Safe Harbor Beaufort

Charles was awesome. He got us filled up and in a good slip after a very bumpy & windy boat ride from Charleston. Seems like a very good employee.

Always a nice stop. New management is doing some upgrades. Nice to see that the Salley family is still involved. I noticed a review about distance to get groceries. We needed some too and used Insta Cart. Was very quick and efficient. Very little need for a car. the facilities which is always nice to see. Staff is professional and also offer tips on how to enjoy the area.

Excellent stay in Beaufort. Staff was very courteous and helpful. Very smooth trip and will be back again. Highly recommended!

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Always great! Troy very welcoming and helpful upon arrival

Great facilities and friendly staff next to the action in Beaufort.

Safe Harbor Downtown Beaufort is an excellent facility. Great location. Dock hands could not have been more helpful fueling and docking. The ships store is no more as it has been turned into a tourist shop. BOAT SUPPLIES ARE ALMOST NONE EXISTENT AND THEY DO NOT EVEN STOCK OIL AT THE STORE OR AT THE GAS DOCK. Was lucky enough to score a quart of oil from the captain of another boat. Marina would be a 5 star rating SHIPS STORE IS A ZERO RATING SAFE HARBOR CAN DO BETTER

Had a great time, staff was friendly and helpful. A great place to visit.

Our dock attendant was awesome. Very helpful and a very nice young man!

