© 2023 High Tide Harbor Tours
What could be better than spending a beautiful day on the water while learning about historical Charleston, SC! High Tide Harbor Tours offers Private Historic Harbor Tours with a list of sites including the USS Yorktown, Castle Pinckney, Fort Sumter, Morris Island Lighthouse and more. Our private historical boat rides are designed to give you a customized experience that you can’t get anywhere else.
Historical Charleston Harbor Tour Sites
We have several boat options in our fleet to help you plan the perfect historical boat tour experience. From luxurious, intimate yachts to large group vessels that can hold up to 25 guests, you’re sure to find the perfect boat for your needs. Explore our fleet options and rates here. We offer private boat rides, so your trip can be as flexible as you’d like it to be. We’ll take you wherever you’d like to go. Here are a few historical sites to consider.
USS Yorktown by Water
You simply can’t say you’ve experienced Charleston until you’ve been out on its famous harbor. Get out on the water for a history lesson in style. Pull up along side the majestic Yorktown aircraft carrier and learn about the battle of Midway and the 11 battles stars for service that she earned during WWII.
Castle Pinckney by Water
Named after the Revolutionary War hero Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, was built beginning in 1797 and was intended to protect the city from a possible naval attack when war with France seemed imminent. Completed in 1804, it saw no hostilities and was virtually destroyed by a severe hurricane in September of that year same year.
Fort Sumter by Water
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battle of Fort Sumter began the American Civil War.
Morris Island light by Water
The Morris Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Morris Island in South Carolina. The light stands on the southern side of the entrance to Charleston Harbor, north of the City of Folly Beach. At 161 ft, it is the tallest lighthouse in South Carolina. The lighthouse was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Fort Moultrie by Water
Built to protect the city of Charleston, the first fort, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and nickname of South Carolina, as “The Palmetto State”. The fort was renamed for the U.S. patriot commander in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, General William Moultrie.
Charleston Battery by Water
A defensive seawall and promenade in Charleston, South Carolina. Named for a civil-war coastal defense artillery battery at the site, it stretches along the lower shores of the Charleston peninsula, bordered by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, which meet here to form Charleston harbor.
Guide Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Jackson has been a licensed tour guide for the city for 28 years now, having passed the test in 1995. Jonathan gives tours for a number of premier hotels in the city of Charleston, and is well versed on the city’s history, the Civil War, the American Revolution, and the even the plantations. He has worked very hard to have the right information over his career. This has led him to research everything from landrace grains to mortar densities. He likes having as many answers as he can, and he loves showing his hometown to guests to our city.