David Isom, general manager at Safe Harbor Charleston City, isn’t afraid to tell megayacht owners the truth: “The captain is the happiest when the crew get off the boat. If the crew get stuck in the boat, that’s when all the drama happens.”
Charleston, the most-populous city in South Carolina, gives owners and crew alike lots of reasons to spend days or weeks ashore. The marina’s location on the downtown peninsula makes it a well-positioned home base.
“We have shuttles to Market Street, King Street, Meeting Street—that’s world-class restaurants, world-class shops, all kinds of vendors that set up and sell historical artifacts from Charleston,” Isom says. “It changes all the time. There’s a new restaurant popping up every few months, it seems.”
The marina’s Megadock, with about a mile of linear dockage, has welcomed yachts as big as the 454-foot Lürssen Rising Sun. There are 15 high-speed fuel dispensers that can pump up to 150 gallons per minute in-slip, and for foreign-owned superyachts without standard American shore power—which means crew can’t shut down the generators— the marina just invested in frequency converters.
“The crew love it,” Isom says. “It solves the problem, and it gives them a chance to service the engines while they’re in the water.”
The city’s location is also appealing for shelter in a storm. “Charleston is the perfect place to get weathered in because of the robust Megadock system,” he says. “You’re protected. And it’s Charleston. There’s so many things to do and see.”
Historic District
People call Charleston’s Historic District a living museum of cobblestone streets and nicely preserved churches, mansions and landmarks for architecture buffs to admire. The city dates back to 1670 and was a significant port location for the original colonies. The Preservation Society of Charleston, formed in 1920, was the first organization in the United States dedicated to protecting historic buildings. Charleston City Market is a favorite stop for visitors, with clothing, handcrafted artwork and local favorites such as collectible seagrass baskets. The City Market itself is a historical gem, standing on land gifted to Charleston with a rule that it must always be used as a public market.
Built to Go Big
Piles at Safe Harbor Charleston City are made with 36-inch steel pipe that is 100 feet long. There are 67 of them on the Megadock, so multiple superyachts can tie up at once.
