2018 Charleston Pinopolis Lock Cooper River Run/ Hilton Head Gathering 5/12 and 5/13 2018

[veedubtek]

Beyond ready for this, haven't had the skis out since late last year. This week is just dragging ass so far... Got batteries all charged up and got their juices flowing today. Set air pressures in trailer. Just need to throw the covers on and I'm ready to go.

 

[Andy S]

Nothing like waiting to the last minute to post some GPS coordinates for the trip. For whatever reason I started the GPS coordinates at Shelter Cover Marina in Hilton Head and worked back to Charleston and into the Cooper River.

Shelter Cove Marina 32.181907 -80.732103
Shelter Cove Entrance 32.169253 -80.793087
HH Intercoastal 32.270874 -80.738904
Beaufort Entrance 32.295047 -80.656939
Beaufort 32.428254 -80.671230
Beaufort Exit 32.505047 -80.672625
Edisto Entrance 32.490702 -80.355029
Edisto Exit 32.616012 -80.384815
Wadmalaw Entrance 32.629263 -80.270611
Wadmalaw Exit 32.717165 -80.179878
Stono River Exit 32.767103 -80.001655
St Johns Yacht Harbour 32.753616 -80.011201
Wappoo Cut 32.772624 -79.952582
Battery Point 32.764788 -79.925946
Cooper River Bridge 32.804401 -79.931483

 

[Wesley D]

Where would b a good place for dinner on Friday night? We are staying at Hills Landing. I thought I saw a couple of years ago people from this trip went to a fish fry am I remembering that right? Where is it and is it any good or should I go somewhere else? Thanks Wes

 

[Andy S]

Where would b a good place for dinner on Friday night? We are staying at Hills Landing. I thought I saw a couple of years ago people from this trip went to a fish fry am I remembering that right? Where is it and is it any good or should I go somewhere else? Thanks Wes

I would recommend Mac Daddy's Restaurant and it just across HWY 45, about 2000' away.

 

[Wesley D]

Awesome. Thanks

 

[BigAbe75]

Are we feeling good about the forecast now?

@Wesley D any idea if Hills Landing still has rooms available for Friday?

 

[Mainah]

Are we feeling good about the forecast now?

@Wesley D any idea if Hills Landing still has rooms available for Friday?

Weather forecast looking good. A few clouds and a bit of wind when we hit Hilton Head may be a welcome relief from the sun exposure.

 

[BigAbe75]

@Andy S @robert843

I maybe confused... I just called Hills Landing and was told we can’t park there for the weekend unless we are lodging there. I asked if it was ok, if we stayed Friday night but not Sat. She says she would check but wasn’t confident being a weekend and very limited parking.

Did I miss a step, or do we need a local to call and get it setup for us?

Thanks!

 

[BigAbe75]

Also, any other recommendations on Friday lodging near hills landing? They have a trailer for $95, or a fishing shack w twin beds for $55.

For $100, I’d rather find a days inn or something.

 

[Mainah]

Also, any other recommendations on Friday lodging near hills landing? They have a trailer for $95, or a fishing shack w twin beds for $55.

For $100, I’d rather find a days inn or something.

Santee has a couple of lodging options just off of 95. The parking thing has me concerned. Looks like macdaddys has a dirt overflow lot to its north as well as its own ramp but that is just from me looking at a satellite view. I am by no means immediately familar with the location.

 

[robert843]

Also, any other recommendations on Friday lodging near hills landing? They have a trailer for $95, or a fishing shack w twin beds for $55.

For $100, I’d rather find a days inn or something.

Hmm I will have to defer to @Andy S on this one but I'm pretty sure he talked to them several months ago and they said it was no issue but there was a fee to do so. Just as a back up till I hear back from him I just got off the phone with Black's Fish Camp on the same canal she told me their ramp fee was $5 and as far as she knew you could park there overnight no charge other then the ramp fee they also have hotel rooms for $69.99 that includes docking and ramp usage but I wouldn't expect anything fancy Santee or Summerville are better options for lodging if you want something nicer.

http://www.blackscamp.com/lodging/motel-rooms

 

[Andy S]

@Andy S @robert843

I maybe confused... I just called Hills Landing and was told we can’t park there for the weekend unless we are lodging there. I asked if it was ok, if we stayed Friday night but not Sat. She says she would check but wasn’t confident being a weekend and very limited parking.

Did I miss a step, or do we need a local to call and get it setup for us?

Thanks!

