Looking at the charts, South Carolina’s Little River Inlet appears to be a simple nick on the Southeast Coast – but don’t let that fool you. This place is flush with options for boaters offering safe, quick and easy access to a variety of intriguing ports, waterfront dining, shops and nature preserves. Plus the Inter-Coastal Waterway (ICW) and, several miles further south, Myrtle Beach and its satellite suburbs.

“This really is a paradise for boaters, and it packs plenty of opportunity into a fairly tight area,”

says Capt. Clay Hughes. Hughes, who with his wife, Heather, has owned and operated Sea Tow Myrtle Beach since 2017 and the nearby Ocean Isle franchise just over the border in North Carolina since 2004. “Straddling the Carolinas, you could say it offers the best of both worlds from a boating perspective. It’s a beautiful, fun and welcoming stretch of coastline with plenty to do for everyone, including those who simply want to kick back, drop the hook and relax.”

Indeed, Little River Inlet provides an easy entranceway to access all the fun.  “It’s a good, safe deep-water inlet taking you out to the ocean or into the ICW,” notes Hughes. Adding that it’s well-protected by rock jetties, well-marked, and experiences minimal shoaling for an ocean cut. Take a few casts here and you’ll find great fishing, too, with bluefish, Spanish mackerel, red drum, sea trout and southern flounder on the menu.

Pushing inside the inlet and into the Little River you’ll find Bird Island immediately to the east and extending behind Carolinas-Stateline Island.

“It’s one of the most popular anchorages you’ll find around here for both motorboats and sailboats.

“Expect to see a large fleet on the hook and rafted-up with people swimming, enjoying the sun, exploring the beach and dune edges of the undeveloped island, and maybe enjoying a cold beverage or two,” says Hughes. “People also camp out overnight here, too. If you have the time, stroll over to the oceanside and check out the Kindred Spirits Mailbox where people leave behind letters, musings and memoirs for others to enjoy.”

Another popular anchorage is the Calabash Crossroads where the Little River, the ICW and Calabash River meet. This is a four-corners intersection. Head west on the ICW toward Barefoot Landing where you’ll find tons of restaurants and shops with easy dockside access. Plus the Alabama Theater and House of Blues both offering nightly entertainment. Keep heading west on the ICW and you’ll eventually make your way to Myrtle Beach.

You can also head north at “The Crossroads,” cutting across the ICW and up into the Calabash River where you’ll find plenty of places to fish, drop anchor or tie up to the numerous floating docks along the bank. This area is famous for its many fine restaurants and super-fresh seafood. “Be sure to try The Oyster Rock Waterfront Seafood,” advises Hughes.

“It’s simply phenomenal – in a beautiful setting right on the river.”

“Be sure to try the fresh seafood and the daily specials.” Don’t venture north of the restaurant docks, however, warns Hughes, as there is unmarked shallow water further upriver.

For anglers, Calabash River offers enough casting room with plenty of structure to investigate. Here you’ll find speckled sea trout, redfish and the occasional southern flounder, amongst other species. The same species also inhabit a lot of the backwater creeks throughout the area for those who enjoy poking around off the beaten track. For the latest fishing reports, bait and tackle, check in at Dave’s Outpost in nearby Sunset Beach

“This certainly is a great place for boaters to explore,”

sums up Hughes. “No matter which way you point the bow, good water, fun and opportunity await – and should you find yourself in need of assistance it’s good to know that Sea Tow Myrtle Beach and Sea Tow Ocean Isle are always on call.”

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New York’s Huntington Harbor beckons boaters with a captivating blend of natural beauty, rich history and a vibrant waterfront culture. With its cliff-lined rocky shores, the coastline here has a decidedly New England flavor. While its history draws crews ashore for closer inspection and a more cosmopolitan experience.

Tucked behind both Northport and Huntington bays, you’ll pass the hillsides of Lloyds Point and Eaton’s Neck on approach to this destination. It’s along this stretch of Long Island Sound coastline that the rich and famous built their mansions in the late 1890’s. Indeed, the western stretch of Long Island Sound real estate from Great Neck east to Huntington, known as “The Gold Coast,” inspired the 1925 novel, “The Great Gatsby.” The Huntington area in particular was also home to the poet, Walt Whitman, and the nearby town of Halesite is named after Nathan Hale.

The rich still live and play on the waterfront, but you’ll find a blue-collar presence. Supporting the moored fleets of sailboats, berthed yachts, runabouts and fishing vessels. You’ll notice it in the active shipyards, the tug-boat operations and the fishing crews that weave in and out of the harbor throughout the day.

Still, it’s the variety of opportunities that seals the deal for most visiting boaters here. Whether cruising, on the hook or checking out the dining, shopping and entertainment in Huntington Village a short cab ride away.

