I must admit that I’ve never had the good fortune to go ashore at Sapeli Island, but after reading Captain Thomason’s account below, it certainly sounds worth the effort.

I don’t have the benefit of having your new SC/GA Guide but if you haven’t included it already, you might share some information about visiting Sapelo Island. In order to visit, one must have a legitimate reason such as going on a tour, knowing someone on the island, being a guest of the Marine Institute etc. There are regularly scheduled tours through the Sapelo Island Visitors Center (tel: 912-437-3224) but they are only once or twice a week and one must take the ferry to get to the island ($10 for the ferry- don’t know if there’s a charge for the tour). However, the Visitor’s Center will provide names and numbers for some local guides who for fees ranging from $15 to $50 per person, will meet boaters at Marsh Landing and take them on a tour. Big boats can’t be brought to the dock, but it is OK to tie up a dinghy there and anchor the big boat in the Duplin River. We have arranged for a tour tomorrow for $25 per person (a reasonable fee for a three hour or so tour and it gives work to local residents) and will let you know how it goes. The ferry schedule can be found on line at http://www.sapeloislandgeorgia.org/ferry.html . It leaves from Meridian near the visitor’s center.
There is lots of other information on line about what to see; just google Sapelo Island, GA.
We have anchored on the Duplin River before, usually next to the higher ground of Little Sapelo Island but this time we are just north of the ferry dock. There is little breeze and lots of no-see-ums!
That’s it for today. Coming up is the Little Mud River so I’ll give you an update on that later (we won’t do that at low tide- been there, done that!
Jean Thomason (DOVEKIE)

To continue our report on visiting Sapelo Island. We had a good tour with Fran Drayton who lives on the island in Hog Hammock. She picked us and five others (who came on the ferry) up in her van. There was no problem with leaving our dinghy at the small floating dock at Marsh Landing. The tours run by the DNR are Wednesdays and Saturdays and definitely require advanced reservation through the Visitor’s Center and one must take the ferry from Meridian. I asked the DNR guide if there was any place to anchor a boat near the ferry dock in Meridian – he thought not, but mentioned a marina near there where one could dock. The Visitor’s Center would probably know. In the afternoon we took the dinghy up Barn Creek to Post Office Creek where the community dock is. If one had a local contact on the island, this might be another place to leave a dinghy.
All for now-
Jean Thomason, DOVEKIE

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Georgia Anchorage Directory Listing For Duplin River