Very nice, clean facility. Friendly and helpful staff. Convenient location. Grocery, drug stores and restaurants close by with courtesy car provided. Current can be tricky when tide is running,, but staff will assist with lines when docking. Will stop here again and recommend it highly to others.
Capt Jack B-H and 1st mate Steve O. Aboard the trawler “Whatever”
We spent two nights at St. John’s for our Charleston visit. It was Race Week and all our normal venues were taken. This was our second visit and things are still excellent. The best change is that they now have a modern courtesy car for local shopping trips. Normally we rent a car from this marina to visit the city and surrounding areas. Enterprise has several offices that will pick you up. We were able to use the courtesy car the first evening to see a music performance at the Circular Congregational Church, which saved us a days car rental. After 9 years of doing tourist parts of Charleston, it is a nice change to tour the outskirts. BTW it was too cold for the pool but last year it was a refreshing stop. We did not use the lounge. Great service and modern facilities. Gregory Han
Stayed there in spring and fall of 2012. Will stay there again. Some of the nicest facilities anywhere. Be carefull if not arriving at slack current. Didn’t try pool or lounge. Could use a better eating facility and/or a courtesy car. s/v Skye
As you pass through Elliot’s Cut, look to your left and we are the marina just before the bridge. It used to be called Buzzard’s Roost, but has been renovated by new owners. You will find the most beautiful bathrooms on the ICW here. Flint and Leslie Firestone aboard Grace Full at St. Johns Yacht Harbor
Tried to make reservations in Charleston but the marinas there were fully booked. Came across Saint Johns Yacht Harbor. I am now glad we couldn’t stay in Charleston. Beautiful Marina. Great Bathrooms and laundry room. The Restaurant is under renovation. Boat US discount. Will return
I just went to Saint Johns Yacht Harbor in Charleston. The marina is beautiful, the staff was very professional and the gas was the cheapest I could find. They also have a wonderful bar with a gorgeous view overlooking the water. It was a great place to get a hot dog and a cold beer! Captain Louise
We stayed here on January 12 2010 on oue way south. It is a great place. Everyone is friendly and helpful. It is so late in the year that the store is closed, however they did offer to open it if we needed something. The laundry and bathrooms are first class, they look brand new and were spotless. You will need food on the boat as the restaurant is still under construction. They also have a pool, that needless to say was closed this time of year. One thing, the diesel pump is VERY SLOW. IT too me around half an hour to pump 220 gallons. However, the word is that this will be fixed in the near future. The bottom line, if you are in the area you can’t go wrong with this place. Dave Boxmeyer
This is a beautiful yacht harbor. Everything at this marina is brand new and definitely a first class stay. There is a pool that is open to transients, laundry, wifi, cable, georgeous showers, a ship store that offers a wide range of amenities. This is one of the best places to stay on the ICW in Charleston, SC. I make sure to stop by this marina every year when I travel from florida to maine. Currently, they offer non-ethanol gas for 2.99 as well as diesel for 1.99. Yes, it is 1.99! Overall, this is just a wonderful place to stay and very friendly employees that will help you dock and leave. There currently is not a restaurant, but I was told it is coming in the future. Definitely, check this place out the next time you are in the area. Charles
A brief update: Showers and Laundry are brand new and open; they are very very nice. There is also a pool but I’m unsure what the policy is for transients. Fuel dock is now open and has gasoline and diesel. The small ships store usually has something fixed for lunch, has ice, beer, and soda. The pumpout boat is very convenient. Overall this is a very nice marina. As previously mentioned, there is shopping nearby and Phil or someone will probably run you over there; ask around when you get here, don’t be shy. We have stayed here since last November and have enjoyed our stay very much.
St John’s (old Buzzards Roost) ($1.75 a foot) Stono river just before Elliot Cut. Undergoing reconstruction of the Restaurant and soon the Shower building. Not sure when the shower building will be done but the Restaurant looks as if it still needs a month or more until completion. Current showers are clean and nice. Small store with minimal snacks in the office. Face docks are good condition with cable and wifi. The strong current that runs through the marina slips helps put you on face dock when docking. If no wind is expected this is a great place to wait until morning to go through Elliot cut. Leave dock at 0810 and hit the Wappoo Creek bridge for it’s 0900 opening. If the weather is windy just be advised that the strong current also amplifies swells in a southerly blow over 15 knots. Long fetch up Stono river combined with an outgoing tide will result in very uncomfortable bouncing and hobby horsing at the dock. Phil (Dock Master) lives in Marina and is a great guy. He usually offers to drive you to closest store if you want. Just remember that gas costs money if you ask him to drive you somewhere. They also advertise a shuttle to downtown but I forgot to ask about that. Pat Banyas Marguerite
Claiborne, I was nice to meet you at the Charleston Cruising Club Meeting last Thursday. Sharon and I enjoyed your presentation and have placed your guide in our boat for reference while cruising. We were disappointed that news of the changes to the Marinas here on Folly was not included in your current edition. We understand that the changes were not completed prior to your publishing date. We are pleased to report that the issues you mention in the guide have been rectified. We now have first class facilities and a great locations. Below is some up dated information about the changes for your website. There are now two recently rebuilt marinas in the Folly River in Folly Beach, Mariner’s Cay Marina and Sunset Cay Marina (formerly Folly Marina). While the marinas have condo slips, there are slips available for transient rentals. Please visit http://www.marinerscaymarina.net/ and http://www.sunsetcaymarina.com for information and photos of our locations. We would like to invite you and other cruisers to visit our new facilities and our beautiful city of Folly Beach(http://www.cityoffollybeach.com/) You might just want to stay for while!! Please contact me for additional information. Ed Geiger Mariner’s Cay Marina
