Georgia Inlets

[jcmcdowell]

I have a CSY 33 with 5'5" to the waterline and we keep her between the St. Simons Inlet and the Sapelo Island Inlet. Because of the Georgia Bowl effect we get 6' plus tide changes. Unlike many parts of Florida with less tidal change, this is significant in planning your travel up and down the ICW.

The St. Simons Inlet is a LONG inlet. It is well marked and deep due to the freighter traffic that comes in to Brunswick. Brunswick Landing Marina is a good marina with a not so good boatyard (imho). Golden Isles Marina is expensive but closer and is newly renovated with a restaurant ($$).

I would not advise the Cumberland Island inlet on the south side of Jekyll. The shrimpers drag net and shoal the inlet and on anything of a falling tide past the second hour to the last three hours of a rising tide it can be quite exciting.

the ICW around Jekyll can get very skinny. It is all mud so there is no real danger except if your out of bug spray or cold drinks to wait out the tide. Jekyll has a nice little marina by the causeway. Once again, it would be easiest to hit it on the last to hours of the rising tide to the first two hours of the falling tide.

Going north on the ICW, there is one area called MUD CUT, just past Little Egg Island and inside Wolf Island that gets skinny at low tide.

The inlet by Sapelo Island is excellent and just inside the inlet is some excellent anchorages just to the South by Queens Island and Commodore Island.

From that point North the ICW is pretty straight forward. If you can spend the time- it is beautiful and fish a plenty.

Coming in the long inlets plan on about 2-3 hours (at 5 kn)- just for the inlet! Best to motor or motor sail and follow the markers!