Hobie Forums
http://www.hobie.com/forums/

SC - Hilton Head, S.C.
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=9029		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  buzzman2 [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:07 am ]
Post subject:  SC - Hilton Head, S.C.
I am having a heck of time trying to keep a Hobie 2O either docked or beached anywhere for a week in June. Looking for Hobie sailors down ther that may be able to give insight. I'm staying at a killer beach house on the south end of the island.
Author:  mpalmieri [ Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
I just relocated my boat to HHI so I am quite familiar with the process. Here is the scoop:
HHI beaches are all public, regardless if they border a plantation.
6-month or annual passes area available through the town at Dreissen beach. Annual requires that the Beach Patrol inspect the boat.
In the case of being there for a week I would put my number on the boat in case beach patrol even notices the boat, and not worry about a temp permit. Your call, it may cost like $10

If you are staying at the southend I presume it is in Sea Pines, so you may be able to keep it over by the beach area near harbor town or down by the southbeach marina area.

BTW, this is perhaps one of the best sailing venues in the country and there are no clubs for cats or dinghy sailing that I can find. What a shame, great surf launching, big water, warm weather, all the makings of great beach sailing and yet you hardly see any masts in the 12-mile coastal area.

Have a blast (if I am not too late)
Author:  localizer [ Thu Jun 19, 2008 12:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
Mpalmieri,
Last year when we were in HHI I was looking for a place where to put the boat on the beach. I realized I could only do this via access points where beach patrol comes on the beach. They said they would tow the trailer for a fee to the place where I would want it. I would unload the boat and they would tow the trailer away.
Is this still the case?
Also, since you are a resident there, can you recommend some places which are more friendly to people with trailers and boats? My experience was that some places did not even want to consider allowing a trailer on their parking lot.

And yes, true - you hardly see any masts there. I spoke with a guy who kept his H16 on the beach and he said "very dormant community". That is a pity.
Author:  mpalmieri [ Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yuri,

I would have to say to your bottom comment about it being dormant, that pretty much sets the tone on acceptance. The high majority of people don't sail, aren't interested, don't understand it, and therefore don't support it. My opinion is that is one of the reasons that the sport of dinghy & beachcat sailing appears to by shrinking rather than growing. Thrillseekers can put a board and kite in their car and just carry it out on the beach and take off to get a thrill ride without that hassles of trailers and stepping masts, and needing 'space' to traverse to the water.

So, what 'might' help depending whether you would be bringing your H16 or RS is that if you have a dolly. The right public venue / park may have wide enough access to roll through to the beach, obviously your RS may be the best option without raising eyebrows from others as you roll down the sand carpet.

Unfortunately there are no ramp areas close to the beaches, that would be the optimum. Do you have any particular areas of the island you go to, like South or North Forest Beach, or a plantation?

BTW, how do you like the RS? I am thinking about getting a small monhull to integrate some sailing variety with our FX One and have read about the RS since it is rotomolded. I am concerned that our 315lbs may be too much though.
Author:  localizer [ Thu Jun 19, 2008 2:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yep, I was thinking about dolly, but still you need to have your trailer reasonably close to use the dolly.

No particular place on HHI - we will go anywhere where we can put a boat on the water with reasonable effort. However, last summer left sour feeling which you are confirming, so not sure if we even try going there again. For sure we will NOT be going there during summer... late fall maybe, when there is some space on the beach that is not occupied by people.

RS Feva is a very good boat. I mostly sail it single handed with all three sails - main, jib and gennaker. It gets somewhat busy, but great! It planes easily. It looks like it is discontinued here in US, so you can get a good deal on it from Laser Performance.
Author:  mpalmieri [ Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:37 am ]
Post subject: 
Yuri,

I will have some time during the week of the 4th to investigate some public access areas, let me see if I can find anything suitable. You might also want to check out Tybee Island (the ending point of the Tybee 500), they may have suitable launch and storage. Anyway, I will let you know what I learn either way.

Sea Pines plantation 'might' have a couple of good access points since I have seen catamarans an the south beach marina area as well as near harbor town. There are vacation rentals in that community and they definitely have the most access points to the beach. As far as summertime crowns on HHI, things do tend to get busy around the Memorial Day and 4th of July weeks in particular. Other than that though it is certainly manageable, and come Labor Day it is a ghost town as kids are back in school both in the southeast and northeast. If you come during the summer remember that Saturday morning is typical check-out at 10am and the crowd flocks in for the 4pm check-in. Note, many people take 278 when they could have taken the cross island parkway which puts them down the southend. Also note that Saturday evenings are real busy times at grocery stores and restuarants, so you have to somewhat time things around the crowds, other than that you are good to go. The beaches are some of the best anywhere, relatively wide and flat and good for running and biking and just about anything else people go to a beach to have fun doing.
Author:  localizer [ Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:02 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you for all these hints.

