IGY Savannah Harbor Marina Brings Superyacht-Scale Dockage to a Historic Waterfront

Savannah, Georgia, has long been a maritime city, with a riverfront defined by cargo ships, tourism and a boating culture that spans centuries. Yet until recently, the city lacked a full-service marina in close proximity to its historic downtown. That changed in May 2025 with the opening of IGY Savannah Harbor Marina.

“Savannah is an incredible growth story and has an excellent tourist product,” said Jedison Knowles, general manager at IGY Savannah Marina. “It has an active waterfront downtown and a storied shipping and boating past. IGY seeks iconic locations in prime touristic destinations along established cruising grounds.”

A Marina Decades in the Making
IGY Marinas, a subsidiary of MarineMax, serves more than 10,000 customers each year at 24 marinas in 14 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Savannah’s combination of tourism growth, strong boating culture and strategic location along the Intracoastal Waterway made it an attractive addition to IGY’s global network.

“Savannah has a strong local boating culture and is also an attractive stopover for Great Loopers and vessels migrating down the East Coast,” Knowles said. “There is a strong presence of marine industry service providers that truly make Savannah a fantastic market.”

The Savannah Harbor site had historically served as a ship basin, and its redevelopment required extensive land assembly, infrastructure investment and multi-agency permitting. “The land assemblage alone was many years in the making, and local, state and governmental agencies participated in funding infrastructure to support the project,” said Eric Simonton, executive vice president of real estate and business development at IGY Marinas.

Economic cycles, including the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, slowed progress. Once IGY Marinas joined the project in 2021, permitting through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the city of Savannah took roughly two years. “There was a great deal of complexity in the deal with so many stakeholders, but the process really went quite smoothly,” Simonton said.

Engineered for a Mix of Boaters
The marina infrastructure was constructed to accommodate local boaters, transient cruisers and large yachts. The inner basin docks feature aluminum-framed systems from Wahoo Docks, manufactured in Georgia, while the riverfront docks are Marinetek concrete floating systems fabricated in Croatia and shipped to Savannah. “About 900 tons of concrete floating dock were delivered to the Port of Savannah, just upriver from the marina, and offloaded over the course of two days.” Simonton said. “Our local marine contractor, Myrick Marine Contracting Corporation, towed the dock sections to our basin and put them together.”

The inner basin has 95 slips that can accommodate vessels from 30 to 70 feet. The 1,200 linear feet of river dockage can berth yachts up to 820 feet. The marina offers diesel and gasoline for recreational boats and in-slip fueling for large yachts. Additional amenities include pumpout service, shower facilities, complimentary laundry, private dock access and golf cart transportation to the Savannah ferry, which carries passengers across the Savannah River to the historic downtown area. “We wanted to provide berthing for locals who live near downtown and want convenient access to their boat, Great Loopers, cruisers and transient mega yachts,” Simonton said.

Local Economic Impact
The marina is part of the broader Savannah Harbor master development. The multi-use project will include restaurants, retail shopping, apartments and hotels. Offering views of the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge and city skyline, the marina adds a maritime component to the city’s tourism and real estate ecosystem.

Beyond dockage, IGY plans to create events and programming to establish the marina as a lifestyle destination. “Our mission is to cultivate a vibrant in-water community designed for extended stays,” Knowles said. “We’re curating events and experiences that appeal to owners, captains and crew alike.”

Urban Marina Design
New marina construction is increasingly rare, particularly in established urban waterfronts where permitting, dredging and environmental remediation can be cost-prohibitive. For Savannah, the marina reconnects the city with its riverfront boating heritage. “For the most part of history, marinas and anchorages have already been constructed in the most logical locations,” Simonton said. “The idea of bringing this site back to life as a marina has existed for nearly 40 years, and we were pleased to be able to do it.”