Sanlorenzo SD132133' 6" (40.7 m)
View Specs & ReviewTwo rivers, two ceilings — a refit-and-transit stop, not a home port
Yachting in Savannah
A Minted Location · Savannah, Georgia
Before you plan anything around Savannah, work out which river you are going to. The answer changes the boat you can bring by a factor of four.
The Savannah River is the deepwater route. Sixteen miles up from the Atlantic, on Hutchinson Island directly opposite River Street, IGY Savannah Harbor Marina has no air-draft restriction, no beam restriction and a maximum draft of 40 ft across 95 slips, twenty of them superyacht berths. Further upriver, west of downtown, Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht Center takes transient vessels from 80 ft to 400 ft on 72 ft of beam and 195 ft of height. There is no bridge in front of either of those numbers.
The Wilmington River and the Intracoastal are a different waterway with different physics. The approach to the yacht service yard at ICW Mile 582 carries 12 ft of draft under 65 ft of bridge clearance. One mile further along at Mile 583, Thunderbolt Marine hauls vessels approaching 200 ft on a 1,200-ton Syncrolift. Both things are true at once — serious hulls are worked on at Thunderbolt, and they get there under a 65 ft ceiling on 12 ft of water.
That split is the whole market. A 250 ft yacht does not reach Thunderbolt at all; it comes up the river to Hutchinson Island or to the yard west of town.
The rest of it reads the same way: this is a refit-and-transit stop, not a home port. The resident fleet caps at 40 to 125 ft — the marina at the north end of Skidaway Island tops out at 40 ft in the water — and the big facilities book by the day. Thunderbolt Marine publishes dockage "only on a daily basis", extending to multi-week stays only outside its peak season. Boats come here to be worked on and to keep going.
Where to keep a yacht in Savannah
On the Savannah River. IGY Savannah Harbor Marina sits on Hutchinson Island opposite River Street, 16 miles from the Atlantic and 6 miles from the ICW, with 95 slips of which 20 are superyacht berths, gas and diesel, and a marina staffed around the clock. Maximum draft is 40 ft, with no air-draft restriction and no beam restriction — the part that actually matters, because it is what the ICW cannot offer at any length.
Maximum length is where you have to be careful. The marina map gives 820 ft; the operator's own news release of 30 June 2025 gives 350 ft. Plan against 350 ft and confirm anything larger with the marina by phone.
Upriver and west of downtown, Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht Center publishes transient slips from 80 ft to 400 ft, dry storage to 450 ft, maximum beam 72 ft and maximum height 195 ft, with an 80-ton crane on a 130 ft maximum boom and trades covering paint, welding, engines and rigging.
Downtown itself is public dockage, not a marina. The City runs recreational docks at Rousakis Plaza — Dock 2 gives 300 ft of face — and at Eastern Wharf, which gives 800 ft. Both are first come, first served, capped at one to three nights, with the first three hours complimentary on your arrival day and $1.50 per linear foot per day after that, card only.
On the Wilmington River and the ICW. Thunderbolt Marine occupies 25 acres at ICW Mile 583 with 750 ft of floating dock, gas and diesel with volume pricing above 1,000 gallons, and dockage at $2.25 per foot per day plus utilities. It hauls to 1,200 tons by Syncrolift and 150 tons by Marine Travelift, taking vessels approaching 200 ft on up to 15 ft of draft — read that against the 12 ft published for the approach.
Isle of Hope Marina is the ICW's own big-boat stop: 4,000 ft of concrete docks including 600 ft of deep-water face dock described as capable of taking mega-yachts, with a Mega Yacht Dock stated for vessels up to 220 ft, gas and diesel with volume discounts, $2.45 per foot per day and $15.75 per foot per week on the face dock.
