Reviews from Janeen Axtell (19)

Anchorage Review for Beaufort - Downtown

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Nov 18, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

This is one of our favorite anchorages. The holding is very good in mud and the current flow is not very strong. Due to the amount of boat traffic through the ICW in that location you do get waked but the boats are not moving very fast. The attraction, of course, is the city of Beaufort with two free docks for dinghy use, restaurants, bars, gift shops, tours, history etc... Beaufort is a very pet friendly city as well. There is a mooring field, run by the marina but anchoring is just as pleasant and more economical for us cruisers on a budget! Come for a night and give it a try. You might decide to stay longer.

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Anchorage Review for Steamboat Creek

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Nov 18, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

We stayed two nights here due to weather. There is a decent current with the tide so make sure you set out proper rode so your boat can rotate positions with the current and the anchor continues to hold fast in the muddy bottom. It is a beautiful location and very peaceful with waterfowl to keep you company. There is no shore access with marsh grass on either side. It is a wide location so there is plenty of room for boats although we were alone the second night. I would anchor there again.

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Marina Review for St. Johns Yacht Harbor

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Nov 13, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Our second extended stay with St. Johns Yacht Harbor has been as good or better than our first. The staff is excellent, helpful, friendly and willing to help in any manner possible. The bath house rivals most country clubs for cleanliness. A laundry is available but we did not use it. They have a free courtesy car that you can reserve for free. WalMart, West Marine, Lowes and all kinds of eating establishments are conveniently located a few miles away. Appearance and "freshness" is important to St Johns as shown by the amount of powerwashing, hosing off, and painting that goes on during the slower times. St Johns is upgrading with plans to add a fuel dock out on the river. The city of Charleston is a dinghy ride down Eliott's Cut with The Crab Shack half way down. The tidal current tends to be strong and larger boats are encouraged to come in at slack tide or tie up on the T-head and wait for a more convenient (and safer) tide. Lastly, although closed for the colder season, St Johns offers a beautiful pool to swim in or lounge around. If you are in the area, give St. John's a try. Don't forget to scratch Bo and Cooper, the marina dogs, a scratch behind the ears!!!

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Marina Review for Cooper River Marina

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Oct 13, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Cooper River Marina is a nice place to stop. The staff is very friendly and helpful. It is a gated marina and slip renters are given a key fob that unlocks the gates. The restroom/bathhouse are very nice. Be aware that the marina is adjacent to the Port of Charleston and large container ships put off wakes which rock your boat if you are slipped on the outside. There are no restaurants or services near the marina and it is a long walk out of the marina if you are heading out to meet an UBER. Speaking of UBER, Google maps, which UBER drivers depend on, has trouble routing drivers to the Marina.

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Marina Review for Seabreeze Marina

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Oct 13, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Seabreeze Marina is a relatively new marina with nice floating docks and a friendly staff. There is a great bar and grill connected to the marina and a short walk away. The only thing I would improve is adding padding to the fuel dock.

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Anchorage Review for Minim Creek (East Side)

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Oct 11, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

We had an anxious night, not due to the anchorage, but due to the high winds and spitting wind which came up after dark, which were the outer bands of Hurricane Milton. We didn't anticipate the bad weather. Due to the current and the wind we danced on the anchor and had to relocate and reset the anchor in the dark twice. once set properly the hold was solid despite the current and high winds. Until the bad weather we had a beautiful evening and we were gifted of of the most beautiful sunsets ever where the entire shy turned orange. Marsh grass was on either side and there was no shore access. We shared the anchorage with one other vessel but we had plenty of room to ourselves. We would anchor there again and look forward to a better stay in better weather!

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Anchorage Review for Waccamaw River Oxbow G29

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Oct 9, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

This is a beautiful anchorage. We anchored behind the island away from the "Law enforcement only" mooring ball. The current swung us around the anchor with the tide but the anchor held fast and the chain never stretched very far. It is a very quiet area with the exception of small fishing boats periodically racing by. This obviously quits not long after dark. There are woods all around and no shore access of any kind. I would definitely anchor here again.

