Chesapeake to charleston

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
S

Submarine deckhand

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
25
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Rhiannon
Vessel Make
President
Hi. Having perused all 543 posts looking for good advice about where to stay between Norfolk and Charleston on the icw (and picked up a few good places thanks)
I thought I would risk a post and ask if anyone can recommend some good places to stay on the way. we are going to mosey and maybe spend a couple of weeks in a good place when we find one, but I'm a cheap bugger so am looking for the less prestigious and/or expensive places.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
 
Elizabeth City NC (free dock)
Washington NC
Oriental NC (free dock)
Carolina Beach, NC (mooring field)
Myrtle Beach SC (Barefoot Landing)
Georgetown SC (anchor)

There are also plenty of anchoring spots along the way.Those are just some cheaper places that I recall.
 
1) Anchoring
Also in addition to Moonstruck's list
Free docks on either side of Great Bride bridge if on A & C
NC visitor center on Dismal Swamp
Town docks in Bellehaven

This is assuming cheap comes first and foremost
Consult cruisersnet.com and a copy of the Waterway Guide Aicw guide book and the Doyle's books.
 
When coming up from Ft Myers, FL to the Chesapeake, a spent all but 3 nights on the hook. Used almost exclusively Active Captain for recommendations. They are also pretty up to date on the free docks etc.

Ted
 
Thank you guys.
I appreciate the advice.
Personally I like the whole forging into the unknown thing, but it's my wife's first actual cruising adventure (as well as our two year old son thor's) so I need to employ the 7 p's to ensure there will be other ones to come
(Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance)
I have all the Doyle's books and will look at all of the good advice you have presented to help me.
Any additional thoughts from anyone would only help get my wife involved in the planning and enthusiasm should you think of any other good stops
Cheers ay.
 
Here's the free docks in Bellehaven. We didn't stay there, we stayed at the marina next to the big hotel on the right just past the drawbridge.

Sometimes "free" is worth exactly what you pay for it.

Bellehaven is out of the way but a nice town worth visiting.
 

Attachments

  • Chesapeake 034.jpg
    Chesapeake 034.jpg
    168.9 KB · Views: 180
  • Chesapeake 035.jpg
    Chesapeake 035.jpg
    161.5 KB · Views: 190
rwidman said:
Here's the free docks in Bellehaven. We didn't stay there, we stayed at the marina next to the big hotel on the right just past the drawbridge.

Sometimes "free" is worth exactly what you pay for it.

Bellehaven is out of the way but a nice town worth visiting.
Click to expand...


Ron, that looks like a bull rail on the Belhaven free dock. We don't see that much on the east coast.
 
There's 2 town docks in Belhaven. We have stayed at both and really like the newest "completely free" dock as it is new, in good shape, and when we travel pretty desolate.

No amenities but beats anchoring out if you need to get supplies or want to make multiple trips ashore.

Some people complain they are not right downtown, and a little on the "away from everything"...but they split town and shopping, complaints of bird droppings..that's many places but the concrete surface (if I remember correctly) was first rate.
 
Last edited:
Ron, those are pictures of the docks at Union Point park in New Bern. The Bellhaven docks aren't anything like that.
 
Moonstruck said:
Ron, that looks like a bull rail on the Belhaven free dock. We don't see that much on the east coast.
Click to expand...
I see at least one cleat in the photo but it appears you are correct. That's the first one I've seen in person.

We never considered those docks (actually in New Bern) people we met earlier recommended the marina and we met them there and toured each other's boats and went to dinner.

I suspect if we had tied our boat up to those docks we might have pulled them loose. They did not look safe or inviting.

When we cruise we aren't trying to blow money but we're not looking for the cheapest either. Somewhere in the middle usually works out best for us.
 
Both town docks at Belhaven are new and great.

Read the reviews in Active Captain.

The old "bridge docks" or whatever they were I have never seen but in a pic and have no idea even what they are as they are not referenced in AC or town literature.

The photos above are not of Belhaven Docks as there is no drawridge nearby.
 
Submarine deckhand said:
Hi. Having perused all 543 posts looking for good advice about where to stay between Norfolk and Charleston on the icw (and picked up a few good places thanks)
I thought I would risk a post and ask if anyone can recommend some good places to stay on the way. we are going to mosey and maybe spend a couple of weeks in a good place when we find one, but I'm a cheap bugger so am looking for the less prestigious and/or expensive places.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Click to expand...

On your way yet?
 
River Dunes near Oriental is very nice...or was last November ('12) borrowed their car to go into a little used boat parts place where I found what I needed for $6.00.
 
calypsian said:
River Dunes near Oriental is very nice...or was last November ('12) borrowed their car to go into a little used boat parts place where I found what I needed for $6.00.
Click to expand...
Yes, I posted about that above. A country club for $1.50 per foot.
 
Right across from River Dunes is a great little Mom and Pop marina (low water...4 foot draft and only when the wind tide is right). It's also a bit like an African Queen trip with the trees almost touching your superstructure/mast. Call ahead and the owner Scott (not me) will lead you in if possible.

