Hidden Harbor
Discovering the Dataw Island Marina
story by HEATHER STEINBERGER photos by RICHARD STEINBERGER
For many boaters navigating the quiet waters of the Morgan River, the docks at Dataw Island appear to belong exclusively to the private residential community beneath its sprawling live oaks. It’s an understandable assumption — the island itself is gated, and the marina sits along a peaceful stretch of river framed by sweeping Lowcountry tidal marsh.
Even locals might not realize that the Dataw Island Marina is open to the public. Yet for northern Beaufort County boaters and visitors who are passing through, it offers one of the region’s most versatile and welcoming places to keep, service and launch a boat.
Keith Maresca is a believer. Originally from Long Island, New York, he says the marina was the reason he and his wife chose Dataw (originally called Datha Island) for their new home four years ago.
“We wanted to be able to keep our boat close, somewhere we could take a golf cart to,” he explains. “We have a Sea Ray 350 SLX, and we purchased that boat because the marina has the ability to forklift and dry stack a boat that size.”
For boat owners like Maresca, the appeal goes beyond proximity. Over time, the marina has evolved into both a gathering place and a working waterfront, with boaters launching for the day, handling maintenance projects and catching up with friends at the Morgan River Grill.
Originally built in 1989, the Dataw Island Marina has undergone significant change in recent years. The Dataw Island Owners Association (DIOA) purchased the property in 2019 and immediately invested in rebuilding and renovating due to the heavy damage sustained during Hurricane Matthew three years earlier.
For a few years, an outside management company handled marina operations. Last year, DIOA took over and is now managing the marina directly.
“The local boating community is excited about this fresh new arrangement,” Maresca says.
Since then, the marina team has been focused on refining operations services while preserving a welcoming atmosphere for all boaters. Harbormaster and marina manager Chad Langford, who has managed marinas in Beaufort County for more than 20 years, says the goal is simple.
“I’m all about organic growth,” he says. “I want to tell our story — what we have to offer and how we can help boaters.”
Langford stresses that Dataw Island Marina is one of the few remaining privately held but publicly accessible marinas in the area, and it must remain public despite its location in a private, gated residential community.
“It can never be privatized,” he says. “It’s permitted as a public marina through the Army Corps of Engineers.”
The marina offers several options for boat owners, including wet slips, dry-stack storage and yard storage. The dry-stack facility and forklift can handle 118 boats up to 33 feet and 24,000 pounds, while an additional 20 storage spaces on land and a 55-ton Marine Travelift boat hoist will accommodate vessels up to 60 feet.
“We only have 19 open dry-stack spots right now,” Langford said. “Demand is strong.”
The marina’s two dozen wet slips are equally popular, with a waiting list for new tenants. Fortunately, the facility can accommodate visiting boaters along a 90-foot dock, making Dataw Island a convenient stop for Great Loop cruisers, Intracoastal Waterway travelers and local boaters heading for the Morgan River Grill.
Langford says it’s a good spot to fill up, as well. At press time, the marina could give boaters the cheapest fuel prices in town.
Anyone who owns a boat knows the time spent maintaining it can rival the hours spent enjoying it. Recognizing that reality, the team also has developed a service yard where boaters can tackle DIY projects or bring in their own service providers.
“There was a need for a place where DIY boaters could haul out and work on their boats — or bring in a service representative, as long as they were licensed and insured,” Maresca says.
“It’s important to us that we provide a good working environment for our customers,” Langford adds.
The concept reflects a broader trend. Along the East Coast, increasing numbers of marinas are finding ways to accommodate hands-on owners who have the expertise to do their own work or simply want to collaborate with their own experts.
The Dataw Island Marina yard includes 20 service rack areas. Here, boaters can take advantage of a free wash station and ample space to charge batteries or swap out equipment.
Outdoor storage sits at the rear of the marina basin. Langford cracks a smile as he describes the slightly inclined walk from the paved work area to the gravel storage space, where the Marine Travelift stands sentinel.
“This is the uphill storage,” he says with a laugh.
While the marina encourages DIY work, it also offers access to on-site, five-star professional expertise through Sea Island Marine and Holdfast Marine Services. Sea Island Marine is a Yamaha dealer and service center with technicians certified by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), and Matt DeVito’s Holdfast Marine Services is a full-service yacht maintenance company that provides electrical, mechanical and fiberglass repair.
