Georgia and South Carolina coastline.

[hsi88]

Where's the hate? He said they had Great BBQ ! You take the good with the bad.

[puffcard]

When we come back from the Bahamas we usually go in at Charleston SC, a great city to visit and try to miss Fla & Georgia. The ICW North of Georgetown SC is the prettiest stretch of the whole ICW, anchoring in the Waccamaw National Refuge is always a treat, almost magical. Georgetown has great seafood market, get a pound of shrimp & seafood at Independent Seafood and boil them up. Also check out the shrimp & grits at Thomas Cafe, the very best. In Southport. SC check out the seafood at the Provision Co., who has a free dock. Then shoot over to Bald Head Island and rent a golf cart, no cars allowed. Georgia and SC has a ton of anchorages, but you need to plan them more carefully as you get further north.

The bad, bugs, current, shoals, and that nasty mustard based Bar-BQ. The best tip anyone can give you is don't even try to move on the weekends. You'll be in such a bad attitude by the end of the day, from all the Yahoos and their open console boats buzzing you.

I like most of the people on the water thru there, very helpful.

[Larry Florida]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Meh, anyone educated knows that there is absolutely nothing about my post that even remotely constitutes Hate Speech since racist, homophobic, and/or bigoted rednecks are not a protected group.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech

As far as putting it too strongly, how do you suggest I calm it down a bit?

I am just asking because I call them like I see them and don't know a "nicer" way to put it. I lived in Georgia for a year, I met a lot of these types of people. More in a year than I ever met in my entire life prior. I can only assume anyone who has lived there and doesn't think it is all that bad is probably a white male.

Sometimes people find what they are looking for. Most of the time in fact.

[CaptsWife]

Originally Posted by Guy

How would you rate this coast compared to that from San Fran to Florida, via the canal?
There really has not been that much friendly coastline so far. Either bad guy's or rocks, coral or a barren shore. Panama and Belize, the Rio in Guatemala are good in places but otherwise you had to be on your toes. We are looking to cruise relaxed and anchor a lot.

Cruise or sail? I guess it depends on your definition. I think of cruising as going place to place. Sailing could be anything. Point A to Point B and back. Over and over.

We live in Coastal GA. We day sail any chance we get. We are almost the only people with a sailboat in Morningstar Marina and Brunswick Landing Marina that actually take our boat out of the slip, motor/sail out the shipping channel, and SAIL! And it's fantastic!!!

There is a spot to anchor, just west of Morningstar, which is just west of Frederica Yacht Club that is being rebuilt after Hermine.

I have no reference to compare to any other place. This is my world (to date).

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by Larry Florida

Sometimes people find what they are looking for. Most of the time in fact.

Wow! What a perspicacious comment. You deserve a cookie!

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by WillyTheRat

What an offensive hate-filled reply. I thought this type of hate-speech was forbidden on this forum.

A bit of an over reaction I would say. I didn't think he was that far off-base. I am having a problem understanding why the OP is saying not many friendly people from San Francisco to Florida?? Maybe I am misunderstanding the OP, or it might be saying more about him than the issue. I have found friendly people everywhere.

[Larry Florida]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Wow! What a perspicacious comment. You deserve a cookie!

Juvenile

[a64pilot]

Cmon guys, play nice.
By calm it down I meant that you can get your point across, without being so blunt and offensive.
If you don't like it here, leave. Why stay and put yourself though that day after day?
Myself I do not like overcrowded massive Urban cities, so I don't go to any. Lots of foods I won't either.

[sailorboy1]

I'm still waiting for recommendations for coastal places to see in GA/SC. Hopefully ones that don't require a 4+ hour trip in/out.

[Hudson Force]

Here are a few of my views of South Carolina and Georgia anchorages:


Sawpit Creek, SC


Frederica River, Ga.


Bald Eagle, Altamaha River, Ga


Doboy Sound, Ga


McClellenville, SC


Edisto River anchorage, SC

We've always enjoyed the South Carolina and Georgia coasts.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I'm still waiting for recommendations for coastal places to see in GA/SC. Hopefully ones that don't require a 4+ hour trip in/out.

Our highlights to visit are not the towns, but the wilderness areas; however if your looking for ports and not anchorages, the best places in our opinion are
Charleston and Georgetown, South Carolina.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Cmon guys, play nice.
By calm it down I meant that you can get your point across, without being so blunt and offensive.
If you don't like it here, leave. Why stay and put yourself though that day after day?
Myself I do not like overcrowded massive Urban cities, so I don't go to any. Lots of foods I won't either.

