CASTING OFF maritime news

Mic Smith
The Post and Courier

Susan Hillman of Atlanta reads and relaxes recently on the newly renourished beach at the end of Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms.

The beach is so wide now the blue umbrellas look tiny. The Ocean Club condos are so far across the hot sand that barefoot young bathers hop like mad.

Four months ago, high tides would swamp the sandbags girdling that Wild Dunes vacation resort and pour in among the pilings underneath. Waves broke below the balconies. The beach seemed nonexistent.

Today? Like it was all a bad dream. The controversial, $10 million Wild Dunes beach renourishment project has finished its dredging. The pipes and trucks are gone. The piles of sandbags that staved off condemnation for six condominium complexes and two other houses are gone. Two-and-a-half miles of once “vanished” beach now rivals any in the Lowcountry. The long line of umbrellas down the beach marks the end of two years of legal arm-wrestling between owners and state regulators that led to tens of thousands of sandbags washed away in storm tides, littering the coast and marshes for miles. But it may mark the beginning of a new round of controversy for the city of Isle of Palms.

The project is being paid for largely by Wild Dunes — $7 million. Public money is paying the $3 million balance. But from the beginning, some have opposed using any public money to shore up the private resort — tax revenue or not. The city now must monitor the beach, repair “scarping” erosion hot spots and set sand fences to begin shaping dunes (included in the $10 million price tag), and start setting aside money for an eventual second renourishment.

Source: The Post and Courier

Embolism suspected in diver’s death

An autopsy found that Tim Edwards, an avid scuba diver and electrician from Mount Pleasant, likely died while spearfishing July 4 due to an air or gas embolism, a condition that can happen when divers rise too quickly, Charleston County Deputy Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal said.

Edwards, 45, had been diving about 30 miles offshore Charleston with eight others aboard the 36-foot Rockville-based Muntu, the Coast Guard reported.

Edwards was spearfishing with a friend when they got separated, Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Henricksen said. “The next time they saw him was on the surface.”

A Coast Guard helicopter based in Charleston raced to the scene and airlifted Edwards to the Medical University of South Carolina. He was pronounced dead later that morning, O’Neal said.

Investigators weren’t sure how Edwards ran into trouble and were hoping a diving computer might offer some clues, Henricksen said.

The boat was a recreational dive boat registered to Anthony Black, said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Eric King. King said diving fatalities are rare off the South Carolina coast compared to other areas of the Southeast.

The Post and Courier

Robert Craig Massey surfs in 2005.

Folly surfer stabbed to death

Local surfer Robert Craig Massey Jr., 20, died July 2 from a stab wound.

Charleston County sheriff’s investigators arrested 19-year-old Charles Richard Dobson Jr., of Teal Marsh Road in connection with Massey’s death.

Authorities say Dobson used a knife to cut or stab three people, including Massey, at his home in the Riverfront subdivision. He is charged with murder and two counts of assault and battery with intent to kill.

Dobson made bail and was released July 16 from the Charleston County Detention Center. The bond for the murder charge had been set at $125,000.

Massey was a graduate of James Island High School, attended Trident Technical College and was an accomplished surfer with the Eastern Surfing Association’s Southern South Carolina District. A paddle-out celebrating his life was held July 6 at The Washout.

Lightning strikes Spirit of S.C.

The Post and Courier

The Spirit of South Carolina

Lightning hit the Spirit of South Carolina off the coast of Rhode Island on July 27, damaging electronic equipment and forcing the tall ship to sail the old-fashioned way.

No injuries were reported among the 12 guests or nine crew members on board.

The Spirit lost power after the strike, which happened about 3 p.m. while the ship was about 4 miles off Block Island, and had to be towed. S.C. Maritime Heritage Foundation Director Brad Van Liew said the ship appeared to be in good shape aside from some malfunctioning electronic equipment; a lightning-protection system helped prevent additional damage.

Normally used as a floating classroom, the Spirit was on a three-day New England getaway, in which guests paid $600 each to sail from Newport, R.I. to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.. The ship was on its return trip to Newport the next day.

Van Liew did not expect the mishap to affect the ship’s itinerary, which includes an educational sailing trip from Maine this month and a race in Nova Scotia in September.

County resuscitates northern Folly

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission master plan aims to breathe new life into the northern tip of Folly Beach, currently an overgrown, graffiti-ridden party spot that once was a Coast Guard station.

The plan calls for an interpretive center, a parking area with about 50 spaces and boardwalks that would overlook the marsh.

Charleston County PRC Executive Director Tom O’Rourke said the PRC hopes to use the old Coast Guard building’s concrete foundations for construction of the new staffed interpretive center. Bike and walking paths will be heavily emphasized, and the beach will not undergo any changes, according to the master plan. Park entry would be free, but there would be a parking fee.

