A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!, Downtown Marina is located north of AICW marker #239, a short distance west of the Lady’s Island swing bridge, in the heart of downtown Beaufort.
Great stop! The marina staff is very good with the tides and the rolling current. Diesel pump was VERY slow, but price reasonable. Could not ask for a better place to shop and eat! Plenty of restaurants to choose from, and cute little shops to browse. This is our second time here, and will return! Still Clueless
Windmill Harbour Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is located hard by the southwesterly mouth of the Waterway’s passage south down Skull Creek, on the shores of Hilton Head Island, south of marker #27. Our thanks to Bob Miller for these kind words for one of our fine sponsors!
Just wanted to comment on the staff and marina facilities at Windmill Harbour . We kept our 43′ motor yacht there over this past winter (2015-16) and believe there is no better choice in the Hilton Head area. Very professional marina staff and pleasant location. The marina is in a gated community so it is safe and secure, and the marina is protected by a lock system which keeps the water depth constant in the marina. It is home to the South Carolina Yacht Club so many nice boats and activities. They welcome transient boaters as well as those for longer stays. One thing to be aware of is that access to stores and restaurants will require transportation as it is a residential area. Bob Miller
Click Here to read – and hear- this report from Hawaii Public Radio. Look for them as you migrate north!
Voyaging Canoe Hokulea Navigates Florida Waterways By MOLLY SOLOMON • 4 HOURS AGO
CREDIT OIWI TV / MAUI TAUOTAHA
Voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a is continuing her journey up the East Coast of the mainland. The canoe recently left Titusville, Florida and is traveling along the Intracoastal Waterway, where she’s encountered new wildlife and a whole lot of aloha. HPR’s Molly Solomon checked in with navigator Bruce Blankenfeld as part of our ongoing coverage Hōkūle‘a: Voyage of Aloha. Hōkūle‘a’s next stop is Charleston, South Carolina — then it’s on to Virginia and New York in June.
April 14, 3:30PM
Hokulea approaching Charleston Maritime Center
The crew of Hokulea was greeted by a contingent of native Hawaiians who now live in the Charleston area. The greeting included drumming and conch blowing.
Drummers
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Comments from Cruisers (1)
wooduck- April 18, 2016 - 6:08 pm
Awesome! Incredible journey! Hope she is stopping in Beaufort. Watching the icw cam @ Wrightsville bridge for another wonderful glimpse of unique, untold, maritime history!!
The County Chamber of Commerce for Georgetown County, South Carolina and Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net are delighted to share the rich history of this area’s earliest settlements in and around Winyah Bay and along the several rivers that converge near Georgetown. The preserved old southern rice and indigo plantations still provide glimpses into our country’s earliest commercial, agricultural and aqua-cultural endeavors. Providing easy access to this “stroll-worthy community” for the cruising community is the recently completely renovated Harborwalk Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS NET SPONSOR. Putting Georgetown, SC on your list of fun ports of call is a must.
Looking for a great place to take a brief respite from the ICW? Then take a turn at marker 40 and head up the Sampit River to Historic Downtown Georgetown.
Georgetown Harbor – Sampit River
Dockage is available at several marinas, and there are day docks on the City’s Harborwalk. The third oldest city in South Carolina, Georgetown has been welcoming visitors to their harbor for almost 300 years.
Front Street Shopping
Once you arrive in Georgetown and find a dock or anchorage, it’s time to start exploring the area. Within easy walking distance (just a few blocks) there are more than 14 restaurants, five museums and an abundance of shops. The locals are friendly and always glad to welcome visitors.
Stewart Parker House – facing the river
Start your exploration at the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, next to Harborwalk Marina. There you will get free information including maps of the area, local attractions and history. Make time to visit all our museums – each highlights a different aspect of the rich history of the area.
Keith House B&B on Front Street
The Rice Museum highlights the history of rice production in the area. Did you know Georgetown County was the largest producer of rice in North American in the early 1800’s? You will also have the opportunity to see the remains of the oldest wooden vessel known to have been built in North America.
The South Carolina Maritime Museum on the Harborwalk celebrates the maritime history of the state and port of Georgetown. Exhibits include historic photographs, documents, artifacts, and interactive displays. The centerpiece of the museum is the 5th order Fresnel lens that was the heart of the North Island Lighthouse for over 100 years. The Museum is also the home of the annual Georgetown Wooden Boat Show, which has been named a Top 20 Event in the Southeast and won the Bundy award as one of the best events in the state.