This was our 3rd visit to Beaufort SC. Virtually all of what was true a year ago remains. Just a few updates: The review from our previous time here (2020) is below: Mixed feelings here. The dinghy dock, when we were there, was completely full with what appeared to be storage boats, as for the several weeks we were on a mooring, none of them WEREN'T there when we came in, and the mass of tie-off (nobody seems to know what a Herreshoff mooring tie looks like.) for each had not changed. We resorted to tying to the end of a floating finger pier serving the paddleboard and kayak storage and forming a quarter of the dinghy dockage, a precarious mount/dismount location with less than a foot on the three sides surrounding the concrete pillar holding the end in position. However, a couple of days before our departure, an employee who happened to see us returning/leaving that end-of-finger told us to tie up in one of the vacant dock rental spaces one slip away. That was far preferable, and comfortable. Just a heads-up; you can use any empty space for your dinghy if you find the same situation on your visit. Of course, you could also moor to the put-in ramp's very long dock, but if you're headed downtown on foot, it's a longer walk, and not as protected from any mischief as the marina docks. From chitchat with other cruisers, it appears that Safe Harbor has a corporate policy that no courtesy cars will be retained on any of the properties they buy, so don't hold out any hope that one will be provided in the future; the one previously available from the city, when they owned it, went away on the purchase, and from reading commentary on other Safe Harbor Marinas, that's what happened at all those which previously had courtesy vehicles. The closest food shopping is about 2.2 miles away from the marina, but if you have a fast (or don't mind taking a very long time) dinghy, and don't mind walking a mile or so, you can go through the bridge, and use the dock at the public ramp. You could also go further up to Ladys Island Marina and pay their daily-use fee, which would cut about a half mile off your round-trip to Publix. The marina now has gas, diesel and water available, at the usual marina-level prices. The gas pump did not have any labeling to say what was coming out the pump but I presume it to be alcohol free, and likely 89 octane Valvetec, seen at most marinas. Moorings at the time of our visit in mid-September 2021 were scarce, as most of them were out of service while awaiting either repair or upgrade or maintenance. Some were actually disconnected and stored at the public ramp dock. However, if you're lucky enough to snag one, or want to be on the dock, they still use Dockwa for reservations and payment, which we have found to be very convenient. One added convenience is/was that when we needed to overstay by a couple of days, after the allowed checkout and late departure time had passed, Dockwa/Safe Harbor updated and billed our reservation for the extra night(s - we stayed two extra nights, separately billed/autopaid). One niggle about those is that there is no weekly rate. It's all daily, other than for monthly rental. A second niggle is that, while I did two successive weeks' rentals, the promised one-night-free after a 12 night rental never materialized (it would ideally have been for the first unscheduled extension mentioned above). Finally, all the good things mentioned in the below review are still there, but there's been an addition since our first visit: There's now a free day-dock. You can tie up a very large boat, or several sizeable boats, or a lot of small boats on the face dock which ramp leads to the lovely waterfront park further toward the bridge than the marina's. The overhead pictures shown don't show it. You can leave as late as 2AM without facing some form of discipline (the day dock signage does not mention consequences of staying too long). So, my 4-star rating remains, this time due to the paucity of moorage available. Otherwise, a pleasurable experience all around. In the event we return (we believe we're getting off the boat this year) to Beaufort SC, we'll happily stay here again. Prior review: My wife did not see the issues raised in another review complaining about the women's bathroom, but not being one of the users, I can't directly comment on that. I can comment on the men's, however; I found it clean and tidy, and on my last day's shower (15th, 3 days after the review of the ladies'), it had obviously just been cleaned. I enjoyed, as I'm taller than most, the telephone style handset well over my head. As I have challenges with my right arm, the ability to aim it up into my armpit (and, of course, direct the stream anywhere else I'd like) was nice. It also allowed me to do a rinse of the walls and curtain; perhaps others do the same, lending toward a clean-and-shiny appearance. As to the marina facilities, we were on a mooring so I can't comment on the docks, other than that my ability to fuel was foreclosed by other boats being on the face dock where the pumps were located. A much smaller boat might have been able to get into the small space left open; certainly a runabout would fit. It was of little moment to us as we were headed south and the marina only 3 miles away had empty docks at the pumps; we and another boat arriving at the same time easily were served with the long fuel and water hoses. That, too, is a Safe Harbor Marina (Port Royal). The dinghy landing is either the public docks next to the launch ramp, or a small U shaped opening next to the Kayak dock; it's immediately next to the ramp up to the exit. There's a laundry there, but we did not have occasion to use it, so I have no opinion on it other than that there's a book exchange inside. I left about a dozen, and picked up a few I'd not read yet; what I noticed of the laundry was neutral, but heard no complaints from the users we encountered. It's also the entrance for the women's rest room and showers. The moorings are mostly (not all) new, with much larger balls than when they were originally installed. We spent Hurricane Matthew on one of their at-the-time new moorings. The new moorings have long polypropylene pennants, supported in the middle by floats secured by chain and heavy wire ties, so picking it up is easy, even in rough or windy conditions. However, and the reason for only 4 stars, some of the moorings' pennants were fouled under the balls; we attempted to help a power yacht moor at one such and could not free it; there were others available so it wasn't a big deal, but those sorts of things should be easily remedied, and, if the marina is fiscally responsible, they should be checking the moorings on a regular basis to assure that only registered guests are on them. As to making it happen, Safe Harbor uses Dockwa for their reservations. Once on Dockwa, ANY boat's registration, and payment, is a doddle. Just say how long you want to stay, and hit the confirmation button (or stop at the fuel office, which is the dockmaster's office) and it's done; your boat and financial, as well as any needed personal information, is already there. So, if and when we have occasion to return, we'll stay there again.

Friendly and helpful staff!

Easy and close to everything.

Fantastic location, staff were experienced and helpful, facilities were secure, bathhouse/restrooms were clean.

Great overnight stop. Well trained and informed staff and neat town with a lot of history. We ran down the ICW from Charleston otherwise we would have missed Beaufort. Glad we stopped!

Very helpful and attentive staff!

Great experience!! Very well organized!!

We had a great time and will be back soon

Great location. And you pay for that but what surprises me is that previous reviews criticized the state of the toilets. And yet still for two days one of the toilets had no paper in them. The staff are very friendly but who’s managing the loos. The other issue is there is no courtesy car. And no effort to help you get groceries. Store is a taxi cab away. Other marinas give options like bikes or they drive you. And they charge less

Great location! Perfect for exploring Beaufort! Facilities are decent and staff is very nice. Can’t go wrong!