“Huntington Harbor has a lot to offer any boater,”

says Captain Gaige Simon of Sea Tow Huntington, which runs three boats in the area. “In addition to the great scenery, dining, shopping and fishing action, you’ve got yacht clubs and restaurants, marinas with gas docks, pump-out boats and mooring access. Transient dockage can be tight at peak season, so it’s a smart idea to call ahead and reserve a slip in advance.”

To get the most bang for your buck, Simon suggests poking around both inside and outside Huntington Harbor proper. “If you head outside the harbor just past Huntington Harbor Lighthouse, you can point your bow west and cruise up into nearby Lloyd Harbor. Where you’ll find protected water and designated areas for wake boarding, tubing, etc. Head northeast, and you’ll come to Sand City tucked behind Eatons Neck. Here you can drop the hook, tie to a mooring or even beach your bow. Sand City is perfect for rafting-up or spending time along the beach with family as long as the wind isn’t blowing stiffly from the east. To catch a great sunset, push right out into Huntington Bay or Long Island Sound and anchor a little to east or west. The sun will be setting straight across on the Connecticut side.”

Those looking to dock and dine will find plenty of choices both near the harbor and in Huntington Village.

The most popular stop for a waterfront lunch or dinner is Prime, known for its great steaks, seafood, and bar choices. You’ll need a reservation here and, if coming by boat, you must pay to tie up at the restaurant dock. For a great sandwich try Gold Coast Surfside Deli, right next to the Mill Dam launch ramp. If pizza is your deal, DiRaimo Pizzeria is a five-minute cab ride from local marinas and can’t be beat. As you head up into Huntington Village, the choices for dining and shopping are many and varied. Both the Huntington Chamber of Commerce  and the Huntington Historical Society can turn you on to current events which seemingly run nonstop through boating season.

In terms of navigation, the same basic rules apply to Huntington Harbor as anywhere else that bustles during the summer. Check your charts before heading out, watch your wake in the busy zones, and stay in the channels as much as possible. Note, however, that you’ll need to use a little extra caution in the harbor proper because of all the sailboat moorings. Be aware, too, that there are rocks immediately to the west of the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse, so stay to the east of that structure at all times. This lighthouse, is the oldest reinforced concreate lighthouse on the East Coast. Established in 1857, the current tower was lit in 1912. The light was automated in 1949 and is still operational.

As for local fishing opportunities, “Huntington is a perennial hot spot,”

reveals Simon, who runs Sand City Fishing Charters when he’s not on the clock for Sea Tow Huntington. “You’ll find big stripers here from late April though early June. Porgies, fluke, sea bass and blues highlight the summer action. The stripers, along with monster blues, put on a fall spectacular from September through October. In both the spring and fall, stripers bass in the 30-pound-plus class are not uncommon.

“If you need some help on the water, you can always give Sea Tow a shout,” says Gaige. “Note your latitude and longitude when you call for assistance (you can get this from your Sea Tow App). Drop anchor, too, if possible, so you’ll be easy to find. We monitor channel 16, which is the best channel here to communicate with other boaters in the area. In general, primary boating channels are well marked so stay between the greens and the reds and you should have no problems.”

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“Many of the calls we receive are a result of operator error or lack of knowledge,” said Capt. Jack Moran of Sea Tow Cape May in New Jersey. “I would say that half the time, we can help the member get started and on their way again just by asking them to try a few different questions.”

Capt. Jack explained that something as simple as the boat not being in neutral or the engine cut-off switch being disconnected can cause a boat not to start and a member to call. Those are easy things to talk a member through. When someone is out of gas or stuck on a sandbar, it takes a different approach.

A recent survey of Sea Tow locations indicated that the top reason members call varies by location, but the leading service provided as a result of member calls is actually the same across the network. That #1 service being a tow.

Every year more than 55 percent of the calls Sea Tow receives result in a tow, even though the cause of those tows differ greatly by location.

Capt. Trey Hill of Sea Tow Southcentral Alaska recalled a recent situation that while different, is more common than not. “A member had ventured out for the first time this year and struck some debris disabling their prop,” Capt. Trey said. “People don’t realize the amount of debris that is in the water. You have to really be careful and watch for logs and other floating objects up here. It’s not unheard of for us to have a member call and say they tore their lower unit off.”

In Southern Florida, Capt. Ryan Helmig of Sea Tow Palm Beach, has had members call for just about everything. However, the top two reasons members call him are for gas and having dead batteries.

“It’s basically a toss-up between dead batteries and members running out of gas,” Capt. Ryan said. “Running aground onto a sandbar or shallow area is a close third as well. What we have found through it all is that people look at us as a tremendous source of information.”

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