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Residents of Daufuskie Island – a picturesque locale familiar to fans of the ‘Southern Charm‘ reality series – are voicing growing apprehension over the suitability, accessibility and safety of the island’s ferry service. Beaufort County officials have so far remained silent, exacerbating residents’ anxieties ahead of the impending tourist season – which will put higher demands on transportation infrastructure.
The fear? That the new ferry provider is not prepared to handle the onslaught of seasonal tourism traffic … or for that matter the normal rate of residential use.
Daufuskie’s ferry is as essential as a bridge or highway – providing the only means of access for those who work or live on this 5,000-acre scenic island. While an estimated 200 residents rely on the ferry throughout the year, last summer’s tourist season delivered 70,000 visitors to the island.
Beginning on January 15, 2024, Beaufort County officials awarded the ferry contract to Lowcountry Ferry LLC – marking a departure from previous years’ arrangements. The new deal involved a very low annual contract for services – and a questionable property transfer.
Passengers who rely on the service say the vessels being used to transport residents and their belongings are sight-seeing boats which have not been rated for freight – or tested for stability. Moreover, they say the vessels fail to meet standards set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – and lack emergency rescue protocols.
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A recent incident – in which a man fell overboard and endured a harrowing ordeal in frigid waters prior to being rescued – further underscored these worries. This incident was captured on video and shared with local media.
Here’s the way one observer described it:
“This man was boarding the Manatee, Daufuskie’s public ferry, and when he stepped onto the boarding platform it slipped back into the boat and he went into the water. The boat crew was not able to get him out of the water. There was no ladder available. Luckily, a small boat was passing by and they threw him a rope, but they also were unable to get him out of the water. They dragged him to nearby Freeport Marina dock where EMS got him out and tended to him. The Coast Guard was called. Luckily this was an able-bodied man and not a child or elderly or disabled person. Luckily, the water was calm and there were no wakes as everyone who rides this boat knows – quite often this boat slams against the dock.”
Residents aren’t the only ones voicing concerns. An attorney from Disabilities Rights South Carolina recently put county officials on notice regarding their responsibility to ensure the ferry is safe for everyone.
County officials say they have received the letter and passed it on to the new provider.
“Beaufort County has received a letter from Disability Rights South Carolina, and has shared it with the owners of the ferry service and the boat landing,” county spokesperson Hannah Nichols said. “We take these concerns seriously, and we are continuing to work with the public and the provider, Lowcountry Ferry, to make changes in the interest of passenger safety, comfort, and access.”
Residents remain concerned about the new agreement, though.
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” … BEFORE THERE IS A TRAGEDY”
Ashley Hollingsworth, who lives on Daufuskie and teaches school on Hilton Head Island, epitomizes the growing lack of confidence in the new ferry service. Hollingsworth opted to purchase her own boat due to doubts about the service’s certification, stability and safety.
“That tells you how bad it is,” Hollingsworth said. “On a teacher’s salary I am running myself.”
The genesis of the controversial ferry contract lies in a proposal by 35-year-old entrepreneur Neil Turner, who envisioned the land-for-service trade to revamp ferry operations. We reached out to Turner for comment and received no response. However, in a June 2, 2021 meeting captured on video, Turner enthusiastically discussed his ambitious idea to obtain the end of Jenkins Island Road from the county.
“It’s a dead road,” Turner said. “The state has no desire for the road … simply give it to me with no cost to you … it solves everything.”
Turner said he would use the property to create 200 parking spaces for his adjacent marina. By expanding parking, Turner said he hoped to alleviate a problem he shared with the county – a seasonal parking deficit. Turner already owned the landing, restrooms and other amenities at the site. By taking over the ferry service, he said, the shared infrastructure issues would disappear.
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A bid proposal (.pdf) submitted by Turner on October 20, 2023 spelled out the terms of the agreement – and the substantially reduced cost to county taxpayers (a meager $365,000 a year). The day the proposal was signed and submitted, articles of organization for Lowcountry Ferry LLC were filed with the S.C. Secretary of State’s office.
Is Turner’s low bid sufficient to cover the cost of running the ferry service?
Considering other bids came in at $900,000 and $1.02 million, annually, residents are worried the “lowball” bid might be too good to be true. Also, neither of the competing bids involved the county surrendering property as part of the agreement.
Debbie Roberson, who has lived on the island since 1999, presented her grievances to county officials, urging them to terminate the contract with Lowcountry Ferry and go back to Daufuskie Island Ferry Service – the former contractor – “before there is a tragedy.”
In addition to safety concerns, Roberson worried potential disruptions in tourism traffic could be financially devastating for her Gullah neighbors.
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Javonne Holloway, whose mother is a Gullah woman, created a petition at Change.org in the hopes of turning the tide on the issue and getting the county to revisit the contract.
According to Holloway’s petition, Turner has little experience running a ferry service – and is unprepared to haul the groceries and excess cargo that goes along with residents accessing their island homes. It is common for residents to use wagons to transport items as they travel back and forth, but Holloway said the new provider appears to have been unprepared for this extra use.
Hope Shafer, who has lived on the island for five years, said riding the new ferry is a “treacherous prospect.” She said the boat is not only unsuitable but the dock that accesses it is dangerous.
“The new dock on the Hilton Head side is equally terrifying for a senior citizen such as myself and really anyone trying to navigate a shopping cart, or shepherd young children or escort someone with a disability,” Shafer said. “My husband uses a walker. There’s a steep, slippery slope to the top – with no guard rails in some sections – and once you’re up on land there’s nowhere to sit. Just a floppy white ‘event tent’ to duck under if it’s raining. It’s obvious that this was never meant to be a permanent solution.”
As with any issue we cover, FITSNews has an open microphone policy when it comes to the debate over the Daufuskie ferry. In other words, if Turner – or county officials – wish to respond to any of the criticisms leveled by Daufuskie residents (or proactively address specific issues) we stand ready to share those perspectives.
Stay tuned for updates on this story as the 2024 tourist season ramps up …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher, and author whose investigative work can be found in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world – most recently in the Parisian newspaper Le Monde and a German documentary for ProSieben. Lyons also appears in Citizen Sleuth – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.
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