Beaufort County breaks silence, responds to ‘spoiled’ Daufuskie residents over ferry

Daufuskie Island residents are raising an uproar over the new public ferry’s level of service impacting their livelihood, but Beaufort County says it followed the proper bid procurement process and the new operator is meeting expectations.

The ferry is residents’ lifeline to Hilton Head Island and the mainland. For those who don’t own or have access to private boats, the public ferry is the only way to come and go.

The ferry operator switched from Haig Point Community Associates to Lowcountry Ferry on Jan. 16, and passengers are riding on a 47-foot-long catamaran while Lowcountry Ferry waits for a bigger boat called the Manatee II to arrive from Florida. Interim County Administrator John Robinson said he expects The Manatee II to arrive and be ready to use by Wednesday, Jan. 24.

Here are some of the residents’ concerns:

• Neither the catamaran nor the Manatee II are the boats promised in Lowcountry Ferry’s contract with the county.

• Lowcountry Ferry raised the price of bringing groceries, supplies and luggage exponentially, concerning business owners and families.

• Residents are worried about timing as the trip is taking about 15 minutes more than it did with Haig Point, and they worry it’ll get longer.

• Riders also feared for their safety. On Friday, as a cold front hit, the boats’ heating system were two propane heaters that wouldn’t stay lit because of the wind. Lowcountry Ferry is no longer using the heaters as of this weekend.

What Beaufort County is saying

The Beaufort County Council representative for Daufuskie Island, Mark Lawson, held a meeting on Daufuskie Island Sunday when he told residents they had been spoiled with the level of service Haig Point previously provided.

“That really was a bad choice of words,” he told the Island Packet on Monday. But it points towards the crux of the issue: differing standards between the county contract and residents over what the ferry’s service baseline should be, especially when for the past seven years Haig Point provided a standard of service beyond what was contractually required.

When Haig Point said in its most recent bid it would cost $1.02 million a year to provide that level of service, the county went with a less expensive bid: Lowcountry Ferry’s bid was $365,000.

“(The contract) probably in the future needs to be more specific,” Lawson said. “We’re going to go back to our current contract holder and see what we can do to make those services similar before we do anything else.”

Despite the lower level of service, Robinson said Lowcountry Ferry is meeting expectations put forth in the contract. While the Beaufort County Council voted to approve the contract, Robinson is responsible for ensuring Lowcountry Ferry executes it. He said he approved the 47-foot-long catamaran until the Manatee II arrives, and the different boats aren’t a breach of contract.

“The new provider certainly has the ability to offer extra services or do any of those things that they want,” Robinson said. “But that is outside of the minimum requirement for the county contract.”

The ferry operator switched with little input from residents during the county’s bid process, making residents feel unheard, but Robinson said it’s highly abnormal for any bid procurement to include a citizen body. Regardless, Daufuskie Island residents said they felt the county failed them.

“I get you have a gazillion things to do beyond us,” sixth-generation Daufuskie Island native Sallie Anne Robinson said of Beaufort County in a call with The Island Packet. “But guess what? We matter just like everybody else.”

‘It’s about survival’

Daufuskie Island residents said they’re not spoiled; they need the level of service Haig Point provided to survive.

Since service started about a week ago, Lowcountry Ferry made one small change. Residents are hoping that there will be more, especially concerning cargo.

The ferry changed pet ticket prices from $30 each way to $10 each way for residents, and the tickets can be refunded with a copy of a vet bill. Lowcountry Ferry is in the process of securing a larger boat named the Manatee II with air conditioning, heat and restroom facilities, according to Lowcountry Ferry operator Neil Turner and the county’s John Robinson. Lowcountry Ferry hasn’t made changes other than the pet fee, although its website says, “We are still considering all other points.”

The 47-foot-long catamaran is a stark difference from the enclosed interiors promised in Lowcountry Ferry’s proposal, especially when the propane heaters were in use.

“The wind kept blowing the propane light out, and apparently somebody’s britches caught on fire,” said Pam Cobb of School Grounds Coffee on Daufuskie Island. The catamaran has metal benches and plastic drop sheets, compared to the enclosed area for riders in Lowcountry Ferry’s proposal. Cobb said while riders can bring blankets and jackets to weather the cold, they can do less regarding cargo.

When the Haig Point ran the ferry, residents paid $20 for a six-foot-tall blue storage container, which would be transported with them on the boat. Under the new ferry, anything more than a collapsible wagon costs residents $25 if it’s less than 50 pounds and $50 if it’s 50 to 100 pounds. Cargo other than a collapsible wagon will come over on a separate boat once a day at minimum. There’s a possibility of it being left in an area that isn’t climate-controlled until the ferry can transport it.

This worries Cobb and many of the small business owners and families who have to make large grocery trips and rely on the public ferry to get supplies over. There aren’t large stores on Daufuskie Island. They say they’re concerned about the price increase and that perishables will be left for long periods.

“(For) us with our coffee shop, there’s no way we can wait until the end of the day to bring our milk over or perishables over,” Cobb said. “Your items have to travel with you.”

Cobb said she could fit about anywhere from 12 to 14 large-suitcase-sized bundles into one of Haig Point’s storage containers for $20. Now, each of those bundles could potentially be $50. It’s a price increase that will be a hardship for a lot of people, she said.

Another concern is over tourism, which small business owners rely on for a living. Families coming for weeks bring cases of water, alcohol and other essentials. For them to be separated from their luggage complicates their trip, especially if they must return to the boat on a separate occasion to gather their things.

Sallie Anne Robinson, who leads Gullah tours of the island, is worried the boat’s timing will impact her scheduling and how many tours she can give. On Lowcountry Ferry’s bid proposal, it said the ferry run times would be 45 minutes, but they’re a little over an hour on the temporary catamaran.

The new boat, the Manatee II, has previously been used for scenic tours and sightseeing. Cobb and Sallie Anne Robinson both said those boats will probably be slower because they’re meant for leisure, not transportation. Lowcountry Ferry’s website says that trips will be around an hour but can be up to one hour and 30 minutes.

“We are not tourists. We are families who live on an island, a beautiful island,” Sallie Anne Robinson said. “(We) just asked for our needs to be met to make sure that we can survive. It’s about survival. It’s all about survival.”