Fresnel Lens from North Island Lighthouse
Kids at Maritime Museum
Georgetown County Museum features artifacts from all over the county, including a handwritten letter from General Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox. The Gullah Museum celebrates the Gullah culture of the western African people that were brought to our shores against their wills in the 1700 and 1800’s, and forged a shared culture that shaped the landscape, food and language of the Lowcountry.
Kaminsky House Museum
The Kaminski House Museum, dating from 1765, features an extraordinary collection of European and American antiques, along with a glimpse into the history of Georgetown.
Georgetown’s National Register Historic District along the harbor is home to over 63 structures over 200 years old. You can pick up a historic walking map for a do-it-yourself tour or jump on the Swamp Fox tour trolley and enjoy an hour long narrated excursion through the oak-lined streets. You’ll be regaled with almost 300 years of history and may even hear a ghost story or two. Love ghost stories? Ask at the Visitors Center about one of our local lantern-led evening ghost tours!
Make sure you plan to spend several days in our harbor. You will need that much time to experience all the sites and sample all the amazing restaurants within a few steps of the water. Many Thursday evenings you can also enjoy free concerts in Francis Marion Park, right on the Harborwalk. One thing we can guarantee, you’ll leave a visit to Georgetown having made new friends and planning your return trip.
Charleston City Marina is welcoming its transient guests with a free Happy Hour on the Megadock Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings with live music on Thursdays beginning in May. Charleston City Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is located along the Ashley River’s northeastern banks, northeast of marker #5.
Fran is expressing exactly the frustration that we are experiencing here in Charleston. More and more development on our coastal islands is underway without adequate supporting construction of roadways and bridges to accommodate the resulting increase in vehicle traffic. Until planners either wake up to the downside of rampant development, drivers and boaters alike are going to continue to suffer long waits during rush hours or in emergency evacuations. SSECN asks, that as you confront fewer and fewer bridge openings, please be patient! Rarely is delayed vessel travel as dangerous as miles of backed up idling vehicles. And DO NOT yell at the Bridge Tender! It is NOT their fault. If you want to yell at someone, yell at the developers and city planners! Fran is responding to an earlier comments on Ladys Island Bridge in Beaufort, SC.
I live on Lady’s Island and work in Burton. If anyone traveling from Beaufort to Lady’s Island or the outer Islands thinks there is NOT a traffic problem when this bridge opens and closes, they are delusional. I’ve lived at my residence since 1976. The growth on the Lady’s Island side is enormous and once the Wal-Mart is built, it will be a nightmare. It [congestion] already is when the Woods Bridge breaks down. The McTeer Bridge is not adequate to accommodate traffic to or from Lady’s Island, St. Helena, Fripp Island, etc. The only solution to this issue is to build another bridge or limit the bridge openings. Traffic backs up well beyond Bellamy Curve during rush hours in the evening. I can’t even imagine what traffic is going to be like should a hurricane head to Beaufort. Well, actually I can. During Hurricane Fred it took two hours to get from Lady’s Island to the National Cemetary on Boundary… and 11 hours to get to Atlanta. People will need to evacuate Beaufort a week in advance of hurricane at the rate the population of Beaufort is growing on the Lady’s Island side. Fran H
Having driven in the area, too, I certainly agree that the bridge is a major bottleneck for road traffic. But it’s equally a nightmare for water traffic. I remain amazed that a fixed bridge hasn’t replaced the swing bridge. I understand that finding a suitable site, that doesn’t harm Beaufort and the community on Ladys Island will be a challenge. Nonetheless, it’s something South Carolina should have done years ago.
In the meantime, we will continue to avoid the area, which currently effectively blocks the AICW rather than find a solution that serves land and water traffic.
As Claiborne would have said, news of good food is always welcome! So we thank Bob and Susan Crenshaw for these good words for a new Georgetown restaurant, especially as this lovely port is recovering from a devastating fire in 2013 that destroyed a number of waterfront cafes. Harborwalk Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is the northwesternmost marina on the downtown Georgetown/Sampit River waterfront.
Cruising News Great new restaurant in Georgetown DiAngelo’s We just had a wonderful dining experience at DiAngelo’s on 929 Front street in Georgetown. We had opportunity to meet the owner, Pat DiAngelo and his wife Debbie. Also the chef, Tony came out and introduced himself. A.J. was our server. Wonderful home made Italian food that was fantastic. Chef Tony prepared us a sample of his yet unnamed dumpling gnocchi dish that was fantastic. Then to top off the nite he brought us some samples of Zeppoli, an Italian doughnut that melted in your mouth. These are wonderful people who need to be supported to make their business successful. The owner, Pat, was very gracious and appreciative of his customers. We cannot recommend a better dining experience than one we had. The kicker is that Chris, Dockmaster at Harbourwalk recommend we try them out. You will not be disappointed. Bob & Susan Crenshaw Carolina Girl
This Problem Stretch is perennially the source of shallow water reports and over the years we have received numerous complaints of skinny depths in this narrow Waterway channel, from south of the intersection with Jeremy Creek and McClellanville to Statute Mile 435. As always, SSECN recommends mid to high tide passage if you draw 5ft or more! Our thanks to Captain Bob Crenshaw for this onsite report.
