The water is the lifeblood of our area. So, pardon the fishing pun, but we caught up with all the latest waterway news, from conservation, to business, to hot new seafood spots.
The New Club in Town
The latest addition to the boat membership scene, Nautical Boat Club Wilmington Island aims for a country-club level of service.
When Sun Life Wilmington Island Marina, formerly known as Hogan’s, sought a boat club to partner with, Nautical Boat Club answered the call. “It was serendipitous,” says Shayne Mooney, who is the owner-operator of this location alongside business partner Jon Dukes. “We were looking to grow for a while, and it felt like we’d be a really good fit for this market.”
“While we are the new club in town, Jon and I have 30-plus years of experience and success in other locations,” says Mooney. He started as an intern at the Irmo, South Carolina, location, where Dukes was the franchisee, then moved on to his own franchise in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, before the two teamed up in Savannah. With nearly 30 locations nationwide, Nautical Boat Club began more than 25 years ago, when the concept of a membership-based boating experience was new.
But now, especially with the rising costs of inflation, joining a club has become a smart decision for those who love boating but aren’t interested in the upkeep that comes with it. “Boats are a headache; there’s always something broken on them, gas is expensive, and there’s also storage to think about,” explains Mooney, “We make it easy — you jump on the boat and go.”
The club, which officially opened in May, offers tiered memberships, with members paying a one-time fee, monthly dues, and committing to a one-year plan. The trade-off? An unlimited number of outings on a selection of high-end boats, a supply of water toys and life jackets, staff available from sunrise to sunset, and a GPS they’ll set up for you. “We focus on providing a white glove, country club-style service,” says Mooney. “The staff will load your stuff onto the boat when you arrive, help tie it up when you dock, and know you on a first-name basis.”
Currently, the Wilmington Island location has six boats to choose from, from a Key West 219 FS to a Scout Dorado, with all of the boats ranging from 21 to 25 feet. Depending on your membership, you’ll have access to some or all of the models, either on weekdays only or all week long. To operate their boats, the club requires members to have a valid driver’s license and be at least 25 years old, similar to car rental rules. Memberships are a family unit deal, however, so no one needs to miss a day on the water.
For new members, Nautical Boat Club will send them out with a Coast Guard-certified captain for a three- to five-hour training, where they’ll practice docking and navigating local waters, such as how to get to the popular destination, Daufuskie Island. “We’ll show you everything you need to be a successful boater,” explains Mooney. “We want everyone to be safe and happy.”
Mooney reveals that they have a record set from the Mount Pleasant location — 98 outings in a calendar year for one member. “If someone wants to try and break that here, they can,”
he challenges.
–Mary Cornetta
Setting Sail for Success
In just a six-year tenure, SCAD’s marine design minor is already making major waves.
From the cargo ships meandering through the Savannah River to that superyacht of your Champagne-tinted dreams, behind every floating vessel is a designer who must possess both artistic and technical know-how. Many of these future marine megaminds are studying right here in Savannah, at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Gulfstream Center for Design. Take Sam Merrill, for example, a fourth-year SCAD student who is buoying his major in industrial design with a minor in marine design.
“I wanted to explore this minor after I saw some of the projects that came from marine design alum,” says Merrill. Graduates of SCAD’s marine design minor have sailed into success around the globe, like Louis-Charles Possover, who landed a junior yacht designer position at Navia Design in Finland after charting his course in the program.
The curriculum includes courses such as hull development and computer-aided product design. Local maritime industries offer themselves as resources as well. For example, Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht Center, which conducts superyacht refit, repair, and maintenance, opens its facilities to the students, “offering a rare look at world-class superyacht operations,” says Rafael Corazza Ronchetti, an industrial design professor at SCAD and the primary marine design professor.
Savannah’s wide-ranging sea industries mean that many world-class advisers with different specializations are available to the students. “We’re fortunate to have excellent mentors like naval architect Nick Eremic and interior yacht designer Anita Turcotte from Verge Yacht Design,” says Ronchetti.
As Savannah’s stevedoring and superyacht industries expand, Ronchetti says the SCAD program will continue to evolve along with them, embracing cutting-edge digital technologies that explore the full potential of the design process.
For students, this experiential, future-equipped learning is indispensable. “My time in SCAD’s marine design program has been transformative,” Merrill says. “ I look forward to stretching my sea legs in marine design very soon.”