Then the ladder drops sharply, and this is the real Savannah. Savannah Marina on Turner Creek has 140 slips and 6,274 linear feet of dockage but caps at 125 ft on an average depth of 10 ft, and its fuel dock lists gas and diesel as a future amenity, not yet available — call before you route a fuel stop through it. Delegal Creek Marina at the south end of Skidaway Island takes 125 ft across 57 slips. Bull River Marina takes 100 ft. Landings Harbor Marina at the north end of Skidaway takes 40 ft in the water and 30 ft on the rack. Forty feet at one end of this market and 820 ft at the other — both are Savannah.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGY Savannah Harbor MarinaThe deepwater end of the market: 95 slips of which 20 are superyacht berths, 16 miles from the Atlantic and 6 miles from the ICW. Maximum draft 40 ft, air draft no restrictions and maximum beam no restrictions — the combination the Intracoastal side of this market cannot offer at any length. Maximum length is published two ways: 820 ft on the marina map and 350 ft in the operator's news release of 30 June 2025. Plan against 350 ft and confirm anything larger by phone. | Hutchinson Island — Savannah River, directly opposite River Street | 820 ft | 95 | Gas and diesel |
| Isle of Hope MarinaThe ICW's big-boat stop in this market: 4,000 ft of concrete docks including 600 ft of deep-water face dock the marina describes as capable of accommodating mega-yachts, with a Mega Yacht Dock stated for vessels up to 220 ft against a 200 ft standard. A loaner car is available for up to two hours. | 50 West Bluff Drive, Isle of Hope — directly on the Intracoastal Waterway | 220 ft | — | Gas and diesel, with volume discounts |
| Rousakis Plaza and Eastern Wharf Recreational DocksThe City's own public dockage, and the real mechanism for stepping ashore downtown. Rousakis Dock 2 offers 300 ft of face and Eastern Wharf offers 800 ft. Published rules: no rafting up or tying alongside another vessel, you must carry your own gangway and fenders, and the head may not be used unless the boat has an operating holding tank. No fuel on either dock. Register on (912) 651-3634, and confirm your length on the same call. | Downtown Savannah River — River Street and Eastern Wharf | — | — | — |
| Savannah MarinaFormerly Sail Harbor. Publishes 140 slips, 6,274 linear feet of dockage, an average depth of 10 ft, power to 100 amp and no beam restrictions. Its 500 ft of deep-water face dock is described as capable of accommodating mega-yachts against a maximum LOA of 125 ft — plan against 125 ft. | 606 Wilmington Island Road — Turner Creek | 125 ft | 140 | Fuel dock on site; gas and diesel are listed as a future amenity and are not yet available — call before you route a fuel stop here |
| Delegal Creek MarinaThe southern of the two Landings marinas, adjacent to the Intracoastal and within close proximity of Ossabaw Sound, with fish cleaning stations and kayak rentals. | South end of Skidaway Island — adjacent to the ICW, close to Ossabaw Sound | 125 ft | 57 | Fuel dock on site — call for grades |
| Bull River MarinaDescribes itself as a deep water marina with deep water access from both directions, at N 32°02.086′ / W 080°57.557′ — the practical fuel and dockage stop on the run east toward Tybee. | 8005 US-80, east Wilmington Island — the Bull River | 100 ft | — | Gas and diesel — Colonial Marine diesel and ethanol-free gasoline |
| Landings Harbor MarinaTwenty-nine wet slips to 40 ft, 292 dry racks to 30 ft and 12 kayak spaces. This is the resident-fleet ceiling in Savannah, at the far end of the market from the 820 ft published on the river downtown. | North end of Skidaway Island — Wilmington River, near Wassaw Sound | 40 ft | 29 | Fuel dock on site — call for grades |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah Yacht ClubThe private club on the Intracoastal side of the market, one mile south of mile marker 585 near marker 38. Dockage, fuel and race dates are arranged with the club directly. | 730 Bradley Point Road, Whitemarsh Island — Wilmington River, one mile south of ICW mile marker 585, near marker 38 | — | — | — |
Fuel docks
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isle of Hope Marina Fuel DockThe most convenient fuel stop directly on the Intracoastal in this market, on the same 4,000 ft of concrete dock that takes the big transient hulls. | 50 West Bluff Drive, Isle of Hope — on the ICW | — | — | Gas and diesel, with volume discounts |
| Thunderbolt Marine Fuel DockVolume pricing above 1,000 gallons — the detail that matters if you are filling a large hull on the way through rather than topping off. | 3124 River Drive, Thunderbolt — ICW Mile 583 | — | — | Gas and diesel, with volume pricing above 1,000 gallons |
| Bull River Marina Fuel DockEthanol-free gasoline is the reason to note this one specifically, on a marina with deep water access from both directions. | 8005 US-80, east Wilmington Island — the Bull River | — | — | Gas and diesel — Colonial Marine diesel and ethanol-free gasoline |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Savannah
Two routes, and they are not interchangeable — plan the boat around the one you need.
The Savannah River is the deepwater approach: 16 miles from the Atlantic to Hutchinson Island, with no air-draft restriction and no beam restriction anywhere on it, and a maximum draft of 40 ft at the marina. It is also a working commercial port — the Georgia Ports Authority runs 40 ship calls and 42 doublestack trains a week and 14,000 truck gate moves a day — so the yacht berths on Hutchinson Island sit directly across a deep-water container channel.
The Wilmington River and the ICW are capped at 65 ft of bridge clearance on 12 ft of draft at Mile 582. Thunderbolt Marine, a mile further along at Mile 583, hauls up to 15 ft of draft. Take the lower figure for the approach and the higher one as what the yard can lift once you are there.
Savannah Yacht Club puts itself on the Intracoastal one mile south of mile marker 585, near marker 38; Isle of Hope Marina sits directly on the waterway; Delegal Creek Marina is adjacent to it at the south end of Skidaway Island, close to Ossabaw Sound; Landings Harbor is at the north end, near Wassaw Sound.
Tides here are not a detail. NOAA station 8670870 at Fort Pulaski publishes a mean range of 6.92 ft and a great diurnal range of 7.5 ft on the 1983–2001 epoch, with MHHW at 11.0 ft and MLLW at 3.5 ft on station datum. Seven feet of swing governs every shallow crossing on this stretch and every fixed-bridge clearance you read.