Cruising News Extremely low water at SM 430 between 430 and SM 432 at Jeremy Creek We were coming north in our 42 trawler with 4 foot draft and encounter extreme low water with ranges from 4 to 6 feet. This occurred between SM 430 and 432 at Jeremy Creek near McClellanville. We had to monitor depth finder and pull back to idle speed as we mover thru the low water. This occurred at two hours before low tide. It was extremely nerve racking trying to find the deep water. When we arrived at our destination at Georgetown we were told,that two boats that had planned to stay at Georgetown had called in and said they had gotten aground in this area and had to wait for tide to come back. We are unable to provide safe path in this area except monitor depth finder and try to search out low water. Carolina Girl 42 Trawler Captain Bob Crenshaw
Located on the western shore of the Stono River just south of the Waterway’s passage out the western/southern mouth of Wappoo Creek – Elliot Cut, and only a very short cruise from Charleston Harbor, St. Johns Yacht Harbor is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! By boat or by car, it is worth a trip just to see these beautiful facilities with probably the nicest Captains’ Lounge and Clubhouse on the east coast!
Very nice, clean facility. Friendly and helpful staff. Convenient location. Grocery, drug stores and restaurants close by with courtesy car provided. Current can be tricky when tide is running,, but staff will assist with lines when docking. Will stop here again and recommend it highly to others. Capt Jack B-H and 1st mate Steve O. Aboard the trawler “Whatever”
Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort and Marina overlooks the Waterway’s southwestern shoreline opposite marker #20, north of Calibogue Sound.
Hey all I stopped for 3 days due to sickness and Jack and Bourbon were both friendly and they checked in on me regularly. If your looking for good food and a good nights sleep give them a try. The restaurant was pricey but the food is great and the ladies will go the extra mile. I was so sick and the restaurant gave me a big bowl of soup and would not take a penny. If you stop make sure you have a biscuit for Bourbon, Jack’s Labrador and give him a hug from me. Before you leave don’t forget to top off your tanks as the fuel is the lowest price around. M&M’s Delite
This article by Prentiss Findlay in Charleston’s Post and Courier is a second follow up to his earlier piece on much needed dredging in the Problem Stretch at Isle of Palms area of the Waterway, /?p=150352. As before, SSECN recommends SLOW passage at mid to high tide.
Inland Waterway at Breach Inlet to get long-awaited dredging Prentiss Findlay Prentiss Findlay Email Facebook @prentissfindlay Nov 13 2015 12:26 pm Nov 13 4:50 pm The Intracoastal Waterway at Breach Inlet will be dredged to improve navigation. Dredging of the dangerously shallow Intracoastal Waterway at Breach Inlet between Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms begins this week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. `It’s long overdue,’ said Charleston County Councilman Dickie Schweers. The county contributed $500,000 to the nearly $3 million effort which includes work in McClellanville to dredge a waterway channel for fishing trawlers. Some $2.4 million in federal funds has been authorized for both projects. `This project is a prime example of how collaboration between federal and non-federal partners for dredging can lead to increased waterway maintenance,’ said Brad Pickel, executive director of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association. The waterway at Breach Inlet is almost dry at low tide because of shoaling, a condition in which sand builds up and blocks the channel. The authorized channel depth is 12 feet and the width is 90 feet. Waterway dredging at the inlet will last about a week, said Glenn Jeffries, Corps spokeswoman. Mile-long Jeremy Creek in McClellanville, which is part of the waterway, will be dredged starting in mid-January, Jeffries said. `This schedule is tentative. Weather and machinery have a lot to do with a dredging schedule. But we will start in Breach Inlet for sure,’ she said. The last substantial funding the Army Corps received for waterway dredging was in 2009 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Waterway conditions at Breach Inlet at low tide have been blamed for boating injuries. `There’s just been a huge safety issue out there,’ said IOP City Administrator Linda Tucker.
