Thursday, April 18th
Dinner Service 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Friday, April 19th
Lunch Service 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm Dinner Service 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Saturday, April 20th
Lunch Service 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm Bar Open 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Sunday, April 21st
Brunch Service 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Bar Open 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

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Welcome to the Port of Charleston. Our deep water and world-class ship terminals comprise the nation’s 9th largest seaport, and our beautiful harbor is one of the nationʼs largest sailing venues. In a typical year, Charleston attracts well over 2000 ship calls, and 2,000 starts on sailing courses. Thatʼs no coincidence. Our harbor is central to our way of life, as a prosperous gateway for commerce, as our setting for sportsmanship and recreation, and as a fitting venue for competition amongst the best sailors in the world!

Preventing incidents between ships and boats is therefore one of our continual concerns. Sharing the harbor requires constant attention to the rules of the road and the rules of racing.

Racers have a distinct maneuvering advantage over ships. Ships are fairly predictable, because they’re confined to the channels. While there are shallow areas of the harbor, sailboats are far less restricted. From the shipʼs perspective, sailboats can appear to be fairly random. While pilots understand racing and race courses, Race Week is a series of courses each with a series of fleets. What’s going on in your fleet and your race is quite apparent to you, but what’s going on across the entire waterway is much more difficult to assess.

Anytime youʼre near a ship, or crossing a channel in sight of a ship, or sailing along the edge of the channel ahead of a ship, call the ship on channel 13 or 16 VHF and broadcast your intentions. The pilot will appreciate it. If you canʼt see the name of the ship, simply call the “inbound” or “outbound” ship in “the lower harbor,” for example, and tell him what youʼre up to. Use your sail number as an identifier, and the ship will know exactly who you are.

Charleston now handles the largest ships trading on the East Coast, carrying more than 14,000 containers. Our container berths are continually turning over, and therefore, when you see one container ship coming in, there’s probably one just around the bend coming out. Two ships meeting in the channel is a precise maneuver, and getting too close to this is dangerous for everyone involved. Frequent places here for ships to pass each other are right off the Yorktown, near the Anchorage, near Fort Sumter, and through the jetties and all the way out to the Entrance Buoy 13 miles offshore. Passing ships need the entire channel. In these areas, particularly, please take advantage of the deep water outside the buoys.

Vigilance while sailing to the course or back into the harbor is just as important as when racing. The few close calls we’ve had were most often when racers were coming back into the harbor after a full day of racing. Along the entrance channel, when in sight of a ship, please sail outside of the buoy line, especially between the jetties. Under no circumstances should you try to take the middle between two passing ships. The ships will induce turbulence and wind shifts between them that will not work in your favor. This may seem like common sense, but it wasnʼt to one racer a few years ago.

Race courses can and may cross a channel. Even if the course doesnʼt, the favored tack may. When approaching and crossing channels, make sure youʼre aware of approaching ships, and their tugs, and observe Rule 9 when in sight of a ship. Rule 9 obliges smaller vessels to give way to vessels confined to the channel. There is nowhere in Charleston Harbor where a Race Week entrant is restricted to the same channels the ships are, so the ship is always going to be privileged.

Please also remember that ships are just as confined to the channel outside the harbor as they are inside the harbor. Rule 9 applies all the way to the “C" buoy 13 miles offshore.

Ships tend to go faster than most assume, up to 22 knots in the offshore channel, and up to 15 knots in the harbor. If you see a ship coming, plan on it getting to you faster than you think.

If you must cross the channel when in sight of a ship, remember that the ship has a blind spot 1/4 mile ahead. If you canʼt see the windows on the bridge of the ship, the ship canʼt see you. Shipboard radar has roughly the same blind spot. If your entire boat cannot be seen by the pilot during the entire time youʼre crossing the channel ahead of the ship, you are way too close.

Remember also that sailing has its unexpected moments. If you pop a halyard or foul your sheets and canʼt tack when you planned, youʼll want plenty of time to get things sorted out and still stay clear of the ship. Please maintain a buffer to allow for the unexpected.