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Anchorage Review for Georgetown - Steelmill Channel

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Sep 22, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

As mentioned is previous reviews it is better to come in at high tide. The water is very skinny at low tide. We have a 4.5 foot draft and saw 6 feet depths but never touched bottom. Due to the mill, the scenic beauty was dependent on the direction that your boat swings on anchor. We did experience "the smell" which was annoying but did not make us sick or repulsed enough to move. The current was mild and our anchor held dutifully for multiple nights. Sadly, there are many derelict boats spoiling the way in to the anchorage which you have to weave around and keep in mind when setting the hook. Georgetown is a quaint little town with two free docks for day use and provided a nice place to tie your dinghy to when coming to town. There are restaurants, bars, shops, museums, parks, and a small boardwalk along the water. We walked the .5 miles to the Dollar General twice for provisions. The visitors as well as locals were wonderful. When you come don't forget to visit the free Maritime Museum (donations welcome) and eat at Rollin' Local which is a very popular eating establishment with indoor and outdoor seating. Also fun Buzz's Roost has an outdoor deck with a stage. They hosted live music Friday night which we listened to from our boat. The band was excellent by the way. Lastly, Georgetown is very pet friendly with waste stations and shops that put a bowl of water outside their door for pets to drink.

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Marina Review for Leland Oil Company

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell , Toes in the Water, on Sep 19, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Very cordial proprietor who needed to be called on the phone to purchase fuel. Cheapest fuel in the area with diesel and gasoline available. He offered to let us leave our boat at the dock and take us to a restaurant in town. We chose to cruise on but appreciated the offer. The water leading to the fuel dock was wide and deep enough to turn my 53' boat with 4.5' draft with ease.

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Anchorage Review for Awendaw Creek

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell, Toes in the Water, on Sep 19, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

This anchorage is a very desirable place to stay "on the hook". The sunrise is beautiful and sunset is magnificent. The dolphins play along the shoreline at all hours of the day. We anchored in 20' of water and holding was good in mud. The 6' tide and the strong current need to be considered when paying out anchor rode. Due to the proximity to the ocean we were buzzed by mostly small fishing boats heading out and returning. Both shorelines were marsh grass with no areas to go ashore.

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Marina Review for St. Johns Yacht Harbor

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell , Toes in the Water, on Sep 18, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 1853'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

This is a top notch Marina. We intended to stay for a night but ended up staying for a month due to a family matter. The bathhouse is large, air conditioned, and cleaner than 95% of those found in other marinas. They offer a coutesy car at no charge. The pool is large, clean, and available to slip renters. St. John's hosts a popular boat club. Consequently, there is a plethora of energetic dock hands cleaning up and tieing up club boats and are available to help with any task required for slip renters as well. All employees are helpful, cheerful, and a pleasure to be around. The ship store sells snacks, freezes (adult and virgin), hats and other typical ship store items on a non-cash basis. I asked management for a recommendation for a diver to clean my hull and I received an excellent one who went above and beyond to do a great job. Charleston is not far from St John's Yacht Harbor, reachable by dinghy. The floating docks are in great shape with no missing boards or screws. Each slip has a power pole which is lit for safety. Definitely stay with St. John's Yacht Harbor when in the area. You will not be sorry!

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Marina Review for The Marina at Edisto Beach

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell , Toes in the Water, on Aug 18, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

This marina is a lot of fun if you like activity. Jim put me in on the fuel dock (thank you Jim) due to the length of the boat. This was a prime location since we could see and hear the beer garden and live music from our flybridge. No dockhands were present to greet us and help tie our boat up so my wife and I were left to manage it ourselves. The current was strong and we put out 5 lines to secure our boat. The gentleman running the marina store was friendly and there was food, drink, and normal marina store stuff for purchase. Presley's Seafood, directly above the ship store, was very popular and the food was very good yet a tad pricey. Retirees beware. If you choose to share an entree, like we do, they will tack on a $7.00 split plate fee. The beach was within walking distance if you don't mind the exercise. If you are really motivated you can walk all the way up to the Atlantic Ocean.

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Anchorage Review for Ashepoo River - South Fenwick State Park

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell, Toes in the Water, on Aug 17, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Very tranquil anchorage. Only a handful of boats passed us during our one night stay. We anchored in the middle of the river between the crab pots and shallow water on one side and the free State Park dock on the other. We did not deploy our dingy and try out the free dock but it looked to be in good shape and very useable. No other boats were tied up to the dock the entire time we were there. I had trouble getting my anchor to catch a hold and when the current switched, due to the tide, my anchor let loose and we had to re-anchor in the middle of the night (thank you anchor alarm). It might be user error and your mileage may vary. The current seems strong as the tide comes and goes.