Great Marina with adjacent small town filled with lots to do. Marina staff was excellent, very helpful. I would go out of my way to stay here again.

Great place to stay. Great town with great food

Safe Harbor is doing some good things there. The staff seem to be very inexperienced, but we always love Beaufort.

Love the location and the proximity to Beaufort’s shops and restaurants. At 54’ we are on the T head at the fuel dock (maybe all transients are there?). We don’t rock much, but for the smaller boats, it can get rough during the day with boats passing on the ICW and approaching the fuel dock. Use plenty of fenders. After the fuel pump closes and sunset draws nears it quiets down a lot unless there is wind.

Restrooms and shower areas need to be redone. Needs paint and new fixtures. Public restrooms were in much better shape. Staff were very good and helpful. Is is a shame that the bathrooms and showers are such an embarrassment.

One of our absolutely favorite stops traveling up and down the East Coast. We usually stay on a mooring ball, but opted for the marina this trip. Glad we did with TS Claudette in the area! We were safely tied to the dock with some fierce wind and rain conditions. The staff is always wonderful and we adore Sunshine in the marina store. The restaurants and shops in downtown are always wonderful. However, we really miss that marina car! We had a minor medical emergency and there are no Uber/Lyft services in Beaufort. The only taxi company didn't return calls and the issue didn't allow for walking or biking. Fortunately, we knew someone in the area who was in town to help. The marina car was a vital amenity to boaters and it will be sorely missed!

The dock staff was great. I can't remember the guy's name but he keeps a sailboat at the same marina. Super helpful!!

Everything about my stay was great except the base wifi was worthless. Guess that's why they call it free!

Great facility awesome people. Beaufort is a beautiful town and the waterfront and restaurants were great. This is a must stop!

Nice Marina with a spectacular staff! We had an incident while we were there and the staff, particularly Jason and the dockmaster Mike, went above and beyond to make certain that we were happy and well taken care of! In addition, it's a lovely setting and right in the middle of the historic district.

Safe Harbor Beaufort, SC is in a GREAT location and the dockhands were great! - However, the bathrooms were the dirtiest that we have ever encountered. The docks appear to be in the process of refurbishment, but still not in great shape, And the derelict vessels at the dock entrance flying Trump 2020 flags (this is 2021) need to be moved, or disposed of. As a Safe Harbor Marina member, it makes me question what a Safe Harbor Marina is?

Great staff and great Marina!

The dock staff were responsive on the radio and helpful with tying up and on departure. The locks to access the laundry and women's restroom do not function well - making it very difficult to get in. There is poor/ no ventilation in the ladies room, rusted open bolts on the toilets at the floor, paper towel dispenser not working, mold on the floor and walls of the shower.

Great place deck hands are very helpful

We enjoyed our stay while in Beaufort with Safe Harbor. Good location and helpful people within short walking distance of our hotel. Can’t give them 5 stars unfortunately because the second day while we were out at dafuskie someone took our docking location next to the rest of our party (we had reserved 2 spaces for both boats). The marina did call us to tell us as well as possible locations where we could tie up, but it was aggravating because we returned after dark. It also bothered us that the boat that apparently didn’t pay and just tied up was on the front row near the fuel dock where you would think they walked right past the deck hands? Overall good experience, just wish we could have known our space was safe since we reserved it in advance.

Most accommodating, as usual. Still a lovely town.

Update - I would highly recommend SafeHarbour just do away with the pump out boat altogether. Once again we spent the week on a ball and requested a pump out and were told they would be done Wednesday. Wednesday had nasty weather so no surprise it wasn't done but it still had not been done when we left Saturday. If you're not going to do it don't offer it! Everyone was very nice and accommodating on check in. We had reserved a ball for a week plus and requested a pump out. Evidently the pump out boat was being repaired when we arrived but they indicated the mechanic would have them up and running the next day. We asked repeatedly throughout our stay and were told they would get to it "that afternoon or first thing in the morning". We would have brought the boat to the dock if anyone had simply asked. The most important rule in customer service is say what you'll do and do what you say. Not a good showing.

