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Excursions:
This page provides information on our standard and
custom trips. Bear with us---this is yet another long
page. We feel that if we provide a reasonable amount of
information up front (on the web site, by phone, or email),
you will be better able to choose and discuss with us your
coastal adventure.
Departure points and times will be arranged as we confirm
your reservations. In general, a 5 day minimum lead time is
required to schedule a trip. We may be available on shorter
notice, but can't guarantee this. We will provide maps,
directions and other information you may need to make your
trip successful. As always, we encourage your questions and
comments. Clear communication and planning between us is
the key to a coastal excursion that you will long remember.
We invite organized groups to contact us for special
arrangements and pricing. This includes Scout Troops, USPS,
USCG Aux, Birding Clubs, Photography Organizations, etc.
Please note custom trips below for suggestions.
A note about fishing: I really don't have the expertise to
sell myself as a fishing guide. Depending on trip
conditions (give us a call to discuss—this can fit in for
some boat trips), you’re welcome to bring fishing equipment
and give it a try. You will need a Ga. fishing license.
However, if your interest runs to serious fishing, there a
number of good off-shore and in-shore guides in the area.
Drop us a note and we'll be glad to give you some
references.
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Standard
Excursions
Little Tybee
Exploration:
Little Tybee covers about 15 square miles (~10,000 acres) of
uninhabited marshland, creeks, ocean front beach, and
islands. By comparison, this is about four times the area
of Tybee Island. The terrain varies from high ground
islands (about 25 islands ranging in size from greater than
2miles to a few acres), ocean front beach (approximately 5
miles), dozens of miles of estuarine creeks (from boat width
to a couple of hundred yards wide), many acres of high and
low stands of marsh, and high salt-flat areas. (see the
aerial photo on the
Photos page of this
site) Touring this area allows you to see the full range
of habitats of a barrier island ecosystem. All of the
sucessional stages, from offshore bar to maritime forest,
are present. The area abounds with shore birds and
porpoises are frequent visitors to the creeks. All of the
plant species common to this ecosystem are present. In
summary, the opportunity for hiking, beach combing, nature
observation and just riding the creeks are bundled together
on Little Tybee.
This trip can require a bit of agility and endurance. While you
may stay aboard the boat and see many of the significant
features of the area, it is more enjoyable to disembark and
do some on foot exploring. With the large boat, we must
anchor and go ashore in the dingy. Small boat tours allow
us to land directly but one still has to step out of the
boat on to soft sand. During the summer heat may be a
factor for some people. Fortunately, if you are bothered
with the heat, spring, fall and winter present many days
with comfortable temperatures.
Trips Available:
Large Boat---Available
Small Boat---To be announced when Available
Wassaw Island Exploration:
Warsaw Island is a National Wildlife Refuge which is
administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is open
to the public for day trips. (USFWS
Wassaw Website) This island is the youngest and
least impacted by man of all of the areas barrier islands.
The refuge is approximately 10,000 acres including a single
barrier island (Wassaw) and several smaller interior
islands. Over three quarters of the refuge is comprised of
salt marshes, with about one quarter categorized as beach,
dune, and forest habitat. Warsaw Island is 5.5 miles long,
from .5 to 1-mile wide, with 7 miles of ocean beach. A
series of lower dune ridges parallels the main ridge.
Numerous depressions and ponds lie between these ridges.
Starting with a bare sand beach, a succession of vegetative
habitats provide for an abundance of wildlife species. Here
you will find magnificent old-growth stands of live oak and
a mixed pine/hardwood climax forest. This is an excellent
tour for bird watching and landscape/nature photography.
One may observe many species, from shore birds to those
living in classical maritime forest habitats. The beaches,
dunes and forests can yield many spectacular landscape
shots.
For this trip, a dock is available for embarking on the island.
Your feet provide the transport, but there are well marked
trails on the island. As always, this coastal area can get
quite warm during the summer, and you will definitely need
your bug repellent. This is an excellent fall, spring, and
most winter days destination.
Trips Available:
Large Boat---Available
Blackbeard Island Exploration:
Blackbeard
Island is a National Wildlife Refuge which is administered
by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is open to the
public for day trips.
(USFWS
Blackbeard Website) Blackbeard is a barrier
island of approximately 5,600 acres and 7 miles of ocean
front and sound beach. The refuge includes a 3,000-acre
National Wilderness area of salt marsh and pine forest on
the south end of the island. The north end of Blackbeard is
vegetated with palmettos, live oaks and hardwoods. Two
freshwater ponds are a haven for ducks, wading birds, and
alligators. In winter bald eagles and peregrine falcons are
often seen while walking the beach. In the summer, flocks
of black skimmers, terns, and brown pelicans congregate
along the beach front. The forested interior of the island
is home to warblers, painted buntings and songbirds. Deer,
raccoons, possums, and a number of other terrestrial species
make their home here. A few miles south of Blackbeard is
Wolf Island and the Altamaha River delta. This vicinity is
considered to be one of the premier birding areas in the
western hemisphere. Additionally the dock from which the
trip departs is within the Harris Neck Refuge (USFWS
Harris Neck Website)
As with Warsaw, a dock is available for embarking on the
island. Your feet provide the transport, but there are well
marked trails on the island. As always, this coastal area
can get quite warm during the summer, and you will
definitely need your bug repellent. This is an excellent
fall, spring, and most winter days destination.
Trips Available:
Large Boat---Available
Standard Excursion Prices:
We currently offer trips using 24’ boat and intend to
add 16’ boat trips in the near future (“large boat” and
“small boat” respectively—see
About Us page for
boat descriptions). Pricing is based on time, from leaving
the dock to time returning to dock, rather than
destination/activities.
Large Boat (LV) Price Schedule:
Up to six passengers with a minimum of 4 hours underway.
Four
Hours:----------------------------------------------------------------------------
$280
Four to Eight Hours additional per
hour:--------------------------------------$ 30
Eight to Twelve Hours additional per
hour:---------------------------------- $ 20
Small Boat (SV) Price Schedule:
Up to Three passengers with a minimum of 2 hours underway.
Two
Hours:-------------------------------------------------------------------------
$ To be Announced
Two to Eight Hours additional per
hour:----------------------------------$ To be Announced
Custom
Excursions and Pricing:
We will be pleased to arrange custom trips based on your
specific needs and desires. This offers you the ability to
plan a wide range of activities and schedules. Such things
as overnight cruises, support for island camping trips,
support for paddling trip groups, club or organized group
trips, and various specific inter-coastal destinations
/cruises are possibilities. Basically, if it isn’t unsafe or
illegal, we will be pleased to help you schedule and plan
your trip. If you contact us by the online form, just put
"custom" in the "Trip Requested" box and a note about what
you wish in the "Add'l Info/Comments" box. Once what you
need is established, we will quote a price for that specific
excursion.
Here are some group suggestions:
---Scout Troops may wish to plan a “learn about the
marsh/Barrier Islands” weekend. We can help with activity
agendas, accommodations, setting up instructors, and boat
trips for this type of adventure.
---USPS and USCG Aux—Just finish P or AP and like some on
water practice? We offer a weekend (or weekdays if you
wish) Accommodation and Navigation boat trip package. We
keep a sextant aboard for any JN or N folks that wish to
practice sights (we attempt to enhance this experience by
finding fair sized swells and laying beam on).
---Birding or Photography Organizations---Warsaw and
Blackbeard / Wolf Island are excellent areas to observe
numerous species or get good landscape shots. You have
considerable flexibility to arrange your transport,
activities, and schedule to suite your trip
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