# AJ's dockside



## hawkdriver (Mar 5, 2016)

Can anyone recommend a good launching point to get to AJ's by boat? I'd like to take my dad for his birthday but not sure where to put in. Was thinking Lazaretto if the creek is navigable at all tides...maybe Bull river marina? 21' Carolina Skiff. Thnaks y'all


----------



## sea trout (Mar 6, 2016)

Hey man the cut from the back of Lazaretto to Bull river is easy to learn if you can go at a low tide, The creek is probably over 15 ft wide and you'll have at around 3 ft of water to pass through.
Once you learn it at low tide, or nowadays you can plot it on navscreens, you can blow right through there any time.

Just me, but if you cut through there at a mid or high tide I would follow someone else through.....at a distance.....remember maybe they don't know where they're goin!!! Ahhh ha ha ha LOL!!
But people cut through there all the time, mostly on weekends.

High tide with your skiff you can stay in the middle between all the grass and you'll have 2 or 3 ft of water over the mud flats so if your over the mud you'll have water anyway. But mid tides are tricky cause the mud flats will mirage as river but there'll be just inches or an inch of water over the mud and you'll be stuck. You'll end up at AJ'S lookin like the swamp thing...hours later...

Cut through there at low tide and chart that out in your brain or nav screen then you'll be fine in the future at all different tides.

Good luck bud! I'm wishin I was at Tybee soon I'm jealous!!!!


----------



## hawkdriver (Mar 6, 2016)

Thnaks bud...I'll give it a shot at low tide by myself, before i get the family out there


----------



## Mweathers (Mar 7, 2016)

Tough place at low tide, I only go through there at half tide minimum.  The turn just before oyster creek is really shallow, I have sat there for a while myself.


----------



## urack8ball (Mar 7, 2016)

Mike, how about the ride in directly from Bull river to Lazaretto/Tybee cut? 19'CC coming in from Thunderbolt. Anything to look for?


----------



## Rabco (Mar 7, 2016)

Just put in at Turners Creek at  Johnny Mercer the city has really fixed that place up run over to Bull River to Tybee Creek boom your at AJ's easy good water at all tides also you can cut thru Oyster Creek if you want a little shorter  Lazaretto Creek traffic is awful on weekends


----------



## Flaustin1 (Mar 7, 2016)

On a side note, that place is horrible.  Why do you want to go eat there?


----------



## creekrocket (Mar 7, 2016)

If I were in your shoes, I'd go at low water. You'll understand why when you go.
 Our DNR pals should've done the same....


----------



## Jimmy Lee Armel (Mar 8, 2016)

I work on a boat on that side of the world. Mweathers is right. Low tide is shady and a negative tide is even worse. You need to know every inch of that place to do it. As far as staying between the grass at high water. That can get you turned around or in an oyster rake. I've seen it so low that you cant get off a plane in a skiff. That means someone coming the opposite way can't either and with the creek less than 15ft wide in some places you can imagine the outcome. It's also that time of here where fair weather boaters are coming out which is the most dangerous thing on the water. you put in at turners you can go up bull and cut to back river from there.


----------



## Bama B (Mar 8, 2016)

X2 on launching from Turners. Easy run, deep water and easy to plot on GPS. A.J pretty fair food. Normally a long wait and be careful with the docks. They need a little attention. This route is good no matter the tides. We run it at night a lot with no problem in 27 foot CC. Lazaretto is to shallow at low tide in places. And very narrow to travel at speeds if not familar.


----------



## mudcrikitt (Mar 8, 2016)

creekrocket said:


> If I were in your shoes, I'd go at low water. You'll understand why when you go.
> Our DNR pals should've done the same....



HAHA this was at Hells Gate!


----------



## wray912 (Mar 8, 2016)

its pretty easy to run once youve seen it at low..we run it in the dark pretty regular just pay attention to which points you need to turn and then you can run it on any tide


----------



## hawkdriver (Mar 10, 2016)

Thanks y'all...and I didn't realize AJ's wasnt good. I'd heard pretty good reviews about the place.


----------



## creekrocket (Mar 11, 2016)

Nothing wrong with AJ's. Every time I've been, the food was just fine. Service may be a little slow in the summer because of the crowd but that's about it. There's always Bona Bella...$$$$


----------



## 3ringer (Mar 11, 2016)

I like AJ's. Good food nothing fancy. They have really good crab soup. Sit out back with a cold drink and watch the sun set.


----------



## Bwdonald (Mar 11, 2016)

Have you considered running to dafuskie?  Two restaurants right on the intracoastal.


----------



## sea trout (Mar 11, 2016)

there's just somthing cooler about pullin up and docking your boat to eat supper. I love it!!


----------



## sea trout (Mar 11, 2016)

Lots of caution post on here about the cut at back of Lazzaretto to Tybee creek. I agree be cautious but it's nothin you can't handle if your cautious you'll be fine.
Some one mentioned about too shallow getting on and off plane....yeah don't even try it!! The cut is only 1/4ish  mile long anyway...just idle through. Coming from lazzaretto you'll have a 98 or 99 degree starboard turn halfway through the cut that you can't make at low tide in a skiff on plane.
Have fun!!!!


----------



## wray912 (Mar 11, 2016)

if you pull up google maps the satellite pics just happened to be at low tide so you can see the cut pretty good..and everytime ive been to aj's the food was good its nothin to write home about but its good...got great chicken wings


----------



## creekrocket (Mar 11, 2016)

sea trout said:


> Lots of caution post on here about the cut at back of Lazzaretto to Tybee creek. I agree be cautious but it's nothin you can't handle if your cautious you'll be fine.
> Some one mentioned about too shallow getting on and off plane....yeah don't even try it!! The cut is only 1/4ish  mile long anyway...just idle through. Coming from lazzaretto you'll have a 98 or 99 degree starboard turn halfway through the cut that you can't make at low tide in a skiff on plane.
> Have fun!!!!


Lives here my whole life, and have never had a problem "getting up on plane". Been in and out of there in every boat imaginable and haven't had a problem yet. Just have to be in channel...no sweat.
 On another note...
 Someone mentioned Daufuskie. It's a 15 minute run from Thunderbolt to Marshaide Mama's(need reservations), and another 10min to Freeport(no reservations). 
This would be my choice. Easy running as well. Just keep it between the markers.


----------



## Flaustin1 (Mar 12, 2016)

Man im glad yall enjoyed the food at AJs.  Weve given it a try twice and its been the worst seafood ive ever had both times.  I guess when youre a good cook, you have high expectations.


----------



## hawkdriver (Mar 12, 2016)

daufuskie from thunderbolt sounds fun! might give that a try


----------



## Mweathers (Mar 13, 2016)

stay to the outside of the bends, no problem



urack8ball said:


> Mike, how about the ride in directly from Bull river to Lazaretto/Tybee cut? 19'CC coming in from Thunderbolt. Anything to look for?


----------



## Jimmy Lee Armel (Mar 16, 2016)

Run it everyday and have hit bottom before.


----------