Great location, beautiful marina and great service!!! Everyone was so welcoming and super helpful!! Beaufort is a beautiful town rich in history and you can walk to everything from this marina!!!

This time we stay on the dock because there were no mooring balls available for our size boat. Staff was very helpful with docking, fueling and relocation us to my spot on the dock. Spent extra day here to provision for the next leg. A+ raining. Thanks, Captain Mike

On a mooring. Great spot close to all the restaurants and shops. $30 a night gets you showed, laundry, etc.

This was our 1st time at this Marina and it was a great experience. Everyone was helpful from the dock staff to the Ship Store. Sunshine was especially helpful and very friendly. There were restaurants within walking distance and the food was great as well. We will be back! The only suggestion could give is to offer bait at the Ship Store so this is a one-stop-shop. Thanks again!

Very nice little marina located in the heart of old town Beaufort. The historic district is stunning. Be sure to take a walk or jog amongst the old homes and giant live oaks. The rejuvenated downtown area has sufficient diversity of restaurants and shops to entertain most folks for a short stopover. The marina has a decent tidal swing so currents can be significant but given the orientation of the dock this should not pose any big challenge even for novices as long as is mindful mindful of the tide. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Will stay again! ++++++++++ I have now stayed at this marina three times in the past 1.5 yrs. Each time has been a positive experience. Fuel cheap and pump out easy. Very short walk to terra firma (for those with disabilities, or dogs!). There is also a good selection of restaurants close by (although none would make it to a Michelin guide - LoL!). The walk through the historic district is a must see. More importantly, although the current can be significant, the main pier runs perfectly parallel to the current so docking was not too difficult even with full running tide. And the dock office is right there so deck hands are close by (and very helpful). An additional note: It seems Safe Harbor has expanded its blackout dates for black card holders to include all of May....

Great marina, great staff

Very convenient to a nice town. Staff most helpful.

Great location and crew was helpful

Great helpful dock hands. Current is strong. Right in town. Fuel pump on t dock.Easy to tour historic area. Horse drawn carriage tour great! Good food. Shopping great!

We didn't take advantage of any of the amenities, but the ease of grabbing a ball at 8pm and paying for it online was nice. The marina store was nice.

Nice place, showers could us a bit of sprucing, dock hand did not show up on our departure day, waited over an hour for a pump out, late start.

Very nice location. The staff friendly and efficient. They are replacing the bad board on the dock. Should be done soon.

Great stop nice people Great food within walking distance

Our Power Squadron had an awesome time!

These folks are tops!

Always a nice time at Safe Harbor in Beaufort, one of our favorite spots.

Great staff Troy and the team were extremely accomdating with diesel, pump out, docking and every other request. Tide rips ask for advice for tie ups. Town is quant, great stop on our trip north from Florida. Navigation from the inlet to the marina (20nm) has plenty of water. We at Panini restaurant which has great pizza, salads, paninis - I would come back for that.

Docks are in poor shape, restrooms and showers are in need of renovation. WIFI did not work. Staff and location are great.

Very helpful dock hands, great location. Did have a lot of boat wakes.

Perfect Easter quick mooring ball overnighter

This is a convenient location to enjoy a visit to Beaufort SC. Next to a beautiful waterfront park your dog will love. Lots of nearby restaurants and shops.

Safe Harbor Beaufort is a great stop. Dock hands are most helpful and full of great info about town. Facilities are clean. At the end of the dock the wi-fi is weak but we weren't there for the wi-fi.