A Mount Pleasant woman was seriously injured in a 2013 boating accident blamed on the shallow waterway. She was traveling in a 44-foot trawler drawing 3 feet 10 inches of water that hit bottom. The impact caused her to fall. Doctors determined she had a fractured vertebrae, a concussion and a broken rib. She spent two nights in the hospital, officials said. IOP Marina and Charleston City Marina lose customers because recreational vessels often go offshore to avoid the waterway here, said IOP Mayor Dick Cronin. `They just basically have bypassed our marina and the city marina to a large extent,’ he said. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s office was instrumental in getting funds for the dredging, Cronin said. `We had appealed to everybody and their brother,’ he said. In McClellanville, Jeremy Creek is the route to two seafood processing plants. But it has become a muddy mess that idles trawlers for long stretches of the day, said Mayor Rutledge Leland. `It’s getting worse and worse. Every time you see a boat moving anywhere from half-tide on down there’s mud boiling up behind it,’ he said. After dredging, the creek will be eight feet deep at low tide, he said. `That should help for a couple or three years anyway. It will start silting immediately. We’ll have to start arguing and lobbying and begging almost as soon as they get through but that’s the way it works to get ourselves into the next budget,’ he said. The creek was created from mud flats as part of the original waterway project, he said. Some states, such as Florida and North Carolina, have dedicated funding for waterway maintenance. The Florida Inland Navigation District collects about $20 million annually to pay for waterway maintenance in 12 counties. North Carolina funds waterway maintenance through boater registration fees and the gas tax.
Intracoastal Yacht Sales, a long-time SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, offers full service brokerage representation from three locations, Wrightsville Beach, NC, Little River, SC and Charleston, SC.
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Ladys Island Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, continues making improvements in the marina portion of this property under the direction of owner, Kelly Ryan, as confirmed by the positive comments SSECN has received. Ladys Island Marina is located on Factory Creek just east of Ladys Island Bridge.
Ladys Island Marina Arrived to a rousing welcome of “welcome home”. As you recall we were here last spring for a month. What a wonderful place. All needs are close and everyone here is very friendly. Shopping area for projects and lots of eateries very close. Love this place. Phil and Sandy Herl
This good advice was forwarded to us by Hank Pomeranz at Carolina Yacht Care of Southport Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! Skipper Wehmer has been communicating with Hank about Problem Stretches he had encountered. Funding for dredging the Problem Stretch north of Ben Sawyer Bridge has been approved but has not yet begun. See /?p=149544. SSECN continues to recommend mid to high tide passage for this stretch.
Hank, From connector bridge to Ben Sawyer: Favoring the red side found more water as suggested. At G117A and B a sailboat in front of us drawing 6.5′ went aground staying to the far red side. They had approx. 1.5′ of tide. They radioed us and suggested to stay 40′ off of those buoys, which we did and had about 8′ MLW. For the balance of the passage, the notes you provided were good. If you draw 6 feet or over, we recommend waiting until there is at least 3′ of tide before making the trip, however, other than grounding next to 117A, the boat in front of us made it through with 1.5-2′ of tide. We are going to try to go outside from here to Fernandina, but if we do not, I’ll send you what we find. Bill Wehmer S/V Island Bound
This good advice was forwarded to us by Hank Pomeranz at Carolina Yacht Care of Southport Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! Skipper Wehmer has been communicating with Hank about Problem Stretches he had encountered. Funding for dredging between the IOP Connector and the Ben Sawyer Bridge has been approved and one can only hope that the Isle of Palms Problem Stretch will also be dredged. See /?p=149544. SSECN continues to recommend a high tide passage for this stretch.
Hank, We transited from Isle of Palms to Charleston yesterday. The stretch between IOP marina and the IOP connector bridge: Stay in middle as suggested. We strayed right of center to see how depths were and it shallows very quickly from center. Lowest spot we saw was about 50 yards before the bridge at 3.4 MLW in the middle of the channel. Otherwise we saw 7-10′ MLW.
We are going to try to go outside from here [Charleston] to Fernandina, but if we do not, I’ll send you what we find. Bill Wehmer S/V Island Bound
The Harborage at Ashley Marina lies along the northeastern shores of Ashley River (on the Charleston peninsula), between the charted 56 foot fixed bridge, and the 18-foot Highway 17 bascule bridge.
