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1. Safety Awareness

• Please follow all South Carolina Department of Natural Resources boating regulations.
• Caution should be exercised at all public boat ramps. Tides, currents, and natural conditions can greatly affect usage of ramps at any time. Serious drop-offs may be present at low tide.
• Two boat landings, Shem Creek and WO Thomas, Jr, have a life preserver (PFD) loaner program. This service is provided by a private business, and PFD availability is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Please lock your vehicles and remove valuables from view. The Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission is not responsible for any lost, damaged or stolen property.
  
  

2. Selecting a Boat Landing

When choosing a boat landing, please be aware that the following boat landings generally have the highest traffic volume, especially on weekends and holidays:

• Folly Beach
• Wappoo Cut (West Ashley)
• Remley’s Point (Mount Pleasant)
• Shem Creek (Mount Pleasant)
• WO Thomas Jr. (North Charleston)
• Battery Island/Sol Legare (James Island)
• Riverland Terrace (James Island)

The following boat landings are not used as frequently as those listed above:

• Dawhoo Landing (Edisto Island)
• Steamboat (Edisto Island)
• Pierpoint on Church Creek, West Ashley
• Penny Creek, Willtown Area
• Gadsonville on the Copahee Sound, Mount Pleasant
• Paradise on the Wando River, Mount Pleasant

The following boat landings are suited more for canoes and kayaks; launching standard-sized or larger boats at these landings is not recommended:

• Penny Creek, Willtown Area
• Gadsonville on the Copahee Sound, Mount Pleasant
• Pierpoint, on Church Creek in West Ashley
• Willtown Bluff, Adams Run

3. Boat Landing Etiquette & Tips

• Boat and trailer maintenance should be done prior to your arrival at the landing.
• When arriving at a landing or preparing to launch, please be courteous of other boaters. Use the make-ready lanes to prepare your boat for launching. After launching, please move away from the ramp to allow other boaters to launch. If you need to tie off your boat after launching, please do not stay at the dock for an extended period of time.
• It is unlawful to utilize the parking spaces dedicated for vehicles with boat trailers for parking vehicles on weekends or holidays.
• Understand the rules and regulations of the water. South Carolina Department of Resources is a valuable resource.
• Before leaving the house, make sure you have everything you need for a great day on the water.
• Check your fuel levels.
• Make sure someone who is not going with you knows your plan.
• Make sure the boat is plugged before launching your boat.
• Practice makes perfect! Weekdays and after work are great times to work on boating skills.
• Vehicles should be locked and valuables removed from view. CCPRC is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or stolen property.
• Pack it in. Pack it out.

4. America's Waterway Watch

America's Waterway Watch, a combined effort of the Coast Guard and its Reserve and Auxiliary components, enlists the active participation of those who live, work, or play around America's waterfront areas.To report suspicious activity, please call the National Response Center at 877-249-2824. If there is immediate danger to life or property, Call 9-1-1, or call the Coast Guard on Marine Channel 16.

5. Cooper River Marina

Don't forget that the Cooper River Marina ships' store is there for all of your boating needs, clean restrooms, and cold beverages. Conveniently located two miles north of the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge and 15 minutes from historic downtown Charleston, the Cooper River Marina is a great facility for recreational and transient boaters.

Features

• Deep water slips: long-term up to 42-feet, LOA; transients up to 125-ft.
• No draft or height restrictions
• Easy harbor access
• 30 amp/120V service
• Floating concrete docks
• Shore side and slip side pump-out service
• Clean, climate-controlled captains lounge, laundry facilities, showers, and restrooms
• Ships store/convenience store
• Experienced staff
• Fax and email service, WiFi
• Competitive rates
• Ample free parking
• Docking assistance
• Up-to-the-minute local and national weather information
• Gated security
• Boat yard storage
• VHF Channel 16 monitoring

6. Pack It In, Pack It Out.

In an effort to keep the boat landings clean and safe for both humans and wildlife, we encourage a pack it in, pack it out program that to reduce impacts during their visit by remembering that what is brought to the boat landing should be removed from the boat landing at the end of each visit. Pack it in, pack it out is part of the Seven Principles of the Leave No Trace program. The principles provide guidance to enjoy our natural world in a sustainable way that avoids human-created impacts.