For DIY boaters who get stuck mid-project, and for cruisers who run into unexpected issues, having experienced technicians nearby can be a lifesaver.
“If you’re passing through and you have problems with your A/C or electrical system, we make it easy to find the service providers you need,” Langford said. “You don’t typically have the depth of expertise in our area that you might find in places like the Chesapeake Bay or Florida, so we know how important it is to help connect boaters with resources.”
In a place where tides, weather and mechanical hiccups can all shape a day on the water — and where help isn’t always just around the corner — that kind of support matters. And the marina team works hard to extend that combination of expertise and accessibility to the everyday rhythm of boating life at Dataw.
Owners who keep their boats in dry-stack storage can schedule launches ahead of time, and when they do, the team handles the heavy lifting literally and figuratively.
“When you schedule your launch, they’ll fuel up, add ice if you need it and then drop the boat in the water for you,” Maresca says. “When you return, they haul it out, flush it and put it back in storage.”
This spring, the marina is introducing a new online reservation system using the Dockwa platform. This system will allow customers and vendors to schedule launches and services quickly and easily.
“We say Dataw Island makes boating fun again,” says Laura Quail, the community’s director of marketing and communications.
Part of that recipe is personalized service, and Langford says he believes their service sets the marina apart.
“We get to know our boaters really well,” he says. “We’ve had cases where we’ve even helped boaters from out of state and overseas get their registration, insurance, even batteries. You don’t find that at other marinas.”
Some of these new customers discover that Dataw Island is more than a home for their boats. It’s home, period.
“The marina really is our second entrance, a second gateway,” Quail says. “We have a membership category for nonresidents that local boaters might enjoy, and with advance arrangements, we can provide transient boaters with full access to island’s amenities so they can experience our dining, recreational facilities and golf courses.”
That experience, as Langford observes, can turn into a more permanent arrangement.
“Most boat owners who live on Dataw came here by water,” he says. “They stopped here first.”
He notes that the Morgan River Grill adds to the appeal. It’s one of the few truly waterfront dining destinations north of the Broad River in Beaufort County, which makes it a lively spot.
“The marina wouldn’t be what it is without the Morgan River Grill,” Langford says. “They’re such a great tenant.”
Despite its capabilities and scenic location, the marina remains surprisingly under the radar. Langford discovered that firsthand years ago.
“I grew up in the metropolis of Ridgeland,” he says with a laugh. “My mom’s from Beaufort, though — my family’s lived here for 200 years, and I had no idea this was here. It’s a hidden gem. Nobody knows.”
That may change as the marina continues to evolve. Future plans include a potential three-phase expansion that would replace older docks, upgrade the haul-out area and improve the marina’s capabilities for large vessels.
Meanwhile, the area surrounding the marina and restaurant might eventually receive a makeover of its own. Community leaders are exploring the idea of creating a more parklike setting, perhaps with the name Morgan River Landing.
“We’d love to add more gathering spaces, fire pits, maybe even an outdoor pizza oven,” Quail says.
The plans reflect something deeper than a simple facelift. For Dataw Island residents, the marina has become one of the island’s signature amenities — one they are eager to showcase and share with others.
“Residents are proud of this marina,” Maresca says. “It’s a real highlight, and it’s incredibly convenient.”
And boaters who decide to take advantage of what the marina has to offer just might discover that preconceived notions aren’t exactly accurate. The island community itself is likely to be a pleasant surprise.
Quail notes that Dataw Island residents volunteer extensively throughout Beaufort County, supporting more than 200 local organizations, and the community definitely is not age-restricted.
“We have members of all ages,” she says. “And the membership is skewing younger.”
Maresca agrees, adding that a party recently took place for residents who graduated from high school in the 1980s and ‘90s. The Gen X revelry was yet another sign that the community is evolving.
From a boat gliding past on the Morgan River, the Dataw Island Marina might indeed appear to be just another private facility tucked inside a residential island. But those who tie up at the docks discover something entirely different — a convenient port, a friendly working marina and a welcoming community built around life on the water.
To learn more about the Dataw Island Marina, visit datawmarina.com.