Claiborne, Just returned from Mariners Cay Marina on Folly Beach. The docks look brand new, showers great, and the staff could not have been nicer. The entire Folly River is now marked, not just the entrance off of the Stono River. Diesel was cheapest we have seen. Entrance would be a problem near low tide. Regards, John Cashen, Dataw Island
Subject: Folly River, Folly Bch. Cruising News: Also a previous post about the Folly River (Folly Beach) being marked all the way down beware, I live in Charleston and was recently there with my 41′ Rhodes Reliant, there is a sandbar that is steadly building from Sunset Key Marina back almost to the Stono River and the red and green markers in front of Sunset Key Marina sit on the bar not a channel there any more. The Folly River changes week to week and is very shallow at low water in the so called marked channel meaning 2-4 feet be very careful!! Rick Gamble
Subject: Stono River, Charleston and vic. Cruising News: Claiborne, A recent outing with a friend allowed me an opportunity to contrast some of the changes that has occurred in Charleston and vic. over the last 10 years. [Mariners] Cay Marina is first rate in terms of docks, service, and hospitality. Folly River is much better marked than it was ten years ago, and the shoaling reported did not prevent us from leaving with a five foot draft at low tide. Going offshore on the Stono River Inlet has always been rough. Shallow water and an incoming tide produces breakers. Hug Kiawah Island\’s coast and follow the markers, and you should not have a problem. Going offshore, we never had less than 8 feet after passing behind Bird Key. (which is the most shallow part of the channel) Lourie Salley S/V “August Moon”
We are at Bohicket Marina, which is remote from the locations that Bob mentioned but has nice amenities. Several restaurants in the marina and a grocery store and shops within (long) walking distance. I’m a 50 and I’ve had 54’s in the slips on my pier so you should have no problems. Here is a link to the marina website. http://bohicket.com/ Steve Kromer
Bohicket Marina, Johns Island (Seabrook/Kiawah) – this facility just keeps getting better. Reds Ice House, a great causal restaurant/bar opened up in the old Privateer location last year and they are off to a great start again this year. There are now bike paths from Bohicket all the way to Kiawah Island. The paths opened last year to Seabrook and Freshfields, which make for a great weekend get away. Freshfields has several restaurants, many shops and a great grocery, all within a walk or easy bike ride from the marina. Both Seabrook and Kiawah are great to ride through and their beaches are close by. Normally we go outside on this trip, but did take the ICW one-way thus far and it was fine the entire way. Skipper Bill Saint
This is one of my favorite SC marinas. The marina offers fuel, showers, and dockage while the area is a great place to spend a couple of days. There are restaurants at the marina plus just a short walk up the road there is a shopping area with more restaurants. Fischer’s Sports Bar is great. There is a great grocery store that is similar to a Fresh Market with wines, cooked foods, and much more. The shops make for a pleasant shopping experience. My husband and I enjoy our mini-vacations boating there.
Bohicket Creek Marina. The cruise up the N. Edisto River and Bohicket creek was uneventful, but when we got to the Marina the current had picked up quite a bit. After we got our slip assignment from the “dockmaster”, we had no further help tying up. It wasn’t busy when we approached, but the dockhouse was quite a way from our slip. I guess he didn’t feel like walking all that way. The marina is more of a private condo development that rents out transient slips. It may have been better in previous years. Joy and Shel Rabin, aboard m/v Evening Star.
Bohicket is a very nice marina, with large slips and very kind folks running the marina. Fischer’s Sports Bar still has one of the best cheese burgers to be had. It is always a good time and has good food and friendly folks, Tracy and AJ, (owners), are always trying to help folks out and serve fresh good food. And a quick note of a shoal that is not marked on the North Edisto River. It is directly across from Ledenwah Creek on the south side of river. At low tide we FOUND less than 2 feet, and yes we found it the hard way!! Fair Winds and Following Seas Denny & Diane
Bohicket is very nice. They have new floating wood docks. There is a grocery store within walking distance (1/2 mile). A ship’s store is on site as well as a new restaurant, “Up Da Creek”, with local cuisine and moderate pricing, as well as , Rose Bank, and Fischer’s sports bar and grill. The only negative, is the tidal current, which can be quite exciting if you are not expecting it! Denny & Diane
The docks are new, well built and great! No more rickety planks that you had to avoid in order to prevent falling through. You may or may not get a dock hand to help with docking but most of the transient spaces are on the T heads. The restaurants all provide good food. Not great but worth stopping if you are in the area. Name Withheld by Request
We stopped for the night in Bohicket marina and while the marina is first rate, the environment is pretty bland. We experience a strong tidal surge at the marina – more so than at the city marina in Charleston so I would highly recommend timing one’s arrival to slack water to be safe. Your recommendation for the Rosebank Farms cafe was right on target – it was the best meal of the trip – I highly recommend the shrimp, crawfish, tasso ham and grits dish. If it weren’t for the meal here, I would say that the Bohicket marina is very accomodating and friendly,but pretty boring overall. Bill & Susan Randall SV Calypso Sabre 38
Bohicket Marina is great, but the tide there can be intimidating. If they wnat you to go into an inside slip, tell them you insist on a face dock unless your vessel is very nimble. Great restaurant there. Docks redone three years ago. Captain John Cashen
We stopped at the Bohicket Marina and loved it. 4 miles down the North Edisto from mile 496.7 and then up the creek for about 3. There are four or five restaurants on site depending on time of year. “Up da Creek” restaurant absolutely excellent. Eat outside on the top deck. Inside is pretty tacky – but the food is still excellent. Hope this helps. David Jenkins GB 46-232 At Last
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