Charleston, SC Sailing

[Ralph Erickson]

My son recently moved to the Charleston, SC area (Mt. Pleasant, specifically). He has a CP 16.  Does anyone have any recommendations of where to sail and where to launch (he trailers) in that area?  Also, he needs to buy a new motor.  Any suggestions as to what hp would be best in those waters? I hear that the current is very strong around the main harbor.  Thanks for any info you can provide!

Ralph

[InertBert]

Don't know the area but I can tell you about my motors.  A two stroke 9.9 is waaay to much motor for this boat, and a 45lb trolling motor is adequate in light currents.  I would go for an air cooled, gas-tank-on-top (no hoses) 2.5-5hp cheapo.  The lighter the better.  Don't need a long shaft because of the movable motor mount. 

[EclipseGuy]

Hi Ralph,

I lived in Mount Pleasant, SC a few years ago, and my sister still lives there. My sister has a West Wight Potter 19, and back when I lived there I had a Sanibel 18.

There are MANY places to explore, and many things to do in that area. It is one of my favorite areas to go to when I want to spend time on the water. There are marshes to explore with excellent fishing and crabbing, the inner coastal areas where the dolphins come right up against your boat, many islands including "The Boneyard" that can only be accessed by boat, the Charleston Harbor, and the open ocean. There are also a couple of very large inland fresh water lakes near there.

My favorite place to launch is at the Isle of Palms marina. It is on the isle of Palms which is right across the connector from Mount Pleasant. This launch charges a fee to launch however I do not remember exactly what the fee is. The nice thing about this launch is that it is protected from waves and wakes, and it isn't effect by strong tidal currents. It is along the inner coastal, so if you are looking to sail in the harbor it can take an hour or two to get to the harbor from here.

Whenever we had friends or family visiting, we would launch at the Isle of Palms marina then take a ride up the inner coastal to The Boneyard (Caper's Island State Heritage Preserve). If you go at low tide the sandbars extend out into the ocean for a half a mile or more. The kids love collecting shells and seeing the wildlife.

If our friends or family were interested in a second day of water adventure then we would usually launch at Isle of Palms and head the other way, toward the Charleston Harbor. We would sail in the Harbor a bit then head into Shem Creek where the shrimp fleet are, and have fresh seafood at the various restaurants. There is free docking along the park area there.

If you are strictly asking about sailing, then the Charleston Harbor and the open ocean are the roomiest places to sail. My favorite part of the Harbor to sail is between Fort Sumter and the City of Charleston.

Heading out to the open ocean requires some experience and knowledge of the effect of tides, and paying attention to the weather and the marine forecast. There are some jetties that follow the channel out into the ocean. We have taken our little boats out there many times, and you will see a lot of little fishing boats all along the jetties. Our boats do not move very fast so if you are moving against a full speed tidal current you will have to use your motor and your progress will be very slow (both of our boats had 5HP motors). We always time our tides so that we do not have to fight them full force, and yet if we want to get back quickly (we had someone get seasick once) we have a tidal current that would push us back to the harbor instead of having to work against one. Once you exit the mouth of the jetties you will be in open ocean. It is quite thrilling because you feel like you are way out in the open ocean, and you get to experience the swell of the ocean, yet you are very close to the safety of the jetties.   

There are some launch ramps that are closer to the Charleston Harbor itself. The one I would suggest is Remley' Point, which is near the Ravenel bridge at the end of 5th street. Since this launch is near the harbor itself, it is effected by tidal currents and can be quite challenging to maneuver our little boats in. It takes some practice. My suggestion is to launch at high tide since the currents are not strong at that time, and the ramp is easiest to use with deep water, but that is when everyone wants to launch so high tide can be busy. There is no charge for using this launch.

There is another free launch over on the other side of Charleston, across the Ashley river on 171 called Wappoo Cut. I have used this a couple of times but would not recommend it. This launch is along a narrow river inlet where there is no apparent wake restrictions, and there are huge power boats that storm through there, not to mention the fact that the launch itself is so busy with very impolite and aggressive boaters. I have had horrible experiences along this narrow river inlet with yachts that seem like they are purposely trying to swamp me.

I would suggest launching at either Isle of Palms or Remley's Point, depending on if you want open sailing in the harbor or if you want to explore the inner coastal.

- John

[Ralph Erickson]

Thanks much, John, for your very informative post.  It is very helpful. And thank you, InertBert, for your motor information.  Sounds like a great place to sail!

Ralph

[tmorgan]

The Charleston Harbor Marina at Patriot's Point in Mt. Pleasant has a ramp.  I thought I remembered one from a visit a few years ago so I looked it up in Active Captain to confirm.

[Ralph Erickson]

Well, discovered that Remley's Point is only 10 minutes from my sons and daughter in laws place in Mt. Pleasant!  We sailed yesterday, and WOW, what a great place to sail! We sailed around the tip of Charleston and towards Ft. Sumter. We saw Dolphin and deer swimming - yes, deer!!! John, you were spot on about the current. Had to use the iron wind on the way back.  We are trying out Isle of Palms tomorrow.

Ralph

[EclipseGuy]

I am happy to hear that you had a great time Ralph. That area is one of my favorite places to spend time on the water. Sailing with the dolphins, and sharks, is always exciting!

- John