Description:

Savannah, Georgia, is a historic east coast city that appears to be right out of a movie set. In fact, countless movies have been filmed here, including Forrest Gump, Glory, and Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil.

Savannah was also a major port town and it has played roles in United States history as far back as the American Revolution. The Savannah River is wide and deep, leading to a major commercial port, and the offshoot tributaries and Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) make for plenty of spaces for marinas.

Cruiser Highlights:

Other than its obvious draws for shore-based tourism, it is a must-see stop for any cruiser visiting the southern USA. Facilities are plentiful, anchorages are basically everywhere, and the scenery is unique.

Entrance Notes and Cautions:

Navigational Considerations

The Savannah area, including the adjacent rivers and ICW, offer some navigational challenges as it is an estuary with a significant tidal range. Because of this, the Georgia coastline has a reputation for being difficult for new cruisers. However, the seabed is often soft and forgiving and the tidal range (8ft in some areas) makes groundings temporary, but careful planning may be needed. Time your departure or arrival with the flood or ebb in order to avoid fighting heavy currents. Some currents can reach up to 2-3 knots (or more with the celestial tide).

There is an area of special interest approximately 15 miles south of Savannah along the ICW: Hell Gate. Hell Gate has located approximately: 31º51.748N, 081º04.991W. This is a narrow cut that notoriously silts to extremely shallow depths. The depths at MLLW may be the only 3ft/1m. The tide can add 7-9ft. Plan your arrival for high-tide (+/-1hr) and follow the buoys carefully: they are moved/updated regularly to reflect the silting. If you miss the window, it is possible to go around, adding more than 2 hours to your voyage.

Access to shore may be difficult in some areas, so landing a dinghy may not be possible at certain times of the day.

The marine grass in this area is set into the extremely soft mud.

The Georgia coast experiences a daily cycle of sea breezes. Inclement weather from inland can be stalled by the afternoon onshore winds, but the opposite can happen if westerly winds are added to the morning land-breeze.

Position:  

32° 02.15’N, 80° 52.84’W (Savannah River entrance)

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