"You'll never find your gold on a sandy beach," wrote singer/songwriter Jim Steinman. Although talented enough to have written the album "Bat Out of Hell" for Meat Loaf, Steinman must not have ever made it to the collection of islands that punctuate the coastline of Georgia - collectively called "the Golden Isles" - because on this glorious stretch of unreal estate, splashed by the Atlantic Ocean, everywhere you look is solid gold.

OK, maybe not the industrial section of the Savannah River where three adventurers untrailer and immerse their Sea Chaser 2400 W/A Offshore Series cuddy cabin, powered by a lonely Suzuki 250 4-stroke. This section is a bit incongruous with pristine low-country marshland on the port, and a Vonnegutian nightmare of industrial sprawl to the starboard, but this is a working harbor of great commerce, so maybe it's gold after a fashion. The 350-mile-long river that begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains and constitutes the border between Georgia and South Carolina for most of its length scatters into several channels before entering the Atlantic Ocean, next to Tybee Island, just south of Hilton Head, South Carolina.

On board is the Boating World editorial troika consisting of then-Managing Editor Graham Garrison, the editor-in-chief and yours truly, the extremely talented and good-looking executive editor (editor's note: don't forget full of beans). In other words, there's more brass on this boat than on a banana republic dictator's uniform. As they set off on their "All Chiefs And No Indians" tour, they keep on plane and plow past the historic waterfront of downtown Savannah, which will receive closer scrutiny on the return voyage.

The navigator keeps a close eye on the GPS for the squiggly purple line that designates the Intracoastal Waterway, because they're warned that the turnoff looks more like a feeder creek than a major boating artery that stretches 1,500 miles from Maine to the Florida Keys. The new path south leads to the Wilmington River, which in just a few twists and turns takes you to Thunderbolt, purportedly named when a lighting bolt hit a rock in the town and created a new spring that ominously smelled of brimstone. Founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, "T-bolt," as overly cute writers call it, quickly grew into an important port that even featured a casino for more than 50 years until it burned down in 1930. Beautiful pillared mansions, demurely obscured by giant live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, fringe the shore north of town, and you drop down to idle, not just because the sign tells you to, but to fully absorb the scene.

Of course, every boating journey begins with unexpected delays - it's apparently the law - so the cruise to Jekyll Island, which lies 102 miles away, takes on the aspect of a race. And it's not just an arbitrary deadline - they're racing the sun because it's discovered that no one bothered to bring along a flashlight, other than one with all of the necessary candlepower to be a perfectly adequate nightlight for a frightened child. Surprisingly, the Suzuki 250 pushes the fully laden Sea Chaser 2400 to a top speed of 46 mph, but because it's brand new, courtesy of Coastal Boating Center in Savannah, they settle into a break-in-friendly variable cruise speed from between 30 to 40 mph, with an occasional blast of "yee-ha." On paper, it looks like there's plenty of time to reach their destination.

The Intracoastal in Georgia, for the most part, runs between the mainland and the barrier islands, a.k.a. "the Golden Isles." The eclectic collection of island names that slide by on the port side vary in their recognizability: Skidaway, Ossabow, St. Catherine, Sappelo (previously named Blackbeard Island because of a former inhabitant, Edward Teach), Wolf, and St. Simons (farther south are the more familiar Cumberland Island and Sea Island). The seascape falls into two categories: the first being the twisty low-country salt marsh rivers, which are surrounded by vast fields of green and gold cord grass that are mesmerizingly alive, thanks to a brisk eastern breeze. This is an incredibly vibrant estuary, which serves as a nursery for many species of estuarine and marine animals. On this stretch of the Intracoastal, it behooves you to favor the side of the channel indicated by your GPS or chart, and make sure your info isn't 25 years old, because shoaling tends to change (a lesson learned the hard way on a previous trip).