The dock hands were great. Troy advised us on the best approach and got us safely secure on the dock. Ship store went well beyond the call of duty when our daughter’s lost phone was turned in to them and they mailed it to our next port of call. Wow! Thank you Heidi and Sunshine. Y’all are the best! What a nice bunch of folks. Showers were hot and clean. Docks are parallel with the channel so easy docking with the current. Thanks wonderful team. Check out the walking tour of Beaufort from Janet’s walking tours. Janet is an amazing tour guide. We learned a lot.

Nice marina. Facilities clean. Staff friendly and helpful. Beaufort is right off the dock. Easy walk anywhere. A great place to stop.

We dock in Beaufort several times a year. We love it, the Dock masters; Mike, Troy and Kyle are very friendly and and helpful.

Great Stop on our way down the icw. A bit of a current bu east enough. Easy in and out. Great little city right at shore and the carriage tour right in the parking lot. Defiantly worth it for us.

Friendly staff. Great stop. Lots of shops within walking distance.

Dockmaster very professional and helpful. Walking distance to all restaurants and cute ships store.

Great stay on a mooring ball at Safe Harbor Beaufort. Great pick up float! Captain loved that his hand didn’t get slimy! One suggestion for here, and all marinas, is to have a map of the marina and/or mooring field on their website. Properly labeled map, and moorings that are labeled, would make for easier communication with dock/office about which moorings are available or suitable for boat size.

great stay, dock attendants were very helpful. Close to shopping and bike path. We had to extend our stay and they were flexible with us.

Great marina in a sweet southern town!

The staff in the store were supper nice and helpful. No of the employees wore mask . And of course none of the Covid rules were enforced . The bathrooms/ laundry were dirty . The dock hands were professional and very helpful .

Great location and friendly staff. The marina is older and a bit worn with narrower dock walkways. Be mindful of the current speed and direction when docking, but nothing of great concern. Overall great stay with lots of walking paths and restaurants nearby. Would recommend this marina for a short stay.

I love this marina and town. I have been here several times, on a mooring, and the marina staff are the friendliest and nicest. The town is amazing with great areas to walk, the Spanish Moss Trail to walk/bike, Enterprise Car Rental within biking distance, unique local businesses and have to give a special thanks to the coffee shop on the waterfront, Common Ground.

This could be a showcase marina for Safe Harbor, except for two things. 1) It is unsafe. The docks are uneven, with some planks protruding above others by almost 1/2". I tripped over one, stubbing my toe, which fortunately didn't break, but my toe is swollen and discolored, and I will probably lose my nail on that toe. And this was with Deck Shoes on! 2) I've never seen such a collection of decrepit scows.

WiFi slow

We picked up a mooring later I the afternoon. I had called twice to see if there were any available but both dock hands had no idea of the vacancy in the field. Both young men were very pleasant and tried to offer advice. I am just not sure having everything thru Dockwa, there couldn’t have been a more definitive answer. The biggest complaint is the cleanliness of the women’s bathroom/showers. We stayed 2 nights and the first night, I had to clean a large clump of hair from the shower drain so there wasn’t standing water. There was clumps of dry hair and garbage on the floor as well. I hoped someone would have cleaned the bathroom within a 24 hour period but when I used the shower again on Sunday night, nothing had been cleaned and all hair/garbage was still on the floor. We have stayed here for the past 6 cruising seasons as we transit the ICW, but I am sorry to say, the conditions are worse now than when it was the City Marina Also, not one employee was wearing a mask, including the woman in the ship’s store. The sign stated I couldn’t enter without a mask, the same should be said to the employees

The harbormaster and crew are great but the place is in need of an overhaul. Cleats are being pulled off, deck boards are beyond their useable life and the ones replaced are trip hazards. The pump out is not at full strength. I love staying here but it some attention.

Great marina right in town. Docks are nice.

Wonderful Great easy walk downtown Friendly staff with a great Southern welcome for us!

Friendly staff nice facilities lots to do in town great stop

Clean and friendly marina. Beautiful and convenient location. Can’t wait to go back.

Great marina. Friendly staff and very helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

I’ve always enjoyed the downtown location of this marina and now it is even better. The Safe Harbor management/dock team is fantastic. Thanks for a great stay.