Watery Reads
Sarah V. Ross, the former executive director of the University of Georgia Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe, has curated a fascinating new book. “Social Roots: Southern Foodways, Connecting the Landscape,” is an anthology of essays about food, nature, and life in the South, including the role of the waterways. Contributors include The Grey owner/chef Mashama Bailey, Daufuskie Island chef/cookbook author Sallie Ann Robinson, local artist Betsy Cain, “Ecology of a Cracker Childhood” author Janisse Ray, and many other esteemed voices.
“Sisters Across the Sea: Adopted by the Bono of Ghana” celebrates the bond between local writer and social worker Jo Williams and Ghana-born author Agnes Boateng. The two became friends as teenagers during an exchange program in the 1970s and have remained friends, despite the distance created by an ocean and five decades of time.
Explore Savannah’s ties to the naval events and battles of the Revolutionary War with the historical novel “The Irish Admiralty.” Author Michael Gerard is originally from Ireland and a longtime resident of Beaufort, South Carolina. The book highlights the Irish-born, naval officer Commodore John Barry, considered by some to be “the Father of the American Navy.”
An Island for All
Recognized for her work on Ossabaw Island, Elizabeth DuBose helps keep this special place protected, thriving — and available to the public.
“People who come here for the first time say it feels primeval,” says Elizabeth DuBose, executive director of The Ossabaw Island Foundation (TOIF) and recent recipient of the Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities, one of 10 awardees statewide and the only individual from coastal Georgia. “Even though it’s just 7 nautical miles from Savannah, it’s like stepping into a completely different world.” One of Georgia’s barrier islands, Ossabaw is state-owned and has been successfully preserved in no small part due to DuBose’s decades-long efforts.
DuBose began working with TOIF in 1998, the same year it gained nonprofit status and secured a renewable Use Agreement with the state. Since she’s been at the helm, TOIF has restored or stabilized 12 historic buildings on the island and seen annual visits increase from 500 in 1999 to 3,000 in 2024 — all while adhering to the guidelines set by its designation as the state’s first Heritage Preserve Site. “Unlike the other barrier islands, ours prohibits recreational use, so the focus is strictly on natural, scientific, research, and educational purposes,” DuBose explains.
This year TOIF has hosted 31 trips on the island (both day and multi-night excursions), from a three-day yoga retreat to a two-week-long archaeological field school co-conducted by the University of Georgia and Pennsylvania State University. These include 14 trips offered through TOIF’s Public Use and Education Program. “What’s great about our model is that TOIF’s programming is open to the public,” she says. “Anyone can come and learn about turtle research, try a traditional practice like indigo dyeing, or be inspired by the beauty of the ecology.”
Particular favorites of DuBose’s are Heritage Day (for descendants of any former Ossabaw residents) and Lift Every Voice, honoring the stories and contributions of the island’s enslaved people, Freedmen, and their descendants. The state recently approved the rehabilitation of the circa-1926 winter home of the Torrey-West family along with other structures that will double overnight accommodation capacity; DuBose hopes to see those projects completed within the next
two years.
Although she found the award ceremony “unbelievable” and “stupendous,” DuBose was caught off-guard by the honor. “When you’re just out here on the job, head down, you don’t ever think about things like that,” she observes. She remains humbled by the foundation laid by those who foresaw the need to protect the magic of Ossabaw. “The island is really grounding for people. I’ve just grabbed the baton and tried my best to keep it that way.”
—Amy Faeskorn
Updates For Your Beach Bag
Want to stand out, poolside? Slip on a pair of sunglasses featuring Nina Mûr frames. The innovative brand, based in Madrid, Spain, hand-crafts light, easy-to-wear styles made from high-quality Finnish birch wood. You can find them at Savannah Family Eye Care (13 E. Oglethorpe Ave., Suite F).
And if you’re looking for a juicy beach read, try Mary Nestor’s debut novel, “Bus No. 7.” Based in Savannah, Nestor is a coach, consultant, communications expert, and award-winning speaker whose previous book focused on challenging conversations. Her new novel is a psychological thriller that begins with a strung-out drug addict’s plot to rob an unsuspecting pregnant woman and ends with a nail-biting ride on a runaway bus. A finalist in the William Faulkner Literary Competition, the novel is being released by Bold Story Press.
—Kathryn Drury Wagner
Saving Sea Life, One Small Act at a Time
Lidea Clever’s nonprofit organization is making waves both near and far.