Distances along the ICW. Hilton Head — Harbour Town at Mile 565 — lies roughly 17 to 18 statute miles north of Thunderbolt at Miles 582 to 583. St. Simons and the Golden Isles, at mile marker 675, are about 92 to 93 statute miles south.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht CenterThe Savannah River's refit facility: wet and transient berths to 400 ft, dry storage to 450 ft, maximum beam 72 ft and maximum height 195 ft, with a crane rated to 80 tons on a 130 ft maximum boom and trades covering paint, welding, engines and rigging. | 301 North Lathrop Avenue — Savannah River, west of downtown | 400 ft | Transient slips from 80 ft to 400 ft |
| Thunderbolt MarineA 25-acre yard with 750 ft of floating dock and fourteen trades in house including paint, machining, composites and joinery. It hauls to 1,200 tons by Syncrolift and 150 tons by Marine Travelift, taking vessels approaching 200 ft on up to 15 ft of draft. Read that against the ICW approach at 12 ft of draft under 65 ft of bridge clearance — the yard can lift more than the waterway can deliver. Dockage here is transient capacity rather than a home port. | 3124 River Drive, Thunderbolt — Wilmington River, ICW Mile 583 at marker 35 | 200 ft | Dockage on a daily basis at $2.25 per foot per day plus utilities; multi-week requests accommodated outside of peak season |
Chandleries & specialty suppliers
- River Supply and River Services — 2827 River Drive, ThunderboltServing Savannah marine customers since 1990 from 30,000 sq ft across three warehouses, 25,000 sq ft of it climate-controlled, stocking Awlgrip, Interlux, Pettit and 3M. The River Services side covers life raft, fire and safety equipment. This is the chandlery that makes the Thunderbolt yards workable.
On the Savannah calendar
The one date built around the water is the Savannah Boat Show, 12–14 March 2027, which runs at the Convention Center and at IGY Savannah Harbor Marina, after the 2026 edition introduced in-water displays at the inner basin and the superyacht docks.
Two land events fill the waterfront and the hotels, so plan a transit around them rather than through them: the St. Patrick's Day parade on 17 March, stepping off at 08:00 and running continuously since 1824, and Tybee Island Pirate Fest, 8–11 October 2026.
The season here is set by the Intracoastal rather than by a calendar. Boats move south through Savannah in the autumn and north in the spring, and the yards work whenever the boats are on the hard. Thunderbolt Marine takes multi-week dockage "outside of peak season", so ask where the peak falls when you book.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Savannah
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest yacht that can dock in Savannah?
It depends entirely on which waterway you take. On the Savannah River, IGY Savannah Harbor Marina publishes 820 ft on its marina map and 350 ft in its news release of 30 June 2025 — plan against 350 ft and confirm anything larger by phone. The map also states maximum draft 40 ft, no air-draft restriction and no beam restriction. Upriver, Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht Center publishes transient slips from 80 ft to 400 ft on 72 ft of beam. On the Intracoastal side, the ceiling is much lower: Isle of Hope Marina states a Mega Yacht Dock for vessels up to 220 ft, and everything beyond that is capped by a 65 ft bridge.
Can you refit a large yacht in Savannah?
Yes, and it is the strongest reason to come here — but at two separate addresses on two separate waterways. Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht Center, west of downtown on the Savannah River, takes vessels from 80 ft to 400 ft with 195 ft of height clearance and an 80-ton crane on a 130 ft boom, covering paint, welding, engines and rigging. Thunderbolt Marine, at ICW Mile 583 on the Wilmington River, works a 25-acre site with fourteen trades in house and hauls to 1,200 tons by Syncrolift and 150 tons by Marine Travelift, for hulls approaching 200 ft.
What size boat do people actually keep in Savannah?
Between about 40 and 125 ft, which is a long way below the headline numbers. Landings Harbor Marina at the north end of Skidaway Island takes 40 ft in the water and 30 ft on the rack. Savannah Marina on Turner Creek and Delegal Creek Marina both cap at 125 ft, and Bull River Marina at 100 ft. The large facilities book by the day — Thunderbolt Marine publishes dockage "only on a daily basis", extending to multi-week stays only outside its peak season. Savannah is a refit-and-transit stop rather than an owner's home port.
Why is superyacht capability in Savannah split between two rivers?
Because the two waterways have different physical limits, and no boat can use both freely. The Savannah River runs 16 miles from the Atlantic to Hutchinson Island with no air-draft restriction, no beam restriction and 40 ft of draft — a genuine deepwater approach. The Wilmington River and the Intracoastal to Thunderbolt are capped at 65 ft of bridge clearance on 12 ft of draft. Thunderbolt Marine hauls vessels approaching 200 ft on a 1,200-ton Syncrolift, but a 250 ft yacht cannot reach it at all and goes up the river instead.
Can you dock in downtown Savannah and walk into the city?
Yes, and the City sets the rules. Savannah runs public recreational docks on the river at Rousakis Plaza, where Dock 2 offers 300 ft of face, and at Eastern Wharf, which offers 800 ft. Both are first come, first served, with a maximum stay of one to three nights. Your first three hours are complimentary on the day you arrive, then it is $1.50 per linear foot per day, credit card only. No rafting up or tying alongside another boat, carry your own gangway and fenders, and the head may not be used unless the boat has an operating holding tank. Register on (912) 651-3634.