I appreciate any information. You can send me an email: yuri2000us at yahoo dot com

Thanks,
Yuri
Author:  mpalmieri [ Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:27 am ]
Post subject: 
I reached out to Shore Beach Service, which is a private company that has supported the HHI beaches for over 30-years. I explained the need for people that want to launch anything from dinghies to catamarans from a public beach area (remember that some plantations may have access points of their own). Here is the response from Shore Beach Service for reference (Note: I will go to Burkes Beach and take some pictures and provide feedback on just how accessible it is for a catamaran, expect an update within two-weeks):

Mike,

Burkes Beach is probably the easiest, though the path is a bit long. Coligny is fine as well, put they need to move it down the beach away from the crowds to launch it. Just so you know, we can tow boats out to the beach for $25. If it is a relatively short distance the $25 fee can include towing it back off as well.

Thank you for your inquiry.

Mike Wagner
Shore Beach Service
116 Arrow Road
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
phone: 843.785.3494
fax: 843.785.2023
www.shorebeach.com

Mike P. again: If you are there for a week and communicate with shore beach service they would probably be fine with you leaving your boat on the beach in a deisgnated area. Designated means above the high tide mark but not in the dunes / sea oats.
Author:  mpalmieri [ Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
http://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/island/beaches.html

Go to this link and click on the Parks & Amenities link at the bottom of the page. Nice map (pdf) of Hilton Head Island public areas.
Author:  aschaffter [ Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
mpalmieri wrote:
http://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/island/beaches.html

Go to this link and click on the Parks & Amenities link at the bottom of the page. Nice map (pdf) of Hilton Head Island public areas.


Interesting, with all the amenities I could find only two public boat ramps- one Marshland Rd Boat Landing far inland at the head of Broad Creek, the other on Broad Creek by the Charles Fraser bridge (how high is that bridge?).
Author:  mpalmieri [ Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:17 am ]
Post subject: 
Yes, those are the two public ramps. Note, most of the marinas do not have ramp access, they are lift launch only. However, Hilton Head Harbor (which is next to the Sunset RV Resort on the left when you first come on to the island) does have a ramp that I believe you can use for a nominal fee.

To answer your question, the Charles Fraser bridge is part of the Cross Island Parkway and is high enough for the mega-yachts docked in Shelter Cove to be able to pass under without any issues.

For those of you familiar with HHI, you might recall there is an island between HHI and the mainland, this is the Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge. As you leave the mainland and cross the first bridge to Pinckney you will see on the right hand side a public launch ramp area. You can put in and sail west / southwest in the Calibogue Sound area. There is plenty of room for mast-stepping in the parking lot too.
Author:  mpalmieri [ Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
I went to Burkes Beach on HHI yesterday to see for myself how accessible it is to launch a beach cat. The first thing to note is that there is room to park your vehicle and trailer on Burkes Beach Road. You will have to step the mast on the beach as there is a tree canopy at the beginning of the beach path before you reach the sand. It is a long and relatively flat walk to the beach, I would estimate a good couple hundred yards.

For those with a 16' or smaller (or a monohull dinghy) you may want to check out Mitchellville Beach Park. This is a locals kind of place, far from the food, shopping and beach buzz. You can roll a smaller boat through the tree canopy and then you have a short walk on the beach mat to the Port Royal Sound. There is about a 1' drop in the sand shelf, so getting your boat back up at anything less than high tide will mean dragging your boat off wheels to the higher sand and then setting the wheels under her again. This area is just north of where I sail from and is a spectacular venue, you can run up the Broad River or out to the Atlantic from here.

At the end of the day, the easiest thing for some folks may just be to call the Shore Beach Patrol and pay them to trailer your boat out on the beach and park it for a week until you are ready to have them pull it off again. This way you can get the boat closer to where you may be staying at a resort. There is always the rental Aqua Cats for those that want a serious sailing challenge since they just seem to blow with the direction of the wind despite the boat-handlers efforts. :D
Author:  hobie7005 [ Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: SC - Hilton Head, S.C.
Hi mpalmieri

Thank you. I've read your old posts about sailing on HHI. I don't know if you are active or not but I guess things may have changed some so I am reaching out to check because I am considering coming back to HHI late May/Early June with my Hobie 17S

I called the Beach Service you mentioned and they are still doing the haul service but they mentioned only knowledge of one place, Islanders beach.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Islan ... 80.6830895

Is that a good place, IDK. I was thinking about the

Mitchellville Park

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Histo ... 80.6872254

or

Fish Haul Park

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fish+ ... 80.6865516

Are these good places?

Or maybe another better choice?

Thanks and all the best

Michael

BTW, I think I read you used to sail out of Sandy Hook, NJ? I did some day sails off that beach where 250 fleet was. Had a great experience there sailing out to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, Coney Island, etc.
Author:  jdbrown [ Tue Apr 12, 2022 1:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SC - Hilton Head, S.C.
Also locating to the area in the next few months with same questions - where is everyone sailing out of. I called the Shore Service number and they told me that I could park and unload then beach wheels on Islanders Beach. I have never seen that access point in person, but from Google maps looks like a boardwalk from lot and I can’t imagine it is wide enough for a boat on wheels. I know this thread is quite old, but wondering if anyone is actively beach sailing anywhere in this area?
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/