I am not trying to be obstinate. If you have alternate language for describing the type of people I described without being so blunt and apparently offensive, I am all ears. I mean that sincerely but have to say the irony of having to tip toe around the sensitivities of these people so as to not offend them is not lost on me. Gotta laugh at that one.

As far as the suggestion that because I somehow went looking for these type of people and that is why I found them? Besides being completely conjectural, it utterly ridiculous. It's a culture and it's pervasive to the point of being unavoidable to anyone who spends any amount of time there. In my place of employment disparaging comments against different races or religions were common enough as to be routine. I had an aquaintence outside of work who suffered violence because of his sexuality. These people can be found everywhere but denying this mindset is prevailant in the south is asinine.

Regarding cruising the Georgia coast, as someone who lived there for a year and LEFT because he didn't care for it much, I am happy to add to what has already been said.

Most all of the marinas are located on the ICWW which means you have to travel miles up and down winding rivers to get to the sea, once you get there you have to travel miles offshore to get to deep enough water to go sailing, meanwhile there is significant tidal current that needs to be planned around. If you have no schedule, no problem I guess.

We were in Savannah for a while and would have to travel two hours in one direction to get to a stretch of river big and wide and deep enough to tack back and forth for a while or we could travel three hours in the other direction and get to a neat spot at the south end of Wassaw Island where we could anchor and dink ashore and go to a very pretty beach on the ocean side. As has been said, it isn't very sailing friendly country. At least the botttoms are mostly sand or mud which is good. If you spend enough time there you will touch the bottom.

True, the golden isles are largely undeveloped and the Low Country itself is quite beautiful. I love the ancient live oaks draped with Spanish moss and the view across the marshes can be captivating. There is an abundance of birds and dolphins can be found swimming in the creeks where they herd fish into the shallows, a behavior I have heard is unique to the area.

This natural beauty comes at a price however, it is wicked wicked hot and humid from about the beginning of May to end of September and if you enjoy nature you won't be seeing much of it from you air conditioned cabin. If you do venture outside in the early morning or early evening when the temperatures are tolerable you can expect to be met with an onslaught of sand flies, just about the most evil insects I have ever encountered.

There is great BBQ to be found here and there and if you like Mac-n-cheese you'll be happy to know it's considered a vegetable in the south. The Low Country Boil was my favorite regional dish followed by steamed oysters even though the ones I had came from up north. Plenty of fried food available if you like that kind of thing, it is the south you know.

In summation, I think the Georgia coast is worth a visit at least once. It's what you make of it but as a64pilot has said most people from the north heading south avoid it, there's a few reasons why.

[Geek_Guy]

On to the question....

Cumberland Island is wonderful. Wild horses, and miles and miles of unspoiled beach and natural coastal habitat. You can anchor in the river just North of the Northernmost dock. Which is all that is usable after Matthew.

Jekyll Island is fun. Has the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, which was founded as a hunting club by the Morgans, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts in 1887.

St Simons and Sea Island are charming and definitely worth a visit. The Cloister is there where the G8 was held a few years ago.

Savannah is a very cool place. Wonderful food and spooky old architecture.

Most of the rest of that stretch is rural. There are charming places. But much is dependent on your desires. There are hundreds of deep creeks that you can duck around a bend and safely anchor. The salt marsh is beautiful.

The heat.....oh yeah.

The people. Mmmmmmm Is there some red neck there? Absolutely, but it isn't all bad. If you want to enjoy the people you'll need to keep your bias and judgmental attitudes at bay. There is also a gentle side with humor that is charming.

[laika]

I loved the ICW thru SC and GA. Georgetown and Charleston are great, and also the small towns that few outsiders ever get to. A real taste of Americana in my mind. Met some really nice people, very little was overtly negative in any way. Had the best, freshest shrimp anywhere. The little backwaters are endless and beautiful.

On the flipside, progress on the ICW itself can be maddening..finding yourself bucking a 3 kt current in the opposite direction of intended travel as you wind around the bends and stretches of the canal. Waiting for the tides to get over the shallow bits. Bugs as was said can be terrible.

Tons of great little anchorages to poke around in.

Worth at least one go for sure!

[jwing]

Originally Posted by Delancey

...the irony of having to tip toe around the sensitivities of these people so as to not offend them is not lost on me. Gotta laugh at that one...

I've been in the southern US for 12 years. Everything that Delancy has written here is true to my experience, except the excerpt above. After a while, Southerners' hypersensitivities and persecution complexes transform from humorous to wearisome.

Fortunately, there's enough people in the South who don't take themselves and the regional pettiness seriously. However, one must make an effort to seek them out. They stay below the radar.