Along the way, major rivers like the Ogechee, Altamaha, Satilla and Brunswick flow past the Intracoastal to the sea and help this ecosystem exist by creating the brackish mix of fresh and salt water needed by many species for reproduction. The other main feature of the Waterway here occurs at the gaps between the major islands where large wide inlets called "sounds" are encountered. They can be challenging for small boaters - especially when the wind is fresh from the east, like today. But the Sea Chaser handles the beam sea well, although it means slowing down - something they'd rather not do. In these vast expanses of open water things can get a bit confusing due to the numerous channels that lead to different destinations. Let's just say if you notice that some darn fool at the Corps of Engineers switched the "red, right, returning" configuration of markers and placed them in an area of two-foot-deep water, that means you're out of the channel and had better recheck your chart (not that this happens to this talented crew, mind you).

Just when the sun seems poised to throw a monkey wrench into the works by dropping off the face of the earth, St. Simon Sound slides into sight, and since it's high tide, they cut a few markers to more quickly reach Jekyll Creek, which runs behind the island. To port, the wharf at the Jekyll Island Club comes into view, and after asking about where to dock, you're told to tie up on the outside of the long, floating T-dock. When you raise an eyebrow and ask if the inside might not be better to protect against shrimp boat wakes, the advisor tells you, "There ain't no water at low tide." So after letting the hotel know "the eagle has landed," putting their name on the waiting list at Latitude 31 (an excellent dockside seafood restaurant), ordering a pound of peel-and-eat shrimp to go for an appetizer, and snapping a few pictures, the crew adjourns back aboard the Sea Chaser to watch the sunset.

Checking into the Jekyll Island Club not only takes you back to the turn of the century (the other one), but raises you several social strata as well, unless, like the previous members of "the richest, most exclusive, most inaccessible club in the world," your name is Rockefeller, Astor, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Pulitzer, Macy, Kellogg, Goodyear, Sears, Whitney, Hunt or Heinz. After apologetically giving your name as "Jones," in the back of your mind you halfway expect to be shown the servant's quarters, but are delighted to unlock the door to a magnificent suite, complete with tasteful furnishings to match the era. Despite its opulence, the room rates aren't stratospheric; even the Presidential Suite, in season, is just $399, the same you would pay in New York City for four walls and a bed.

In the morning you really don't want to leave the cocoon of your suite, but the lure of fishing is beckoning, so you reluctantly rise and head to the pillared grand dining room where the waiter hooks you up with eggs Benedict and grits (when in Rome ... ). Gas is grudgingly obtained from the fuelmeister at a marina down the "crick," and after topping off and icing up, the Sea Chaser heads out of St. Simon's Sound and into the Atlantic.The seas are less than two feet, and the hour-long journey to Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 18 miles off Sapelo Island, is meditative. The last time the author was at this reef, millions of cigar minnows were performing synchronized swimming near the yellow weather buoy that marks the location of the reef, which is an underwater structure of "live rock" ledges that are covered with marine growth. Surprisingly, they see no bait, and efforts to collect any with sabiki rigs prove fruitless. Since the Sea Chaser doesn't have a fishfinder, bottom fishing would be too hit-or-miss. The original plan was to slow troll live bait for species like kingfish or Spanish mackerel, but instead, they settle for attracting gangs of barracuda who closely inspect the trolled lures but decide they look too much like every other offering they've seen from previous tourists.

As is usually the case when fishing offshore, the wind and seas begin building, and when one unnamed member of the crew (Garrison) starts feeling a little under the weather, he heads for the cabin - despite dire warnings from the self-appointed and all-knowing skipper. Miraculously, he does nothing more than cop some REM sleep, which is amazing considering the worsening seas that build to a nasty four-foot slop when approaching the Savannah River. Occasional thuds within the cabin are investigated, but Garrison's only signs of discomfort are the sweat-soaked T-shirt and glistening pool of drool puddled next to his face on the nicely upholstered V-berth.

This time around, the passage into Savannah is more leisurely, and after a brief scouting pass along the waterfront, the Sea Chaser heads across the river to the Westin Hotel. For boaters, this is the place to stay - not just because of the great view and comfortable accommodations, including some of the cushiest beds around (traveling folk tend to notice these sort of things), but because private overnight dockage in downtown Savannah is practically nonexistent - except here. Here, docking on the inside of the floating dock is de rigueur because of numerous freighter wakes that will scrub off any decal on the side of your boat if left on the outside, should the fender ride up.

