have to ask myself how accurate the plotter is in this section. Many boats will make the same mistake and before long there are several reports of groundings because too many of us religiously follow the magenta line. The towing companies will often tell us that they have pulled many boats off shallows in the area. The reason is because following the plotter into shallow water is a common problem. We often see many boats running from green to the next red marker down a channel instead of staying well in between the markers. Many channel markers along the ICW sit in one or two feet of water, but boaters will think that as long as they are inside the markers the channel is deep. Running up close to them will almost always lead to a grounding. Since our first trip south on the ICW in 1993 we have observed so many boats hard aground in what they thought was the channel, while we passed safely by. The depths do change for a variety of reasons and caution is always needed, especially in known problem spots. We too follow the various websites looking for the latest information, but often find reports that are based on operator inattention more than poor conditions. Some channels are less forgiving than others should one stray too far.
Chuck Baier
The problem isn’t with the chart plotter, it’s the map they used. The GPS is telling you exactly where you are, but the channel has moved relative to the chart that is published that was used on the chart plotter. The magenta line is published on the chart, and so if the channel has been moved by the moving water, which it has, then the magenta line will lead you astray.
Follow the channel, NOT THE MAGENTA LINE! Makes no difference how new your chart plotter is, it has to do with when the chart used was updated. When you update your chart plotter, hopefully they have used the latest charts available.
Chuck Gorgen aboard ODYSSEE
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
The Downtown Marina of Beaufort – A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! – lies north of unlighted daybeacon #239, a short distance west of the Lady’s Island swing bridge, in the heart of beautiful downtown Beaufort, SC.
This stop is a must-stop for us. We love the town and the people. We took advantage of the marina’s courtesy car which has a keychain with a Bi-Lo grocery store discount card on it. There is also a K-Mart near the Bi-Lo.
Like many other boaters, we had issues backing out of our slip against the current. If I had understood the arrangement of my assigned slip and the current prediction for the following morning, I would have gone stern-in. Luckily, the slip on the pier next to my boat was empty so we managed to spring our boat against the current and around into the neighboring slip so we could power out into the current.
If your boat has limited power or maneuverability, ask for an alongside tie-up on the main pier.
Max Miller
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Downtown Marina of Beaufort
The best way for cruisers to take advantage of the weekly Port Royal farmer’s market, briefly outlined below, is to moor at SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR Port Royal Landing Marina. It’s a easy walk to the market or any number of other Port Royal restaurants and attractions.
Port Royal, SC every Saturday morning. Short walk from Port Royal Landing Marina on Beaufort River.
John W. Pierron
also’¦PRLM has a courtesy car. It is not THAT long of a walk unless its summer in SC!
Sami and Barry Shreve
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Port Royal Landing Marina
Don’t confuse Barefoot Marina (A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR) with Barefoot Landing Transient Dock. This latter facility is located on the eastern (ocean) side of the AICW in Myrtle Beach, while Barefoot Marina guards the western banks. The subject of the message below went through a change of ownership a year or so ago, and things were a little rocky for awhile during the transition, BUT the new incarnation is better than ever, and we are very impressed with the marina management. What’s not to like!
We took a short Easter trip south last week. After a very unfriendly `Welcome to South Carolina’ by the bridge tender at the Little River Swing Bridge we found ourselves with good weather and great SC Marinas. The first was the Barefoot Marina. Friendly helpful staff and clean facilities. If you are a biker or runner/walker this marina is located in an area with great wide sidewalks that stretch out in some very nice neighborhoods. Also, short walk across bridge to shops and restaurants.
Doyle and LaVisa (Halifax)
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Barefoot Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Barefoot Marina
Departing the Waterway at statute mile 375, four miles south of the Socastee Bridge, this “off-road” venture on the lovely, upper section of the Waccamaw River, abandoned by the AICW, has pleased many cruisers and has proven to be a worthy side trip. Please be sure to read the comments found in the links below.
One fixed bridge does lie between the AICW and Conway. We have never found a published vertical clearance for this span, but it has always appeared to us to be 30 feet or so. Clearly, the wonderful side cruise to Conway is off limits for most sailcraft.
We took the 15 mile trip off the ICW up the river to Conway Marina April 11, 2012. It was worth the time as the Waccamaw River along this stretch has a Tom Sawyer feel to it. The [Conway City] marina transient dock is basic. No water but electric service. Conway is a great town to ride a bike in with the well marked bike trail and river front park. Certainly worth a visit to Conway for anyone looking for a different stop for doing some sightseeing. Friendly people!
Doyle and LaVisa
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Conway City Marina
Cricket Cove Marina flanks the ICW’s northern banks, immediately east of flashing daybeacon #11, in the heart of Little River, SC. Moving south from North Carolina to the South Carolina portion of the AICW, Crickett Cove is the first marina you will come across in Palmetto State waters.
Made a quick stop here for gas before leaving South Carolina heading North on ICW. Very friendly staff and the best gas/fuel prices along the SC ICW. Last stop before you get into North Carolina’s high prices. They are trying to keep boating affordable given the high energy cost we are experiencing. They should be patronized for this fact alone.
Doyle and LaVisa (Halifax)
Just wanted to let the loopers know about the best fuel price we have seen in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina! Cricket Cove Marina at Little River, SC 29566, is selling diesel at $3.80 per gallon, including taxes! We just fueled up the boat and saved $$$ here! If you are cruising north this spring or heading south in the fall, check out this marina’s prices! Bill Cramer is the manager and his # is: 843-249-7169. Great restaurant at the marina too!