Kyle is a huge asset to Safe Harbor! He is very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our stay their very much. He was able to accommodate us at the last minute when we did not have a reservation.

Had a great time. Staff was super friendly and courteous. Short walk to downtown.

Friendly and beautiful. Easy access to downtown Beaufort. Outer dock aligned with tidal currents made docking easy. Facilities older but clean and well-maintained. We will definitely make this a regular stop.

We were a group of 4 boats part of the Lake Murray Power Squadron doing a trip from Charleston to Hilton Head for the holiday weekend and decided to keep our boats here. Very friendly personnel, easy in and out and perfect location for exploring Beaufort. Special shout out to Kyle and Troy for their hospitality and helpfulness.

We love sailing our sailboat BabyGirl to this marina from Windmill harbour. The dock staff is very friendly and helpful. In my experience the bathrooms are clean but need updating. The Marina store is not always open (or it wasn't on the Sunday before Memorial Day which we thought was not good as we needed supplies- we have never encountered this issue before but that was disappointing) We often have to ask for codes/wifi password. Overall, we do enjoy coming here as Downtown Bft is steps away!

Troy, Kyle and team always step up beyond the call. Love this place. Bill The Boots DeBusk

Great staff and facilities, excellent proximity to a walk to town. I planned our arrival at slack water, so made docking easy. Currents can be swift here. Plenty of water depth on outside face. Only downside, pretty buggy in the am and pm which made it a bit uncomfortable, but with all the marshes, cannot be helped.

Staff is super. Nice facilities. Currents are strong due to tides yet manageable. Beaufort is a nice southern city to walk or tour.

The dockhand met us at the slip to help us dock. I prefer direct bookings as opposed to dockwa but with the way Safe Harbor is buying up marinas I guess i'll get used to it. The docks were in good shape and they have a pump out station and boat which we did not use. The bathrooms were a little further than some but were clean and each dock has a substantial locking gate for security. Access to downtown is very good and there are shops and restaurants to please most everyone.

A real disappointment. Docks are old and in poor repair Mem's bathouse:terrible walls covered with dried soap which shows they haven't been cleaned in a long time. Apparently the ventilation system doesn't work since there was a box fan set on high to circulate some air. Sinks were dirty In the future I'll stay at the family owned Port Royal Landing Marina Beaufort is a nice little town but it looks like Safe Harbor isn't putting in any improvements. The office staff didn't provide access codes but lots of advertisement literature. Overall, I want a refund. One small bright spot dock staff was polite and got us docked safely. Zero stars

Location, dock and attendant were great. Bathrooms, particularly the showers were not clean.

Easy in and out. Nice staff very helpful getting tied up. Bathrooms need help. But did have good washer dryer facility.

Love the people at the marina; very very helpful; bathrooms/shower area could be updated.

Bathrooms and showers VERY dirty! They don't have to be stylish but they should be clean!! Staff seemed ambivalent when I mentioned this.

Safe Harbor Marina was a great stop as we cruised south. Perfect location among great restaurants n historical sights... all within walking distance. Kyle, the dockmaster, was friendly n helpful and the lovely ladies in the office were kind n informative. Showers n coin laundry ($1.75) were clean. Ship store sold wine n beer among other treasures. We even had instacart deliver groceries right to the marina 👍🏼 No car, no problem! Definitely recommend n will be back. Thank you!

Good docks. Showers ok. Town makes it worth the stop. Great restaurants and the Marina has a good ship store

The dock crew was efficient and very helpful. The dock was clean and neat.

Docks are in good condition and dock staff are friendly and very helpful!

Docks in okay shape. Dockmaster and staff were friendly. Has laundry, showers and bathrooms and dock gate under coded key. Ship's store has coffee (not free). Mostly stocked with souvenir items. Has an ATM. Great location. Tide runs strong through the floating docks. Fuel located on facing dock.