There's nothing like a hot shower to restore sea-battered sailors, and after putting on clean party shirts the crew heads back on the water, this time aboard the ferry, which is complimentary to hotel guests. This is nice for boaters, because it allows them to freely sample the liquid refreshments the city is known for, without imperiling anything more than their livers. Like true men of the sea, their first order of business is to grab a beverage at Kevin Barry's, the most famous of the plethora of Irish pubs here. Then some hearty Gaelic fare in the form of the Irish sampler: corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew and shepherd's pie. One unnamed member of the trio elects to "lightweight-it" and hit the sack early (Garrison again).

The two remaining stalwarts explore the eight blocks of historic River Street, whose collection of shops, nightspots, ice cream parlors, pubs, and eateries are housed in the buildings that were mostly cotton warehouses in a former reincarnation. After giving a good account of themselves, the senior editorial staff catches the last ferry of the night back to the hotel before the feasibility of obtaining a late-night tattoo is fully explored.

The next morning at the crack of dawn ... yeah right ... call it mid-morning ... the crew piles aboard the Sea Chaser 2400 WA for one last run downriver. The first stop is Fort Pulaski, one of 30 great coastal forts built after the attacks during the war of 1812. Completed in 1845, this fort's practicality was dashed during the Civil War in 1862 by Union troops, who laid waste to it with their newly developed rifled barrel artillery that made walled fortifications like this obsolete, ending an era of defense that lasted for more than 1,000 years.

The crew's final stop is the beaches at Tybee Island at the mouth of the river, where the abundance of birdlife is startling. Kicking back, you take in the scene and observe a shrimp boat make a successful pass as pelicans dive-bomb unsuspecting fish and tourists meander along the beach. You then realize the problem with Steinman's lyrics: If you're truly seeking gold, you won't find it by looking down, but rather by looking around you. And the coast of Georgia would be an excellent place to start.

When You Go

The Jekyll Island Club (www.jekyllclub.com) is a remarkable slice of Americana past. Originally a getaway for the ultra-wealthy, you can still see how the other .000000001 percent lived as you tour the "cottages" of America's industrial royalty. After the depression and WWII took its toll on the membership, the state of Georgia bought the island in 1947. It's now leased to an investment group that has restored the hotel to its former glory where guests can stay here for as little as $129 a night.

Several dining opportunities are available, including the restaurant at the end of the wharf, Latitude 31 (912/635-3800), which serves fresh seafood and steaks. You can't stay here without dining in the Grand Dining Room (912/635-2600) at least once. Jackets for men are required, and diners will sample fare such as pistachio crusted grouper or Jekyll shrimp and grits.

Jekyll has avoided overdevelopment, thanks to Georgia's state rule that limits development to only 35 percent of its land. But there's still plenty to do, like taking in a little croquet, or grabbing a tennis racquet or golf clubs. And you have to check out the unspoiled beach on the other side of the island.

Savannah is one of the South's greatest treasures, with a charm only approximated in a few other places like Charleston, South Carolina. Walking tours through the antebellum neighborhoods are especially popular here, as is exploring the revitalized area along the waterfront. The Westin (www.westinsavannah.com) is a favorite of the boating crowd, not just because of its world-class golf course or comfortable accommodations, but also because it's about the only place to dock a boat here.

Around the River District, all sorts of dining opportunities present themselves, like the Irish fare at Kevin Barry's (www.kevinbarrys.com). For something different, try lunch at the Gryphon Tea House (912/525-5880), housed in a turn-of-the-century pharmacy that serves a variety of teas, sandwiches and a fabulous crab cake. For a romantic dinner, eat at the Olde Pink House Restaurant (912/232-4286), set in a mansion built by Joseph Habersham, who George Washington appointed as postmaster general in 1795. Here, you'll dine on elegant regional cuisine like blue crab-stuffed black grouper or flounder with Vidalia onion sauce. - A.J.