It's owned by friends and there is a great little bar and often a barbeque or pot luck from the whole neighborhood. They sometimes have live music and when we stopped last march/April it was rockin' with a great little duo.

So whether you stay there, at River Dunes or just anchor out, it's worth a trip to their place. :thumb:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paradise-Cove-Marina/111601622210160
 

Attachments

  • paradise cove.jpg
    paradise cove.jpg
    123.9 KB · Views: 165
The Doyle cruising guide lists 50 frugal favorites and 30 favorite anchorages on the inside back cover.

I have found anchoring in some places puts the boat at more risk than I care to deal with.
 
timjet said:
The Doyle cruising guide lists 50 frugal favorites and 30 favorite anchorages on the inside back cover.

I have found anchoring in some places puts the boat at more risk than I care to deal with.
Click to expand...

How true...but I have found with places...either anchorages, town or marinas...reviews are often like a lot of posts here...only one opinion.

For tech stuff on an anchorage...like bottom material, snags, traffic...reviews on those issues might keep me looking ....

But all too often on marinas or towns or many stops in general...I can tell its an input from a "non-boating significant other" or inexperienced boater that is the negative. And often it's one negative but then the whole review is tainted by that one thing they didn't like. So for those, I always look for other input or just ignore it and see for myself with a strong backup plan..much of the time I'm pleasantly surprised and find what I like.
 
Thanks for the advice all.
The unfashionable side of coin jock was significantly less expensive and that suited us since we were just overnighting after a long trip down the Chesapeake
River dunes was great.
Oriental city docks are excellent. Will definitely be stopping in there on the way back.
We ended up in new bern at the new bern grand for less than 300 a month!! Very nice place great people a little out of the way but worth the day and the fuel!
So back to work and then head south again in December.
I spent a lot of hours looking for places in or near charleston Almost gave my poor Scottish heart an embolism!
Needless to say we will be looking to stop maybe as far up as myrtle beach, or way south maybe as far as Georgia.
Any continued suggestions from all of you are much appreciated.
Cheers again
 
Submarine deckhand said:
Thanks for the advice all.
The unfashionable side of coin jock was significantly less expensive and that suited us since we were just overnighting after a long trip down the Chesapeake
River dunes was great.
Oriental city docks are excellent. Will definitely be stopping in there on the way back.
We ended up in new bern at the new bern grand for less than 300 a month!! Very nice place great people a little out of the way but worth the day and the fuel!
So back to work and then head south again in December.
I spent a lot of hours looking for places in or near charleston Almost gave my poor Scottish heart an embolism!
Needless to say we will be looking to stop maybe as far up as myrtle beach, or way south maybe as far as Georgia.
Any continued suggestions from all of you are much appreciated.
Cheers again
Click to expand...
When headed into Oriental, check the harbor cam to make sure the city docks have space.

If not, you have some time to make alternate plans.
 
The free docks in Oriental are great but limited in space. They opened a new dock I believe last summer which increased their capacity by twice. However during the busy season it is probably going to be difficult finding a place at the free docks.

Personally I enjoyed Onancock. We stayed at the Wharf marina for 2 nights. The town had a farmers market in the town square while we were there. We ate dinner at Blzzoto's Gallery Cafe, one of the top restaurants on our entire trip from Tampa.

Charleston has no good anchorages at least according to Active Captain. Those few that are available apparently have underwater debris that will snag your anchor.
If anyone knows of a good Anchorage with dinghy access to the city please post.
 
timjet said:
The free docks in Oriental are great but limited in space. They opened a new dock I believe last summer which increased their capacity by twice. However during the busy season it is probably going to be difficult finding a place at the free docks.
Click to expand...

The town webcam helps pre-scout the docks. If not the docks, the anchorage is very convenient.
 
timjet said:
..............
Charleston has no good anchorages at least according to Active Captain. Those few that are available apparently have underwater debris that will snag your anchor.
If anyone knows of a good Anchorage with dinghy access to the city please post.
Click to expand...

You can just go up the Ashley River as far as you want to and anchor. Boats sometimes anchor just past Bristol Marina. There's a dock but you are a little far from the city and it's public and I'm not sure I would leave a dinghy unattended there. It's not too far from the City Marina by dinghy.
 
Or you can come few miles further upstream and join the fleet of derelict boats down from my marina. ;)
 
We just stayed at the Oriental dock last night. Always a welcome stop. Water is shallow at the dock 5-6'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
ICW & Waterway Distances
Replies
3
Views
505
O C Diver
O C Diver
J
Small boat cruising SE U.S.
Replies
9
Views
1K
mvweebles
mvweebles
ranger58sb
Hilton Head vs. Charleston
Replies
24
Views
4K
DavidM
DavidM
G
Late season Maine Migration advice
Replies
22
Views
2K
Hippocampus
H
C
New to Great Lakes Cruising and in Need of Guidance
Replies
20
Views
1K
Cartouche
Cartouche

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom