Reviews: Morningstar Marinas Golden Isles

Reviewed by: Brad Valdyke on Jun 22, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 60'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 3

June 2024, stayed two nights. Dockmaster was great helping our arrival, resturant and pool were wounderful. Gave them 5 stars on a previous stay; disappointed this time that the dock gate was tied open and that the pump out did not work properly.

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Reviewed by: David Waugh , Winds of Change, on May 18, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Great staff had to stay an extra day due to weather and they were very accommodating. Floating docks are great shape. It is a couple of miles from town but an easy bike ride on paths.

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Reviewed by: Anamarija urh , TiAmo, on May 16, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 44'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Nice marina a bit away from everything. They were able to accommodate us short notice prior to bad weather.
Marina staff offers very different customer experience. The older gentlemen and couple of younger guys had great attitude and were willing to help. The lady named Mary was nowhere to find on Saturday morning, several groups during mooring needed to wait to refuel. The BoatUS discount was not applied to our bill, she was unwilling/unable to help.
No courtesy car/bike or morning muffins/coffee as advertised were available

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Reviewed by: Pat & Kathy , Puffin, on May 6, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 33'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Stayed here for 2 nights in early May, 2024. Mary was great in helping us dock and fuel up. Free bike use was a key for us as it allows access to the island. There is a restaurant on site for dinner and a Coffee Shop for breakfast and lunch. Laundry is very affordable. (

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Reviewed by: Richard Lewis , Sea-Quel, on May 1, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 56'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Great facility and staff. Excellent restaurant on premises . Borrowed bikes and rode to downtown area. Easy to get to. We will be back.

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Reviewed by: James McLelland on Nov 5, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 48'
Draft: 5.2'

Rating: 4

Beautiful marina on clean, wide floating piers. White tablecloth restaurant and coffee shop. Good security. Very well maintained. Would give 5 stars except my only complaint is that it is NOT dog-friendly. The hike from the transient dock to a relief area is a very very long walk, thru a security gate, then thru the main building, then down a flight of 10 stairs, then across a large parking lot, to a narrow sketchy high grass area. Given the layout of the property, i don't know what they can do to fix this, but it was a big barrier for us. The one and only (tiny) grass plot was just before the parking lot with a sign "NO DOGS". This is a big hassle if you have pets. One dog just couldn't hold it that long after being on the boat all day.

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Reviewed by: Gary Miller on Oct 19, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 76'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Great docks, great staff, good water depth, power is good, restaurant is very good, courtesy car.

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Reviewed by: John Tyrell on Mar 13, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 3.7'

Rating: 3

Would give a higher rating but was bouncy with a strong (20 mph) south wind. Had to dock with two foot rollers. Other aspects of this marina are great. Sterling was very helpful getting us docked and tied up. Wide stable floating docks in great condition. Nice restaurant on site.

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Reviewed by: Bob & JJ Wilson on Mar 9, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

This marina is the best we have stayed in on 3.5 yrs of NY to FL seaboard/ICW trips. The staff is Outstanding. They love doing their jobs, work well together, and are very friendly... They treat us like family
Washers (2) $1.25 Dryers (2) .75 ¢ for 45 mins. One dryer was broken, fixed within 4 days. Very nice room and sm lending library.
Pump out in ur slip $5 plus tip.
Gr8!!! Restaurant, beautiful new coffee shop opening in a few days. Beautiful sm pool, but not heated. Bathrooms nice .. we use our onboard facilities.
Very organized mail service in the office on 2nd floor... U never worry they'll misplace ur mail. Loaner bikes and car... We use our own
Very safe and secure!!! Other LiveAboards we've met are nice, no excessively barking dogs, except our own when people pass by
That was easily rectified by a vibration only bark collar.
If theres any!! Problem with any services... They take care of it right away. On Spot wifi .. they even gave us a direct dial number for on Spot if there's a problem .. used it once and they fixed it right away!!
Joseph, the GM and all!! Of the staff are amazing. SSI is a magical place, the marina is beautiful .. wide concrete docks w/ Ipe wood
docking, good sized finger piers, new power stations and lg dock space around ur boat for 2 chairs and a small table for sunset and socializing.
We love it so much here, we're on a waiting list after May for an annual slip! And we gave up our slip in NY!!
We've been here for 2 months... Consistency of professionalism, services and a solutions oriented team .. is the operation here! So happy to have found a place that feels like
Home. JJ Wilson

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Reviewed by: Linda Marks on Jan 30, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 34'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 2

Docking was easy with their help. The docks are nice. It is a hike to the showers which are on the second floor (elevator was out of order). I am sure it is a lovely resort marina during their season. But when we made our reservation they did not warn us that the restaurant and all the stores would be closed, nor that the curtesy car was in the shop. You cannot walk to anything from here. I also wish they had warned us that there would be power outages during the week, they were notified by Georgia Power the week before our reservation.

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Reviewed by: Brian Wicks on Mar 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 27'
Draft: 2.0'

Rating: 5

Top 3 marina on the Loop so far!!! Beautiful linear dock for transient boaters. Linda was a pleasure to speak with on the phone. Sterling and Jeffrey were amazing and very helpful with lines and fuel. We loved the added touch of fresh muffins left on our boat each morning. They have a courtesy vehicle and bikes. We took the bikes into historic St Simons Island which was so cute. The on-site restaurant, Coastal Kitchen, served great cuisine. The laundry, bathroom and showers were clean and roomy. A must stay!!

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Reviewed by: Bret Butler , Lucy 2, on Mar 15, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

These folks fit us in just before a storm hit. The location was fairly protected, facilities in good shape and dock master very helpful. Nice to have the courtesy car.

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Reviewed by: Captain Bulldog on Feb 23, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Chris,
Caution noted. AICW Green Day Marker is "249" not "149" as I mistakenly reported. Keep it to starboard when approaching the marina from the big ship channel.

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Reviewed by: Captain Bulldog on Feb 22, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Love this place. Great facilities and restaurant though you must make lunch and dinner reservations. Coming off the big ship channel just know the big green day marker "149" is a Green AICW marker so be sure to take it on your starboard before picking up the channel markers.

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Reviewed by: Frank Hasty on Dec 5, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 26'
Draft: 1.3'

Rating: 5

Have been here many times and the staff is great. Last time we were stayed there was construction but it was safely cordoned off.

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Reviewed by: Mo Mo on Nov 13, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 52'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Nicely run, competent staff. Everything you hear about the restaurant and filet is true! So good I went 2x in 4 days.

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Reviewed by: Jacqueline Meyer on Oct 26, 2021
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 36'
Draft: 5.5'

Rating: 5

Nice docks, helpful staff, courtesy car for provisioning, great restaurant. Bathrooms far and average. Face docks, some current but not too bad.

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Reviewed by: Jennifer Magana , Unplugged, on Oct 25, 2021
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.3'

Rating: 5

My family and I were coming in from Charleston and the previous night at anchor . I called the marina and spoke to Ana who was so very nice and very friendly and helpful she even gave me her cell in case we needed anything because we were coming in after hours. Docking ended up being very easy we were on the fuel dock which is like 600 ft long !! Current was on our bow so it was easy to motor in . We went to the restaurant there which was very good the filet was RIDICULOUSLY Amazing!!! Trevor was our bartender and order taker ( we ate by the pool) Trevor was great and made some of the best rum runners I have ever had. The pool is not heated so short swims are likely this time of year lol. Laundry facilities are easy to access and they're only $1.50 for a wash which is pretty cheap and awesome!! Showers and restrooms top floor but very nice and clean and provide free body soap . Walter was our dockmaster and all around awesome guy very nice very friendly extremely helpful . Walter is the guy that My husband and I would have a beer with any day . We also got to meet Cody which was also a real pleasure we only briefly got to work with him on departure day but both gentlemen seem very happy in what they do and it shows. I appreciate an amazing customer experience more than words can describe. Should we return to the area next season we would 100% stay here but for longer .
A tip to any cruisers reading this Brunswick marina landing isn't too far from this Marina the prices are almost nose to nose but this marina is Morningstar is 100 times better then BLM the staff is more professional and just nice people and the amenities are better here , st Simons is a better and safer town altogether . Morningstar is kid friendly and pet friendly ?? Do yourself a favor stop on by get some food and go for a nice bike ride at MorningStar marina

BLM is not kid friendly and don't really care much for transits , the staff is ok ... Mike the owner is the only one that knows customer service.
The marina itself is in a horrific part of town where delivery service is refused and you don't leave the marina past dark on foot or bike. Dominoes won't even deliver once the sun starts to set . For whatever reason that place receives great reviews BLM is nice in the facilities lounge and bathroom free laundry but unless there was an emergency I would answer before I would stay there again.

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Reviewed by: Gary Miller on Oct 17, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 76'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

15' wide floating dock, good 100 amp power, fresh water, 20' water at face dock, $2.47' & diesel @ $3.89 if you have Morningstar card.

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Reviewed by: Robert Hedrick on Jun 7, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 34'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Stayed here 5-21-21 and 5-22-21. First rate marina. Great restaurant on site. Not very covenant to St. Simons island but can Urber to restaurants if you like. Current runs strong but fairways are wide so no problem if you time the tides. Will stay here again.

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Reviewed by: MALCOLM FARREL on Jun 3, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 37'
Draft: 3.6'

Rating: 5

Experienced, courteous staff. New concrete docks. Watch the current.

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Reviewed by: Earlene Schanze on May 16, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 44'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

We stayed here for one night in May. The current is strong but the dock hands were experienced and handled our lines like pros. Other than a non- functional power pedestal which was resolved quickly, no issues. Great facility.

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Reviewed by: Sherry Langford on Jan 12, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 16.0'

Rating: 5

AMAZING! PLEASANT! BEAUTIFUL! This marina as been one of my favorites to stay. We ended our 2020 travels at Morningstar and I don’t regret it for a second! All employees are very mindful of the way our world is today by sanitizing, masks on every time I saw an employee from the office to the docks! Covid did NOT stop this marina from shining bright! From being the most kind, helpful and just all around great employees . Worth every dollar spent! Keep it up lads!

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Reviewed by: Nancy Hankins on Dec 23, 2020
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 44'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Very well managed, professional and courteous staff, beautiful location, clean new docks. Our overall experience is very positive.

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Reviewed by: Sammy Duely on Aug 27, 2020
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 6.0'

Rating: 5

Outstanding services. Morgan was very helpful and patient with us as we couldn’t decide if we were going to stay or continue to head north. We decided to stay and I’m sure glad we did!!!!! The dock masters were very helpful and pleasant. Very easy going to get into the marina with no issues. Beautiful nice and clean docks. We will be coming back every chance we can and I highly recommend this marina if you are in St. Simons Island area !!!

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Reviewed by: Daniel on Jun 2, 2020
Vessel Type: Power
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 5

I am in shock at how amazing the staff is here at Morningstar! The dock masters are such gentlemen and helped out tremendously even when I didn’t ask! The staff in the office were very sweet ladies & patient with me and my wife! Such a pleasant place!! I WILL be back soon! Chris you have one heck of a group working for you! Thanks y’all!

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Reviewed by: Paul Smyers , SV Nova, on Apr 17, 2020
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

We discovered this marina during an impromptu plumping maintenance session on board when we'd rather have been underway.

They accommodated us immediately, were very friendly and helpful, and provided fresh muffins first thing in the morning!

We returned about a year later and had another good stay. Consistency is key.

The airport is a short Uber ride away, but otherwise you're stuck with the few services at the marina area (which do include restaurants, salons, and real estate).

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Reviewed by: Herbert L Mackey on Apr 1, 2020
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 25'
Draft: 4.3'

Rating: 2

The first time I stayed for three days and staff was very helpful but when I came back up the ICW I was told that all transient docks were shut down. There are strong winds with gale force predicted. When I motored up to look for a place to anchor I noticed several spaces open and what looked like even more in the place where I had docked originally. I called three times trying to convince them that all I needed was a few cleats to tie up, I would be gone very early in the AM but they just said no, no and NO. I put in a request for the manager to call me back but then felt I had to leave for the other side of the bridge where I am still bouncing around like crazy on anchor and hoping that it holds through the night!

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Reviewed by: Timothy P on Sep 25, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 68'
Draft: 2.6'

Rating: 5

This place is amazing! It all started with the call to make my reservation! This very sweet and extremely helpful girl named Jordan answered the phone with such a happy voice as if she was excited to hear from me, right then i already felt like I had been with this company for years! She explained in detail about the things they provide as well as made a few funny jokes with me, all around amazing! Once we pulled up, our friend Otus hailed us on 16 to prepare us for dockage! He was smiling and happy to help! This company makes you feel like family, as if youve been here for years! love it! I will recommend this place to anyone and everyone if i could!

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Reviewed by: John Rockwell on Apr 11, 2018
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Positive: help with lines when staff is there, muffins and paper in the morning. negative: Current is tough for docking at max flood and ebb. Other: Some of the decking was in bad shape, and had a patch installed over the bad spot. (This was at the gas dock) We were told the decking was scheduled for replacement.

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Reviewed by: Elena&Meg on Feb 2, 2018
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 46'
Draft: 6.0'

Rating: 5

Well kept, efficiently run, clean, maintained facility. Helpful and friendly staff. Marina courtesy car available for one hour errands. Strong current requires timing for safe access to slips. Really IS in the middle of nowhere, good thing there is a marina SUV available and gassed up for transients. Dive shop and divers available on site, along with other light marine services. BG and N band WiFi (excellent wireless LAN) but suspect their backbone to the net is a choke point. Cellular broadband was an issue for us (like a black hole, for T-Mobile, AT&T was so-so). Otherwise, we highly recommend Morningstar Marinas at Golden Isles.

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Reviewed by: Paul T on Nov 19, 2017
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 54'
Draft: 6.0'

Rating: 4

Stopped here traveling North. The facility is in good condition with no visible damage from Irma. Didn’t get to use the restaurant etc. on site but it was busy with folks from the local community. Strong current but managable and no worse than most in this area.

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Reviewed by: Whitley Courtenay on Nov 18, 2017
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 61'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 3

Nice marina that needs some repair. Nice restaurant on site, but little else. Dockmaster very helpful and nice. Strong title flow, but very convenient to the inlet

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