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Anchorage Review for Beaufort - Downtown

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell, Toes in the Water, on Aug 16, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

We tried to grab a mooring ball around 5 pm. The it was very windy and having never used a mooring before we failed and lost our boat hook in the process. Mooring field was pretty full. Many of the mooring ball leads looked worn. We gave up and anchored out behind and adjacent from the mooring field. There were a handful of other boats anchored out as well. Had to try several times to get the anchor to catch but it held tight for two nights. The trick was to increase the scope a little. We were not waked very many times by passing boats and we felt safe and secure. The area was quiet at night. Access to beautiful Beaufort was via a public free dock at the Marina which is in great shape and very nice. Beaufort is a must see with shops, restaurants, historical houses, and a rich history. The city is walkable or you can rent bikes or take a golf cart tour.

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Marina Review for Thunderbolt Marine

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell , Toes in the Water, on Aug 15, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

We stayed with Thunderbolt Marina one night until our boat could be hauled out and put on the hard so that the yard could have the props reconditioned. Keith and Glenn in the yard were excellent to work with and the props were worked quickly and the communication was good. We had to move off the boat, of course, while she was on the hard. We had some strange electrical issues while plugged in to 50A power while on the hard so you might watch that. Once a tropical depression moved through town we launched again and we stayed with Thunderbolt Marina a couple of nights. Mark, Greg, and Jeremy were excellent dockmasters and helped in any way possible (Jeremy even carried out my trash.) I had one docking in wind and current and Greg was excellent at guiding my first mate with the rope work. There is a courtesy car for provisioning. We did Uber into downtown Savannah a few times. Fares were $30-$40. Great restaurants are 1/2 mile up the road and very walkable unless it is scorching hot. Be aware that there is a compulsory charge for a pump out. Also, there may be a charge if you bring in an outside contractor to perform work on your boat. This will not be an issue if you coordinate with the yard first. Their mechanics seem to be very good and can handle pretty much everything you need. There are laundry facilities and nice restrooms and showers. They also have screened-in as well as outdoor areas to sit and relax. All in all Thunderbolt Marina is a great place, has a great staff, at a reasonable price to have work done or stay for a while around Savannah.

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Anchorage Review for Broad Creek - G19

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell, Toes in the Water, on Aug 15, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Prime dolphin sighting area. Limited privacy due to numerous dolphin excursion boats and kayak gaggles all around our boat during the active times for the dolphins. We were treated to a wonderful fireworks show performed every Tuesday night all summer around Shelter Cove. Good holding in mud in 15-20' water. Anchor caught first time and held during our entire 1 night stay. Tide current was mild. Water became very shallow quickly towards the shore. Be aware of the abandoned submerged boats in the area. We did not need to launch the dingy and go to shore during our stay. Broad Creek is a no discharge zone for those with an electroSan system so we used our holding tank. Starlink WiFi worked well in the area.

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Anchorage Review for Herb River

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on Aug 12, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

We spent 2 nights in Herb Creek. There is a strong current as the tide goes in and out, and not much wind protection. However, our anchor held well in 15-20 ft of water and came up with only a small amount of mud. Up the creek from where we anchored there are several neighborhoods. We were there over the weekend and had quite a bit of boat traffic in and out of the area. Had we anchored a little closer to the "No Wake Zone" we would have had less boat chop. We enjoyed the dolphins playing around the boat and watching the birds diving for fish.

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Marina Review for St. Marys Intracoastal Gateway Marina

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on May 29, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Great service by dock master Collin and dock hand David. Collin contacted us through Nebo. The marina has brand new floating docks and David took us on a tour of historic St. Marys in his golf cart. We received a discount for being Boat US and AGLCA members. There is a submarine museum and several eating establishments within walking distance. They also have bikes that they will loan you. It was very quiet and peaceful. Thank you!

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Marina Review for Daytona Marina & Boat Works

Reviewed by: Janeen Axtell on May 27, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Very friendly and helpful staff. The restaurant on site is Chart House, so not your typical bar food...very delicious though!!! It is about a mile walk to downtown Daytona where there are lots of restaurants and beautiful parks.

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