The docks at the Water's Edge Restaurant on Shem Creek are free for use by any boat stopping to dine.

Now we're moving on to one of my favorite subjects. You don't have to read many of my guides to know how much I love a stopover at a dockside restaurant while I'm cruising, and Charleston has some of the best. In fact, Charleston as a whole has some of the best food I've found anywhere. Seafood, of course, is world-class and you just can't be allowed to visit South Carolina without tasting some local barbecue.

As far as dockside restaurants go, you can't go wrong stopping off at the Charleston Harbor Marina, located next door to the Yorktown. Their resort hotel building houses The Grill restaurant, featuring upscale low country cuisine as well as the Reel Bar, which serves sandwiches and appetizers. Short-term docking for both restaurants is free at the marina. You can either radio ahead or stop off at the fuel dock for docking instructions.

On the Isle of Palms, you can tie up at the municipal marina and dine at the Morgan Creek Grill. There you can enjoy steak or seafood in the main level dining room or dine on more casual fare upstairs in the Upper Deck (featuring live music most evenings). Either way you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Intracoastal Waterway either indoors or outside on one of their open air patios.

Shem Creek, due east of Patriot's Point in the northeast corner of the harbor, contains no fewer than three dockside restaurants. The Water's Edge Restaurant features an upscale selection of fresh seafood, prime rib, and local specialties along with the longest wine list I've ever seen. You can enjoy your meal while watching the local fishing boats drop off the day's catch right at the dock.

Across the creek, you'll find Red's Ice House, which has been voted Charleston's best waterfront bar for five of the past six years. In addition to spirits and live music, they also feature a casual menu of local seafood and sandwiches. Next door is RB's Seafood Restaurant and, if you'd rather cook it yourself, you will also find a small fish market where you can purchase fish, crabs, and shrimp fresh off the boat.

When dining downtown in the historic district, any sailor would do well to stop by for a bite to eat at The Buccaneer on Faber Street. The Buccaneer leaves your standard theme restaurant in the dust by offering bar and meal service in a museum setting of authentic pirate paraphernalia that claims to be one of the largest private collections in the country. Throw in a 1,000-gallon salt water aquarium and a real ship's cannon, and you may spend a while admiring the scenery before you remember to get around to ordering a meal.