The most unpredictable maneuver you’re likely to observe is when a ship is going into or out of the anchorage. The anchorage is just north of Fort Sumter, nearby the inshore courses. If you see a ship slowing down or making any turns in this area, the ship may be anchoring. Please familiarize yourself with anchorage “A” on the chart, and if you’re unsure of what a ship is doing, stay clear and call it on channel 13 or 16.

Another rule of thumb is, if youʼre considering using a ship to gain an advantage over a competitor, youʼre too close. Set the example for everyone around you with prudent tactics.

You may see a ship with a Coast Guard escort. In these cases, expect the Coast Guard to keep you up to 500 yards from the ship. Plan ahead, and heed the Coast Guardʼs warnings if you didnʼt plan well enough. A Coast Guard boarding will slow you down a lot more than an extra couple of tacks.

Many of Charlestonʼs harbor pilots are racers themselves, and we’re very proud of the success of Race Week. Many of the pilots that are working would rather be on the course with you. We hope during Race Week, the ships are nothing more than part of the ambiance of the harbor. We are so pleased to have you here adding to the ambiance of our homeport!

Sail safe, sail fast, and enjoy Charleston!

John Cameron
Executive Director of the Harbor Pilots
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.)
Lightning #14266
843-693-3557
[email protected]

In 2024 you have a number of options for launch, haul and trailer storage:

Charleston Yacht Club
27 Lockwood Drive, Charleston, SC, 29401
Mailing address: PO Box 20474, Charleston, SC 29413 (843) 722-4968
Launch, haul, parking area for rigging, washdown, and breakdown: $150 Trailer storage $20/day

*Storage of trailers will be limited, so please contact the Rear Commodore at [email protected] for more information. Early and late arrival/departure will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis.

Payment must be received prior to arrival. Payment may be sent via check or paid by credit card over the phone with our Office Manager, Saga, at (843)722-4968. A credit card processing fee of 3.5% will apply if paying by card.

CYC Registration Form

Member’s boats only on the club docks for tie-up during race week. Please contact Charleston City Marina or Patriot’s Point Marina for in-water storage options.Guests are allowed access to the club grounds and facilities during the extent of stay, and are encouraged to eat, drink, and enjoy the club.

Charleston Yacht Club Bar & Restaurant Schedule

James Island Yacht Club
734 Wampler Dr, Charleston SC 29412
(843)-795-6060
Launch & Haul Info

Cooper River Boatyard, LLC.
1300 Pierside St
North Charleston, SC 29405
843-554-7775

Single Point Pick Boats
Step mast, launch, un-step mast, and haul-out …. $700.00

Trailer Storage
Early arrival (trailer and boat arriving prior to Tuesday April 16th) …. $132.00/day

Race week only (trailer stored April 16th – 23rd) …. $75.00

Extended (trailer and/or boat stored after Tuesday April 23rd) …. $132.00/day

Cooper River Boatyard, LLC will require a completed Boat Handling and Storage agreement, copy of the vessel’s insurance, and full payment to secure your spot. We will be capping at 10 boats total.

Due to limited available space, vessels and/or trailers arriving before Tuesday, April 16th and remaining after Tuesday, April 23rd, will be subject to posted storage rates. *Monthly rates are available upon request.

Cooper River Boatyard, LLC will try to accommodate schedule request on a first come first serve basis day of. Single point pick boats will be scheduled to step and launch Wednesday April 17th and, scheduled to haul and unstep Monday April 22nd.

We are unfortunately unable to accommodate strap lift boats or additional single picks this year, unless scheduled during normal business hours and at normal business rates.

Remleys Point Public Boat Landing
112 2nd St, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464

This boat ramp in Mount Pleasant provides access to the Charleston Harbor where the Wando River flows into the Cooper River.

Information here on all public boat landings in Charleston County

Free Trailer Parking for Charleston Race Week

Please note that parking for trailers at this location is free but at the owner's risk. Be sure to lock your trailer.

The address is 512 Johnie Dodds Blvd in Mount Pleasant SC

Click on the image at right to enlarge.

Or see this map on YachtScoring.com (PDF)