Discovering your purpose as a child is rare, but Lidea “Liddy” Clever stumbled upon hers — quite literally — at just 5 years old. When her parents, Christin and Seth, relocated the family from Ohio to Savannah, Liddy would walk along the beaches of Tybee Island, noticing the trash littering the sand and shore.
“I was wondering why it was there and if it was hurting animals, so I did some research,” says Liddy, who is now 9. Understanding the negative effects of pollution on marine life inspired her to begin organizing beach cleanups. After hosting one on her seventh birthday, she saw how many of her classmates were also interested in conservation.
Shortly after that, Liddy founded her own 501(c)(3) non-profit, Save Sea Life, allowing her to spread awareness about endangered animals on a larger scale. Her mom printed out the paperwork and Liddy took it from there. “I’ve always felt like I’ve had a connection to the ocean,” she says. “And I felt like it was my job to educate people about it.”
Along with coordinating local monthly beach cleanups, she helps to donate cleanup stations (which consist of a five-gallon bucket and grabbers) to communities nationwide. She also gives speeches to schools, informing students about the importance of sustainability and protecting sea life. Liddy also came up with the idea to raise money for the GPS tracker that will be attached to Westie, a beloved Loggerhead sea turtle the Tybee Island Marine Science Center will be releasing into the ocean sometime in early September 2025. Follow the Science Center on social for details — @TybeeMarineScience on Facebook and @tybeemarinesciencecenter on Instagram.
Westie is the first sea turtle to be released by the Science Center with a tracker, thanks to Liddy’s fundraising efforts. In addition to running an Instagram campaign for donations (@savesealifewithliddy), she created and sold two beautiful pieces of upcycled art. “I collected trash from the beach that was really pretty and colorful, I sanitized it, and I made trash art,” says Liddy. “One was of a mermaid tail and the other a huge sea turtle, and we did a silent auction to raise the money.”
When Liddy is not spending time with the animals at the Science Center, her presence is still there, via her books in its gift shop. She published her first book, “Wave: A Sea Turtle’s Story,” in 2023; “Endangered Sea Life Coloring Book 1” in 2024; and her most recent, “Endangered Sea Life Coloring Book 2,” in 2025. They were each released on World Ocean Day and illustrated by local artist and teacher Katie Napoli. Aside from the Science Center, you can purchase Liddy’s books on her website savesealife.com, at the Tybee Island Farmer’s Market (held on Mondays from 4-7 p.m.), and inside home decor store Jones & Bull.
Liddy has already been featured twice this year on TV’s The Jennifer Hudson Show, receiving a surprise, heartfelt personal message from Bindi Irwin during her first appearance. Jennifer and Bindi aren’t the only ones to recognize Liddy for all of her hard work; she has become a force in the community, spreading awareness, inspiration, and joy wherever she is. Liddy’s mission is simple, yet impactful: “Always remember that no act is too small, and you’re never too young to make a big difference.”
—Mary Cornetta
Westie Waves Goodbye
Since she arrived at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center in 2022, Westie, a Loggerhead sea turtle, has come a long way. Hatched on Ossabaw Island, she was named after its iconic former resident, preservationist Eleanor “Sandy” Torrey West, who passed away in 2021.
The turtle Westie was a straggler who never made it out of the nest and into the ocean on her own as a hatchling. Luckily, the curators have taken great care of her at the Science Center, which is permitted through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to house and handle these endangered species.
She has been serving as one of their Marine Debris Ambassadors, but as she approaches her third birthday, Westie has grown big and strong and is now ready to say farewell. She will be released into the ocean during a public event on North Beach, Tybee Island, sometime in early September 2025. The Science Center staff encourages attendees to make her sendoff extra special by bringing signs to wish her a safe journey or by donning sea turtle costumes. The time of her release will be announced on the organization’s website and Facebook page.
We were fortunate to catch up with Westie before she swims off and ask her some questions on behalf of Savannah’s sea turtle lovers.
What is your daily routine like at the Science Center? I wake up whenever I want, and I’m on my own schedule except for my meals. If it were up to me, I’d eat all day, every day! But I’m fed six days a week because on Tuesdays, I go to the veterinarian for a checkup. I love swimming around and chasing the fish in my tank. My curators will toss in toys for me to play with so I don’t get bored. I live a pretty spoiled life.
