Absentee anchoring/storage on the ICW?

[Cormorant]

We're in the planning stages of bringing a 40' sailboat down the ICW for the first time. We're hoping to leave Maine in late September before the weather gets too cold, and get to North Carolina or South Carolina in early October, then leave the boat there for a couple of months before returning in December to head on down to Florida and the Bahamas.

What's the most economical way to store a boat anywhere along there for a couple of months? Does anyone ever anchor in a safe place and go away? (Worrisome!) Are there any reasonably priced mooring fields? Rent dockage behind someone's house? Haulout and dry storage at a boatyard?

Thanks for any advice!

[Capt. Greg]

Folly Beach, SC is about eight miles off the icw. Mariner's Cay Marina is a private marina, though most slip owners rent out their slips. Probabably the best rates in the area. You'll want to enter the Folly River at mid tide rising..Marine Propulsion, located in Rockville,SC. a few miles of the icw, can haul out and store. Might not be good for your bottom paint and you'll need to clean your boat well afterwards...Speaking of bottom paint, if you leave your boat in the water in SC for a few weeks or more, be sure to have a diver scrape your bottom before resuming your travels. The water is nutrient rich and bottom growth is fast..

[Cormorant]

Originally Posted by Capt. Greg

Folly Beach, SC is about eight miles off the icw. Mariner's Cay Marina is a private marina, though most slip owners rent out their slips. Probabably the best rates in the area. You'll want to enter the Folly River at mid tide rising..Marine Propulsion, located in Rockville,SC. a few miles of the icw, can haul out and store. Might not be good for your bottom paint and you'll need to clean your boat well afterwards...Speaking of bottom paint, if you leave your boat in the water in SC for a few weeks or more, be sure to have a diver scrape your bottom before resuming your travels. The water is nutrient rich and bottom growth is fast..

Perfect. Thanks!