I have been swamped with life and haven't called to confirm what I was told earlier in the year. I wish I had wrote down the gentleman's name who I talked with because he said it would be no problem as long as we paid the parking fee of $5 per day for both Sat and Sun which seemed reasonable to me.

Tomorrow I will call Hill's and find out what changed. If Hill's no longer works, we have a couple of options Blacks Fish Camp like @robert843 mentioned or Canal Lakes Fish Camp (where Mac Daddy's restaurant is located) like @Mainah mentioned.

 

[BigAbe75]

Sounds good. So excited!

We’re heading out tomorrow afternoon. Ran a rag around the interior this evening and going to hit the exterior in the morning a bit.

Had a low tire 3 weeks ago, but aired it up and pressure is still the same. So assuming it just lost pressure over the winter. Got my tools pretty well organized in case they’re needed, etc.

Several mods not done on boat, yet. But nothing integral to this trip. Couple more weeks until those are needed.

 

[Wisefam22]

We get ours back from the detail shop Friday morning and hot the road early afternoon.

My new wake stuff will be in but not my handheld radio or chartplotter yet :/

 

[Andy S]

For those leaving from the lake with me, we should be at St John's Yacht Harbour (SJYH), for those that need fuel, around noon and unfortunately there is no food at SJYH. We can either wait another couple of hours (close to 3) and stop in Beaufort for a late lunch/early dinner or bring lunches with each us to eat at SJYH while folks are refueling. I'm good with whatever the group wants to do

On the return, for those that want a nice meal for lunch on Sunday, you can stop at Charleston Crab House on the Stono Cut, they have very good food. I will probably be stopping there for lunch before heading back up the river.

 

[BigAbe75]

I haven’t had my boat long enough to really have an idea how far I can go. I guess I’ll plan to top off when everyone else does.

As for lunch, I imagine we’ll have some snacks or candy bars with us and can restock when we refuel. So, would be content to wait for a sit down stop to eat... wherever that may be.

 

[Andy S]

I haven’t had my boat long enough to really have an idea how far I can go. I guess I’ll plan to top off when everyone else does.

As for lunch, I imagine we’ll have some snacks or candy bars with us and can restock when we refuel. So, would be content to wait for a sit down stop to eat... wherever that may be.

Everyone but me will have to stop for fuel at St John's Yacht Harbour. You should be able to get close to 100 miles on a tank of fuel and from the lakes to Hilton Head it is about 162 miles.

 

[Wesley D]

Are we feeling good about the forecast now?

@Wesley D any idea if Hills Landing still has rooms available for Friday?

I’m not sure. Let me know if you are there and I’ll buy u a beer.

 

[Andy S]

I think the run from the fuel stop at St John's Yacht Harbour (just outside of Charleston) to Hilton Head might push the fuel capacity limits of most of the boats in our group, I have the distance at 98 miles. Beaufort will be a 2 to 2.5 hour run (about 70 miles) which puts us there around 2 to 3 pm. This could be a good place to stop, get a bit to eat, and top off the fuel. To eat we can stop at Beaufort Downtown Marina (32.429661 -80.674498) they charge by the hour. There are plenty of places to eat within a short walk, if we eat there my choice would be Q on Bay which is about a 1000' walk from the marina, folks can eat where ever they want. For fuel we will have to go down river just a little farther to Port Royal Landing Marina (32.395424 -80.677679) before heading on to Hilton Head which is about 30 miles away.

 

[robert843]

I think the run from the fuel stop at St John's Yacht Harbour (just outside of Charleston) to Hilton Head might push the fuel capacity limits of most of the boats in our group, I have the distance at 98 miles. Beaufort will be a 2 to 2.5 hour run (about 70 miles) which puts us there around 2 to 3 pm. This could be a good place to stop, get a bit to eat, and top off the fuel. To eat we can stop at Beaufort Downtown Marina (32.429661 -80.674498) they charge by the hour. There are plenty of places to eat within a short walk, if we eat there my choice would be Q on Bay which is about a 1000' walk from the marina, folks can eat where ever they want. For fuel we will have to go down river just a little farther to Port Royal Landing Marina (32.395424 -80.677679) before heading on to Hilton Head which is about 30 miles away.

I know the crew launching from Charleston plans to stop here as well but we will likely be a little ahead of you guys. I charted it last night and Beaufort Downtown Marina was 75 miles from our launch point in Charleston and the edge of Hilton Head was another 17 miles and our marina I think was about 27 miles from Beaufort so the last stretch should be short but I agree some of the boats may call it close on fuel from St John's if trying to run the whole way.