What’s your favorite snack? I’m not really picky, but if I had to choose one, it would be live blue crabs. They’re fun to chase because they’re very fast swimmers, and I bite their claws so they can’t pinch me.
Have you made any new friends while staying here? Sea turtles like me are not very social, so I hang out in my tank alone, but I do have some fish friends in here. Sometimes I swim around with them, and sometimes I snack on them! I’d say the best friends I’ve met along the way are those who visit the Science Center. I get really happy to see them when they come up to my glass and take pictures with me. It makes me feel important.
What are you most excited about when you get released into the ocean? Space to swim with no boundaries, and a never-ending buffet of horseshoe crabs, snails, and other yummy things.
Do you want to send a message to the humans who have been helping you? Even though I got a little sassy every time you took me out of the tank to clean and take care of me, I appreciate that you gave me the chance to educate everyone who came through the Science Center. And I’m happy you gave me a better chance of survival out in the wild!
(Answers attributed to Sarah Alley, biologist and curator at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center )
—Mary Cornetta
Adventures and Advocacy
Chad DuBose, a noted local captain, discusses his local and travel fishing charters, his childhood, and his efforts to help protect Georgia’s coastal fishing.
With ombre, blue-black liberty spikes topping their heads, roosterfish appear far more punk rock than the kind-eyed, jetlagged boat captain in front of me. Chad DuBose is just back from leading a recent fishing trip in Baja, Mexico. “Punk rock is a really good explanation for that fish,” he says. “They are mean when they come crashing through … just very, very aggressive.”
Long before he was battling big fish in Baja, DuBose, who is the owner of Tall Tides Charters, had Savannah waterways running through him like blood. His family has owned property on the Vernon River since the early 1900s, which set a backdrop for his fond memories of muggy summers spent on the water, fishing with his stepdad and running amok as to-be adventurers typically do.
“Almost every Sunday, we either had blue crab that we’d hand-line off the river in the morning or fried trout with grits,” he says. Eventually, he left his ancestral riverfront to move to the West, to sell climbing gear and be a climbing guide, working with clients on formidable mountains like Mount Rainier, in Washington State, and on Denali, in Alaska.
Oh, and on Mount Everest.
In 2015, DuBose boomeranged back to Savannah and eventually started two ventures: Tall Tides Charters and the Georgia Saltwater Anglers Association, which spearheads conservation efforts for our coastline, especially focusing on the protection of redfish (also known as red drum or channel bass). It’s a sportfish that has faced a declining population due to overfishing and changes in its native habitat.
“Georgia hasn’t changed the recreational limit since 2001, so you can still keep up to five redfish per person,” he explains. “Every other state that has redfish has regulated its limits over the years, and Georgia hasn’t. So that’s been our big push.”
Another push for the busy DuBose is growing a subset of Tall Tides Charters: Tall Tides Travels. On these fly-fishing trips — which span from the aforementioned Baja, as well as to Louisiana, to South America’s Patagonia area, and more locations to come — DuBose operates under his favorite axiom. It’s by rock climbing enthusiast, environmentalist, and the founder of Patagonia Clothing, Yvon Chouinard: “An adventure in which the outcome is known, is no adventure at all.”
—Kiki Dy
Hydration Libations
We’ve talked about being on the water. But what about drinking the stuff? Here we chat with Savannah local Hannah Byrne, who has amassed a social media following with her refreshing Water Cocktails.
At age 50, Hannah Byrne made a decision to dramatically improve her health. Along with various lifestyle changes, she started swapping out her regular sips of Sauvignon Blanc for water. However, it wasn’t just any flavorless, bland water: Byrne began crafting non-alcoholic beverages using water, fruits, herbs, and other elements that gave each recipe the allure of a well-mixed cocktail.
Within a few months of making the switch, she experienced weight loss, better sleep, and — what she affirms is the most noticeable difference — clearer skin. “We slather all of these ingredients on our face every day when we can get the same minerals by drinking them,” explains Byrne. With the help of her son, she brought her journey to Instagram under the name @honestlyhannah in January 2024 and has grown a community of more than 25,000 followers also interested in improving their health. Per Byrne, “It was really born out of vanity, but the benefits are so much more holistic than that.”