There’s no timeline on when the project would be completed until the commission has funds for it, and no pricetag will be available until the plan is finalized. The master plan likely will be presented to the city of Charleston for input and approval early this month, said Julie Hensley, director of development for the PRC.

Folly flip-flops on alcohol sales

A ban on early-morning alcohol sales was passed by Folly Beach City Council on July 22, only to be lifted three days later.

The move allowed the two affected businesses — Kangaroo and Bert’s Supermarket, the latter considered by some to be a Folly landmark — to begin selling their beer and wine again after 2 a.m., at least until Aug. 26, when the ordinance goes back to council.

Despite pleas from Bert Hastings, who opened the East Ashley Avenue store nearly 15 years ago, and a petition with 1,403 signatures, the ordinance passed in a 5-2 vote. But on July 25, Councilwoman Laura Beck, who voted in favor of the ban, asked City Council to reconsider, saying she wasn’t aware the law would go into effect immediately. She said she would like to see the law’s starting date moved to January so the impacted businesses have time to adjust.

Folly’s bars and restaurants already are prohibited from selling alcohol after 2 a.m.

Boat discharge permits delayed

U.S. Rep. Henry Brown is applauding recent congressional action delaying rules requiring boaters to get EPA permits for discharges from their vessels.

A federal court ruling two years ago would have, starting this fall, ended a 30-year exemption allowing incidental discharges from small boats. Brown, who represents South Carolina’s coastal 1st District, said that as a result, boaters could have faced fines of more than $32,000 a day for violations.

Congress agreed to the delay the rules giving regulators more time to evaluate how to regulate such discharges from small boats. The action does not change laws regulating the discharge of oil or other pollutants.

Surfers Healing group plans camp

More than 100 children with varying degrees of autism will participate in a surfing day camp on Aug. 12 in front of the Holiday Inn at Folly Beach.

Surfing pros will take the children out on boards to experience the unique and therapeutic power of the waves.

The free camp is sponsored by non-profit group Surfers Healing. The Folly Beach camp received 950 applicants but had space for only 150 children, some of whom are coming from as far away as Germany, said Tim Askins of the Eastern Surfing Association Southern South Carolina District. All 13 of this year’s camps are full. For more information, visit www.surfershealing.org

Folly shrinks No Surf Zone

Good news, surfers: The No Surf Zone at front beach on Folly is getting smaller.

City Council has approved new boundaries at 3rd Avenue West and 2nd Avenue East. The previous no-surf zone was between 7th Avenue West and 6th Avenue East.

The time and date restrictions still apply — no surfing 10 a.m.-6 p.m., May 15-Sept. 15 within those blocks — with one exception: The ordinance allows surfers to surf anytime in the designated swim zone if lifeguards have red-flagged the beach due to surf conditions, something they could not do before, Councilwoman Laura Beck said.

“We don’t want surfers to have to stay away from hurricane swells, because that’s a great time to surf,” Beck said. “But everyone needs to obey the new changes and give swimmers a chance to swim.”

Surfing within 200 feet of the pier is still prohibited at all times.

Repairs planned for Colleton ramps

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources and Colleton County will reconstruct four boat ramps and docks in Colleton County over the next six months.

The sites are:

• Combahee River landing, about 1 mile south of U.S. 17 near Yemassee. The wooden dock will be replaced with an aluminum floating dock with concrete bulkhead and sidewalk.

• Price’s Bridge Landing on Horseshoe Creek, at County Road 199 about 3 miles south of S.C. 64 near Walterboro. An aluminum floating dock with a concrete bulkhead will be built by the existing concrete boat ramp.

• West Bank Landing on the Edisto River, south of U.S. 17 off County Road 30 near Jacksonboro. The boat ramp will be rebuilt and lengthened, and an aluminum floating dock will be installed.

• Sullivan’s Ferry Landing on the Edisto River, south of U.S. 17A near Cottageville. The existing ramp will be rebuilt and lengthened.

Magwood opens drystack

C.A. Magwood Jr. & Sons, a longtime fixture in the Shem Creek shrimping industry, has opened Magwood Marina, a drystack boat storage facility on its property near the mouth of the creek in Mount Pleasant.

Charleston earns boating nod

Discover Boating recently released its Top 10 boating destinations for sailing, fishing, watersports and cruising. Charleston Harbor and the intracoastal waterway were among the top U.S. cruising destinations, and the Barrier Islands around Charleston were named as some of the best places to go sailing.

Sources: The Post and Courier, The Associated Press, staff reports