Southern Comfort is located at Charleston City Marina on 17 Lockwood Drive in downtown Charleston. We are just minutes from shops, restaurants, and historic sites. Many are in walking distance, and uber is widely used here. For the more adventurous guest, bikes are available for rental right at the top of the dock. A bike ride is a great way to explore and get lost in the beautiful, historic city of Charleston. The entire peninsula only covers about 4.5 square miles.
Boarding Southern Comfort you will walk up a wooden staircase and enter through the pilot house. The pilot house door slides to the back of the boat. The marina is extremely safe and gated, and there are cameras all over, including one that looks over Southern Comfort. The marina is so safe that we've never had an incident in over 30 years of boating.
Walking through the pilot house door, you enter the pilot house itself. This is mainly where we drive the boat and most of the electronics are housed. You'll notice a very large steering wheel as well as a lot of buttons, dials, and radios. This stuff is usually off-limits to our clients and guests due to the sensitivity of the equipment. We do however have a nice pilot house seat where you can sit and overlook the comings and goings of the dock. Next to that is a wine fridge in which we house some of our wines and spirits.
Just inside the pilot house door there's a ladder that leads to the flybridge. The flybridge is about six steps up and gets you to the top deck. This is also where we steer the boat while underway. It's accompanied by two captains chairs and farther aft a U-shaped seating for up to 10 people. The bridge has unobstructed views of the surrounding area and river. This is one of our most popular places to watch the sunset or the sunrise and relax with a glass of wine and some charcuterie. A canvas cover that reaches from the front of the pilot house to the radar arch gives shade and comfort on those hot and sunny days. Our tender is also aft of the seating area, and we rarely take that off the boat.
Back down in the pilot house, working aft, you enter the eat-in galley that seats up to six and includes a fully equipped kitchen. We have a full-size refrigerator and freezer, a microwave oven, stove, and an oven. A full two bay sink with garbage disposal and dishwasher also rounds out the galley area. We provide coffee and a coffee maker for our guests that are staying on board. The coffee is from a private roaster that we have been using at my restaurants for over 15 years.
Aft of the eat-in kitchen is the salon and dining area. This is a large area that encompasses Italian leather couches and chairs and coffee tables. In this area you also find a wet bar and entertainment center with DVD player, surround sound radio, and cable TV. The formal dining area seats up to six and has enough room to welcome any dining accommodations. Through the salon out the back double doors, you'll find the aft deck. This is a private and secluded area to watch the sunset, relax, or watch dolphins run through the marina.
Working forward to the lower level, you'll go down a spiral staircase through the pilot house and come to the forward guest state room. The forward guest state room is equipped with over under double beds, a closet, and en suite bathroom. There's also plenty of drawers to store all your belongings while on board.
Also on this level is our library and office complete with novels and books for you to read and enjoy. Forward of the library is the captains quarters.
Walking down two steps from the hallway area you will find the Bow Stateroom. The head is equipped with a full shower, vanity, toilet, and new porcelain tile on the floor. All bathrooms come equipped with linens, soap, and shampoos. Over to starboard side are two twin bunk beds and forward of that is a large chest of drawers for all your belongings.
Walking aft, you go down three stairs into the port side. There you will find the washer and dryer and pantry area. Further from that is the linen closet with our back up linens.
Further aft from that in the main hallway is the VIP head which was just renovated with marble countertops, porcelain tile, and all new fixtures. This also has a separate shower which is roomy enough for just about anybody. Making a slight right turn, directly in front of you is the VIP state room. All new teak flooring has been installed in these areas, and this room accommodates two guests in double beds. The state room also features a nice sized closet as well as plenty of storage under the beds.
Walking further aft, you go down the main hallway with engine rooms to port and starboard. We always leave the lights on in the engine room for safety, and so our guests can take a peek at the engine rooms.
Finally, the master is all the way aft in the boat on the lower level. It has a door for privacy, as do all the other staterooms. Walking in to the port side of the boat is a walk-in master closet that is lined with cedar and plenty of room for all baggage and clothes. Handcrafted, curved teak walls sound the room. New teak flooring also extends into the master to give it a warm feel. A powder table is just to the port side followed by copious storage for all your clothes. The master is equipped with a king size walk around bed with all new linens. To starboard side is the master bath with full size shower and head. Marble flooring and new accents add to the feel of the room. More drawers are to the starboard side along with a flatscreen TV. There is plenty of room to spread out in the master suite, and it is truly the highlight of the lower level of the boat.
Southern Comfort (SoCo) was built by Hatteras Yachts out of New Bern, NC in 1985. At the time Hatteras Yachts was one of the premier yacht builders in the US, and they still are today. Hatteras Yachts builds motor yachts and custom sportfish boats to and beyond 130 feet long. Hatteras Yachts uses only the best wood and craftsmanship for their yachts, and taking a tour through SoCo, you can get a since for how well these yachts are put together and the massive costs to build them. Back in 1985 the cost to build at 61' Hatteras was around one million dollars. That is the equivalent to 2.5 million in today's market. In reality, to build a boat like SoCo today would cost about 3.5 to 4 million dollars with a lot less room than Southern Comfort has.
The machinery aboard Southern Comfort is vast, although most of it is hidden. If you ask Captain Dave, he is usually happy to give you a tour of the behind-the-scenes stuff. SoCo is equipped with 2 Detroit diesels 1271ti. That means they have 12 cylinders each producing about 650hp and twin turbos. That is a lot of iron! The boat holds 1200 gallons of fuel and burns on average about 60gal/hr of fuel. The engines need to be overhauled about every 5000 hours to a tune of about $3000 per cylinder. That's a whopping $72,000 for all cylinders, and that does not include anything else, for example the four turbos! All told one could be looking at well over $100,000 just to do a standard overhaul on the motors.
The boat is propelled by two large twin disk transmissions that turn two 3 inch shafts that are attached to two large 4 bladed props. The boat is also equipped with two 20kw generators to provide power when under way to all the house systems. Southern Comfort is also equipped with a desalinization plant that can produce 2gpm of freshwater to it's 200 gallon fresh water tank. The boat has seven (Yes, Count them. Seven.) air conditioners and heaters to all parts of the boat. A lot of people ask why so much water is pouring out of the boat? Is the boat sinking? The answer is, "No. The boat is not sinking. That is the water for the air conditioning." Boats use sea water to cool AC units, unlike a unit at home that uses a fan on the outside unit.
SoCo is equipped with several types of electrical services. You will notice several large yellow cables attached to the boat. These are the dockside AC service lines. We also have cables and water coming onto the boat. The boat runs off of 240v service and is broken down as needed to 110v service. The large battery banks located on the boat also provide 32v dc service to things like lights and toilets. All and all there are a lot of systems on solo that need constant maintenance and up keep. On average we spend about $30,000 a year maintaining Southern Comfort and its systems.
I have spent the last two years doing a complete overhaul on Southern Comfort. When I bought her, she was not in good shape and many of her systems and exterior had been neglected. Some of the things that have been updated are all of the AC systems and pumps. She has all new furniture in the salon and new hardwood floors on the lower level. All of the heads or toilets have been redone and are operational. Most people don't know, but a marine head is much different than a toilet on land and extra care is needed when using them. The heads have been updated with new tile and marble countertops. All of the linens and soft goods have been up dated within the last year. That's just naming a few of the things that have gone on in the last year, and we continue to maintain and update systems and keep the boat up to date. Most yachts have a projected budget of about 10-15% of the cost of the boat for maintenance. We have exceeded that budget to get Southern Comfort back in line with the rest of our fleet of boats that we operate for tours in the Charleston Harbor. I hope that you find SoCo to be as nice and relaxing as any yacht you would be on. It is our goal to provide our clients the ultimate yacht experience, even if you don't leave the dock.
Southern Comfort is located at Charleston City Marina on 17 Lockwood Drive in downtown Charleston. When you pull in to the marina, you will first see a gas station and a restaurant. There is a dock just past the restaurant. THIS IS NOT OUR DOCK. There are only 2 main docks at Charleston City Marina. We are on the main dock leading out to the Megadock.
In order to find Southern Comfort, go to the guard booth in the parking lot. (A guard booth is a small house that a person sits in to take tickets and money.) You're laughing, but about 100% of the people I talk to and give directions to end up at St. Bart's Yacht Sales or HMY Yacht Sales at the top of the wrong dock. So, if you end up there and call me and say, "We are here," and you're in front of a blue sign that says HMY Yachts, you're not here. Take a ticket at the guard BOOTH.
Drive straight until the parking lot opens up and a blue/gray yacht club is in front of you. To your right you will see a ten story building that says 33 Ashley Place. Look to your left and you will see the sign that says, "Welcome to Charleston City Marina". You now have arrived!
You can park anywhere, but please be advised, Charleston city only inches above flood at high tide, and the parking lot tends to flood nearby the water. It's best not to park right up by the water. Southern Comfort is located right on the main dock that you are now looking at. Most of the time you can see SoCo from the parking lot. We are the biggest boat on the dock. SoCo is located 3 boats down on the main dock on the right. One of our other charter boats is located directly to the left, a yellow hulled Hatteras called "Hatterass". I also have a sign on the dock that says "Carolina Marine Group". That's how you will know you are here.
The City Marina has several amenities to make your stay more convenient. The Yacht Club is available for anyone who has a yacht club membership. Just show your ID and sign in the book, and you are able to enjoy the lounge and bar area equipped with pool table. Lunch and dinner is also served several days a week at the Yacht Club.
At the entrance to the marina is a gas station the has food, drinks, beer, and wine. It also hosts a selection of products you may need or have forgotten to bring aboard. So, check them out first before you head to the grocery store. Across the way on the second floor, you will find a full liquor store and wine shop with a great selection of wine and spirits. The Marina Variety Store is just in front of the gas station and has one of the best breakfasts in town. They have been serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner for over 40 years. It's a great place to get some local Southern fair. Under the restaurant is Salty Mike's, a local hang out for boaters and the crews of the large yachts that come into port. You will also find many locals playing pool and having a cold one in the Charleston heat. Taking a walk down the Megadock, you get to experience some of the most expensive yachts in the world. The marina is a big location for the large yachts transiting the area and the moving of boats from north to south during the season. The Megadock is just feet away from Southern Comfort. Just down the dock and to the left, our guests are welcome to walk the docks and admire the beauty of these luxury yachts.
Please Call (843) 779-5711 For Rates And Scheduling.
You can also visit our main site for Carolina Marine Group and learn about the other boats in our fleet as well as get other great information regarding visiting Charleston SC.
2 Night Minimum. Please note that prices are always subject to change. Call for seasonal rates.
Dockside
$425 per night for 2 guests
Additional guests
$75 per person per night
Cleaning Fee
$150
Charter
$1000 per hr
3hr minimum includes Captain and 2 Mates and Fuel
If $1000 per hour to charter Southern Comfort does't suit your budget and you want to tour Charleston Harbor we have other options available.
For groups up to 6 passangers you can charter our completely restored 1971, 36 ft Hatteras.
Pricing starting at $150.00 pr hr + gratuity
If $1000 per hour to charter Southern Comfort does't suit your budget and you want to tour Charleston Harbor we have other options available for smaller groups as well as groups up to 18 passangers.
For groups up to 6 passengers you can charter our completely restored 1971, 36 ft Hatteras.
Prices starting at $150.00 pr hr + gratuity
For groups up to 18 passengers you can charter our 30 ft party boat.
Prices starting at $400 per hr with 2 hr minimum + gratuity