Her recipes offer a cleaner alternative to many mocktail mixes, which can contain sugar and other additives. The star ingredient of all of her recipes is naturally occurring mineral water, whether that be spring, glacier, or volcanic. From there, the base of every Water Cocktail is a fruit (such as strawberries, blueberries, or mango), and then she adds a citrus before choosing an herb (think mint, rosemary, or thyme). The herbs are sometimes muddled for flavor; other times, they act as a garnish. She frequents Herb Creek Landscape Supply with her husband, a horticulturist at Palmetto Bluff, to pick up new herbs to try.
In addition to muddling and shaking, Byrne likes to add traditional cocktail ingredients, such as agave or nonalcoholic bitters. “When you level it up with a bitter or muddle in some jalapeño, it really changes the profile,” says Byrne. “Pour it into a refined glass, and you feel like you’re actually drinking that cocktail.”
The most frequently asked question Byrne receives on social media is how to order a Water Cocktail when you’re out on the town. “I’ve interviewed bartenders around the world about this, and they all say the same thing: we are here to make you what you want.” She advises bar-goers to assess the menu to see what garnishes and fruits they’re using in their regular cocktails. Once you know what you’d like to order, be direct. “You can say, ‘I’d like still water in that stemmed glass with ice, two slices of blood orange, drizzle some Luxardo cherry juice on top, and put a sprig of rosemary in it’,” she gives as an example.
Byrne frequently collaborates with local businesses, like Rhoot Man Beverage Company, and is available to create custom Water Cocktail recipes for events. For example, she created a drink called the Crunchie Brunchie, which she crafted using Party of Hive granola and Savannah Bee Company honey. Byrne is currently working on a book about the benefits of drinking water and building the Honestly Hannah brand to continue showcasing her personal health journey. “I’m not against alcohol,” she explains. “I just want to look and feel as good as I can each day.”
–Mary Cornetta
The Classic Texas Waterita
Byrne already has an eBook available, featuring her favorite recipe series: the Waterita. “I’m a sucker for a margarita,” she says. “I love the flavors of the Waterita; I could drink them all day long!” Here’s her recipe for an invigorating libation for a steamy summer day.
Ingredients:
1 ounce fresh-squeezed tangelo juice
½ ounce lime juice
1 teaspoon agave
4-5 ounces spring water
Ice
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake well. Using a strainer, pour into a rocks glass loaded with ice and rimmed with Tajin. Garnish with wedges of orange and lime.
Courtesy Neon Fish
Courtesy Outside Brands
We Sea New Food
Did you know that Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar is inside the Gibbons Range building, built in 1820 and the oldest operating commercial building in Savannah? Its new rooftop bar and restaurant, Neon Fish (116 W. Congress St., fourth floor) was named as an homage to the building’s iconic neon sign, commissioned in 1947 for then-tenant Mathews Seafood and now designated as a historic artifact by the Historic Savannah Foundation. Neon Fish offers views of Ellis Square, with a seafood-forward, nibbly based menu (think blue crab fries or fried catfish bites). Stop by for a cocktail, like the gin-based Shore Leave Spritz, and sample the signature three-tier Seafood Tower, a multi-layered affair that boasts Bull River oysters, grilled shrimp skewers, mini lobster rolls, and tuna tartare with crispy wonton chips.
Outside Brands, an adventure and outdoor recreation company with locations in Savannah, Hilton Head Island, and Palmetto Bluff, has a new seasonal Lowcountry Boil Dinner Cruise. The cruise, a collaboration with local eatery Sprout Momma Bakery and Catering on Hilton Head Island, takes place weekly aboard the custom-built power catamaran Ohana. The two-hour cruise includes a full Lowcountry boil dinner and Southern-style desserts such as peach cobbler. (Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available with advance request.) It’s offered on Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and departs from Shelter Cove Marina on Hilton Head Island. Do make a reservation as seating is limited.
FishBar (2218 Bull St.) is a new Starland District eatery helmed by Savannah native and executive chef Max Barebee, alongside collaborator Ben Agostini. The open-flame restaurant will feature tapas-style plates with locally sourced seafood as well as other local ingredients, alongside wine and cocktails.
Charleston’s beloved Darling Oyster Bar is opening its second brick-and-mortar location, and lucky for us, it’s in Savannah. Slated to open sometime in 2025, the restaurant will be in the City Market neighborhood at 27 Montgomery St. Featuring a seafood-focused menu, it will be housed in a restored 130-year-old historic building, featuring distinct dining rooms, two expansive bars, a spacious raw bar, and a refined events space upstairs.
