SC: Daufuskie lifeline: one ferry boat is out for repairs, the other needs maintenance

Jake Shafer, who has lived on and off Daufuskie Island since 2018, takes the ferry at least once a week. He was on the Manatee II when it broke down during Labor Day weekend on the trek to Hilton Head Island. About 30 minutes into the trip, he said, engine troubles caused the boat to return back to Daufuskie. Since then, he said, he has not seen the Manatee II in operation.

This would place the Manatee II, the primary vessel for Lowcountry Ferry, out of commission for nearly seven weeks after the boat broke down. Despite community member concerns, the county said that the ferry owner has maintained their contract with the county while the boat has undergone maintenance.

According to Hannah Nichols, spokesperson of Beaufort County, the Manatee II is undergoing repairs and services that should be resolved by next week. A generator that supplied power for air conditioning and ancillary lighting inside of the cabin is under repair, Nichols said. Nichols was not able to confirm when the Manatee II first required maintenance.

The ferry service is the only public transportation to Daufuskie island from Hilton Head Island, two islands that are not connected by a bridge.

On Oct. 17, the Manatee II was seen moored to the Sea Monkey Watersports dock. Sea Monkey Watersports is owned by Neil Turner who also owns Lowcountry Ferry.

Frustration continues for island residents

S.C. Rep. Jeff Bradley for District 123 visited the island Thursday and spoke with disappointed residents about the situation.

"I'd like to see it fixed," he said, referring not just to the Manatee II, but the ferry system as a whole. He plans on continuing to stay involved with the residents and the county on this issue until it is resolved.

In a letter to county council and top staff dated Oct. 11, Deborah Smith, a property owner on the island for the past 20 years, wrote, "the issue of just having one boat was briefly addressed, but now we're back to the status quo." She expressed concern about the safety of Daufuskie islanders, especially during hurricane season. None of the recipients have responded to her letter, Smith said.

Does contract allow for repairs and maintenance?

Once the repairs are complete, Nichols said, Lowcountry Ferry will place the Manatee II back into service and will be conducting "typical maintenance" on the Queen Jean, a 53-year vessel that was secured by the ferry service after a notice of noncompliance was issued in July by Beaufort County Administrator Michael Moore for an inadequate backup boat.

Nichols also noted that only one of the bathrooms on the Queen Jean was fully operational at this time.

The contract between the vendor, Lowcountry Ferry, and the county states that the "vendor shall provide a minimum of two vessels, U.S. Coast Guard approved commercial ferry boats, approved to carry a minimum of 40 passengers each," and that the scope of work requires the ferry to "provide a minimum of 4 round trip runs to and from Daufuskie Island from the County approved embarkation points."

According to Nichols, the ferry has upheld the contract, since maintenance to vessels is to be expected and the ferry has continued running on its agreed upon schedule.

Still, one of the two boats has not been available for 46 days, causing distress among Daufuskie residents about potential need for a backup vessel.

When asked about why it has taken almost seven weeks to repair the vessel, Nichols said that the vendor has been in communication with the county about their repair timeline, but that it is the vendor's responsibility to repair it.

Beaufort County Administrator Michael Moore issued a notice of noncompliance to Lowcountry Ferry on July 3 to ferry owner Neil Turner, citing an inadequate backup boat and problems with the air conditioning. The notice of non-compliance was the first time in seven months of operation that the county publicly acknowledged a problem with the ferry.

To become compliant, the ferry service provider had to secure an approved backup vessel and ensure the air conditioning on the primary vessel, the Manatee II, was functional. Lowcountry ferry complied and began using the Queen Jean.

Lowcountry Ferry took over Daufuskie Island's ferry service in January, ending seven years of service from the Haig Point Community Associates. Haig Point asked the county to pay $1.02 million annually for the contract, up from the past year's $375,000. Lowcountry Ferry submitted a lower bid at $365,000.

Calls to Turner about the status of the boats went unanswered as of Friday afternoon.

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