Stanley and Colleen Anderson
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Cricket Cove Marina
I have always wanted to recommend stopping in McClellanville, South Carolina, as this idyllic village is a real throwback to yesteryear, with its moss shrouded lanes, and quaint homes that look as if they just stepped out of the early 1900’s. However, until very recently, the “marina” here, known officially as Leland Oil Company, was so rough, it was a real trade-off against the community’s other charms.
Now, a recently completed upgrade project (see /?p=81422) has lifted Leland Oil Company into the modern era. And so, we hope to stop here far more often in the future. May you too be so fortunate.
For those of you travelling the ICW north of Charleston try a stopover in McClellanville. Jeremy Creek is narrow but depth is well maintained by shrimpers. Shrimp season just opened today here in Charleston County, so expect to see more shrimpers out in the ocean catching our dinner!
Upgraded McClellanville, SC Marina
On Jeremy Creek off ICW at Mile 430
New 440 feet of floating dock with water and power stations [20, 30 & 50 amps]. Fuel dock.
Wi-Fi available. About two blocks from the seafood dock/retail sales and in the heart of the historic district. Good restaurant within walking distance.
Contact Duane Merritt, dockmaster, at (843) 887-3641.
Bill and Robin Evans
M/V Rambler (formerly Blue Magic)
McClellanville, SC (MM 430) LeLand Oil Co. dock on Jeremy Creek – new floating docks with 30/50 amp power and water. $1.50 per foot plus $6.50 for 50 amp. No provisioning close by. With our 5 foot draft we were able to depart one hour after low tide on 12 Apr 2012. Nice small southern town – easy place to walk and explore. Two fresh seafood stores and one resturant – check business hours.
Captain Dick – M/V Emerald Lady
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Leland Oil Co. Marina
Dock Holidays has long been a favorite with my family and many others. There’s an adjacent bus stop to take you into downtown, a supermarket just across the street and you are within an easy bike ride of the beach. Located about a mile south of the Little River swing bridge, the marina’s canal offers calm waters from the passing AICW traffic.
$1.40 per foot and $6 for 30 amp, cable included. West Marine, Food Lion, and restaurants with walking distance. Helpful staff.
Max Miller
We decided to stay here for a week so I have a few items to add.
The docks float so the tie-up is easy.
The kids (or visitors) can rent PWCs here at the marina and there is a boat that takes passengers on a dolphin watch and another takes passenges out fishing.
The marina still has no laundry and the nearest coin laundry requires a car.
The restaurant on the ICW is still closed but a Bar/Restaurant behind it opens at 4:00 pm Tuesday ‘“ Sunday. They have a band every night from 7:00 pm til 10:00 (later on weekends). The music is loud and if you want to sleep before 10:00, hatch up.
The beach is about a mile walk eastbound on 11th ave which originates directly across from the marina. Access areas are a short walk either way when you reach Ocean Dr.
Route 17 runs parallel to the ICW here but you can cross it at the walk light at 11th Ave. For dining options, Carrabas and Dirty Dick’s Crab House is a short walk and on the same side as Rt 17. Across Rt 17 and southbound is an ATM, Food Lion, CVS, and Chippers Grill. A longer walk south is Fridays and BW3. Also across Rt 17 and further south is Home Depot and Walmart. If your nails are looking rough from weighing anchor, Happy Nails is next to BW3. Northbound on Rt 17 is an Applebees and an Outback.
Rhett and Matt will serve you well here at Dock Holidays.
Max Miller
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Dock Holidays
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
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Island Anchorage
Boat Shed Marina guards the northeastern banks of the Sampit River along the downtown Georgetown Waterfront.
We stayed at the Boat Shed on April 17 2011. The staff were friendly but the price is now $1.50 a foot and the WiFi does not reach the transient docks.
Paul Robson
The fuel dock is the transient dock, either on the inside or outside. 1.50 per foot includes 30 amp and cable. Floating docks. No pumpout.
Max Miller
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Boat Shed Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Boat Shed Marina
Isle of Palms Marina is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! and lies along the South Carolina portion of the AICW, north of Charleston, and southwest of flashing marker #116, on the charted cove indenting the southerly shoreline. The $1.50 transient rate enacted last fall was a temporary reduction from their normal $2.00 rate and we had not received an update until a phone call today confirmed the new rate per foot.
Stayed here April 18 2011. The transient rate was increased April 1 to $2.00 a foot. I had checked the price on the websites after I checked in’¦ it was too late to move to the next marina’¦and they [Isle of Palms Marina] were still showing $1.50 a foot.
Paul Robson
Click Here to Open a Chart View Windows Centered on Isle of Palms Marina
Located halfway between Georgetown and Charleston, SC, Awendaw Creek has been successfully accessed for anchoring by several recent cruisers. On the south side of the Waterway, Awendaw Creek is best approached through its northern entrance which is due south of marker #48 and just west of marker #47 in Harbor River.
We anchored in Awendaw Creek at mile 436. We motored a swing circle and found the charted depths accurate. We dropped right over the 8 foot mark on the chart.
Awendaw was beautiful and without the strong reversing tide we had experienced further south. Despite the wind trailing off, we had no bugs. The river is part of a wildlife preserve and the sounds of every kind of bird call rose from Bull Bay at daybreak. The fishing boys scramble through the anchorage at daybreak but are on plane.
Max Miller
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Awendaw Creek
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