–Kathryn Drury Wagner
Unburied Treasure
A new Savannah Pirates and Treasure Museum is slated to come to City Market this summer.
Avast, ye scurvy dogs! The new Savannah Pirates and Treasure Museum cannonballs into City Market with immersive galleries, high-tech displays, wax figures of famous pirates, and nautical and military artifacts. While it aims to cover pirate life from across the globe, it will also cover documented figures from Savannah’s history, such as Captain Caleb Davis, who visitors can learn about from his real diary text.
The museum, encased in 5,500 square feet of gallery space, comes from Historic Tours of America, which also operates local attractions such as Old Town Trolley Tours of Savannah and the American Prohibition Museum.
And similar to the Prohibition Museum, there will be a drinking establishment on site. In this case, it will be a pirate tavern serving authentic nautical recipes like Pirate Grog and West Indies Rum Punch. The bartenders may even sing some sea shanties for you. Don’t forget a squeeze of lime to fend off scurvy!
– Kathryn Drury Wagner
Taking the Scenic Route
Women-owned Joyride Boat Club brings a relaxed luxury experience to the waterways.
It’s clear fate had a hand in introducing the two women who went on to co-found Joyride Boat Club, a leisurely river cruise experience through Savannah’s waterways. Well, that is, if fate conducts real estate deals: Allison Krandall, newly arrived from Nashville, purchased the home being sold by Audra DiPadova, and in the process, the two became fast friends.
Soon after, DiPadova confided a business plan to Krandall over coffee. She’d experienced European-style, tranquil, electric boats in Newport Harbor, when she had been living in Orange County, California. “I wanted that same feeling to come to life in Savannah, and I didn’t want to do it alone.”
“I knew how disciplined Allison is, and we have similar aesthetic sensibilities,” DiPadova continues. Krandall grew up in Michigan, where she had done a lot of boating, so she was used to enjoying time on the water. A former lawyer, she moved to Savannah after she and her husband fell in love with the town in 2023. DiPadova, for her part, is a co-founder of local mental health service Yes Collective and chief hope officer for the MaxLove Project. It is a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the quality of life and reduce health risks for children surviving cancer, inspired by her son Max’s recovery from brain cancer.
The two friends discovered they were a perfect fit for business partnership, and, most of all, a shared desire to work within — and for — the community here. In 2024, they took the plunge and launched Joyride Boat Club, offering private chartered cruises aboard an eco-friendly, 22-foot, pleasure craft. Passengers enjoy a stately, glamorous picnic, smoothly gliding through the twisting creeks and rivers under the boat’s shade-providing awning.
Taryn Weston serves as lead captain, and she has been instrumental to Joyride’s success, say Krandall and DiPadova. She trains the other Joyride captains and enjoys navigating the waterways with passengers. “The guests just love her,” says Krandall.
Joyride also teams up with other local, women-owned businesses for the onboard food and beverage offerings, including Provisions for artisanal charcuterie boards; Finches Sandwiches & Sundries for gourmet brunches; and Sarandipity Fare for afternoon tea (for summer, refreshing iced tea is an option). Customers are also welcome to BYOB. If so, Joyride can have plates, cups, and napkins, plus a cooler stocked with ice and bottled waters, awaiting guests when they step onto
the boat.
As Joyride grows, Krandall and DiPadova are working with local hotels to develop partnerships for guest experiences. Even bigger plans are full (electric) speed ahead: they plan to both expand their fleet and bring Joyride Boat Club to other cities in the future.
—Kathryn Drury Wagner
Tile for Awhile
Invented in China in the late 1800s, mahjong was all the rage in the U.S. until roughly World War I. But the tile-based game — which requires players to employ strategy, skill, and pattern recognition — has roared back into fashion, especially among Gen Z and Millennials.
Tapping into this pop culture phenomenon, Kessler Charters has a new Mahjong Voyage for summer. Up to six guests will board Decked Out, a 34-foot Clarion designed to capture the refined elegance of the 1920s, for a two-hour cruise. The experience, which starts at $750, includes a mahjong 101 tutorial guide, a luxury mahjong set, and a selection of fine wines and gourmet charcuterie from Provisions, all while the captain navigates the stately wooden boat through Savannah’s waterways. Make a reservation on the Kessler Charters website.
–Kathryn Drury Wagner