Ashley Marina Arrived at Ashley on Sunday 10/11/15, the tide was still rather strong and we had a small problem trying to get docked but we did get docked. Monday. We wanted to see as much as we could, so we hit the Visitor Center first and then walked across the street to the Carolina History Museum. Spent about 4 hours in all. Both are very good and would highly recommend both for any visit. Tuesday. We hopped on one of the free trolleys that are about 20 min walk from the marina and again went down to the Visitors Center, changed trolleys and traveled to Market Street. Again this was more than we realized it would be. We ended up spending almost 3 hours there and then walked down three blocks to Sticky Fingers for a big batch of ribs, corn on the cob, baked beans and drinks, Wow. Very very good, so good we decided to walk some more. On the way we were asked to be shown a Methodist church that is the oldest Methodist congregation in Charleston. That was an unexpected pleasure. John guided us hrough the entire church, including areas we don’t usually get to see. We continued our walk and ended up walking all the way back to the boat, boy were we pooped. Wednesday, we took the city tour and then the Fort Sumter tour with the boat ride. We have been told you could take your own boat out to the fort but after looking at the docking at the fort and the current I would suggest you just take the tour. It’s simpler, you don’t have to move your boat and above all it is safer. Sunday after boat shores day and a trip to the drug store we are heading to Ladies Island. Phil and Sandy Herl
This report on the Waterway from Oriental, NC to Beaufort, SC comes from longtime Cruisers’ Net Special Correspondent, Captain Jane Tigar. Note especially her observation about reduced bridge clearances. Over the last several years, Ladys Island Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, has been undergoing big improvements in the marina portion of this property under the direction of owner, Kelly Ryan, as confirmed by the positive comments SSECN has received. Ladys Island Marina is located on Factory Creek just east of Ladys Island Bridge.
Hello Larry From Michael Tigar and Captain Jane, now on M/V Tara We went from Oriental to South Harbour Village and then from SHV to Ladies’ Island Marina (Beaufort, SC) in these past two weeks. We did not see any debris other than a large floating log in the Waccamaw — but those show up there at other times. The rivers are higher than normal, and boaters should indeed watch the effect of wakes on homes and docks. The higher than normal tides in Charleston and on South to the Coosaw meant that bridge clearances were less than optimal. The McKinley Bridge, MM 501.3, showed only 61.5 feet as we passed, and two large catamarans were waiting for the tide to go down. All in all, a good trip. Second item — Hertz in Beaufort SC will deliver a car to Ladies’ Island Marina if you give them notice and it is during their regular hours (before 5pm). “Yes Indeed Thai” restaurant on Boundary Street was a really good place to eat. Best Michael and Captain Jane
As in an earlier posting from Beaufort, SC, where onshore properties are being damaged by passing wakes (/?p=153100), residents in the area of the Socastee Bridge are asking for No Wake! SLOW DOWN and help these folks recover!!
Winston, FYI. The Coast Guard, SCDNR and local agencies are safe guarding the lower ICW near Socastee Bridge. Homes have flooded and wakes are getting into them from boaters. I couldn’t find anything online, but thought you might have heard something. I did find this in the Sun News of Myrtle Beach.
We have friends who own a home directly on the ICW a quarter of a mile north of the Socastee Swing Bridge. Not only are people in boats creating large wakes that damage the homes and properties, some people are using boats to loot the properties.
I’ll leave out what I personally think of anyone who would take advantage of someone’s misfortune by stealing from them, but those who must be on the water for a legitimate reason really should travel at no-wake speed whenever they come near homes and businesses.
Good news about so little debris in the Waterway. Let’s hope it stays that way. Harborwalk Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! is the northwesternmost marina on the downtown Georgetown/Sampit River waterfront.
Harborwalk Marina Left Osprey and headed down the ICW, water was extremely high, up to 4 or 5 ft above normal high tide. Surprisingly we did not run into a lot of debris on way to Georgetown, just took it slow and watched for any objects on the water. No problems at all. Again Georgetown is a good place to stop. All the shops are within walking distance and all are interesting to visit, not to mention all the good food. The crew here at Harborwalk as always are great. Phil and Sandy Herl
With the current weather conditions, this is almost adding insult to injury to Waterway cruisers. HOWEVER, high water wake damage can be severe, not only to docks, but to onshore buildings as well. So slow down in those populus docked areas along the Waterway. A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!, Downtown Marina is located north of AICW marker #239, a short distance west of the Lady’s Island swing bridge, in the heart of downtown Beaufort.
Beaufort, SC Writing No Wake Tickets Be careful passing Beaufort, SC downtown docks. The police have a patrol boat tied up hidden in the marina and they are issuing no wake tickets to boaters. Dave Bell
The no wake zone that extends from Beaufort Marina South to the next bridge has been extended by two more no wake signs about a mile further South. The Beaufort no wake zone is already ridiculous but these new markers are at least half a mile from shore with no docks, wharfs or piers visible. What is the legality of these markers?
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