Boat owners camping at marina after Matthew damaged floating homes

For the past 20 days, Matthew Leitner has been camping within sight of his hurricane-damaged home — a boat grounded at Palmetto Bay Marina of Hilton Head Island.

A microwave and coffeemaker sat on top of a makeshift table Thursday. Leitner, a welder, salvaged the items from his boat, which had been his home for about a year.

“I never thought this would happen,” said Leitner, who added he doesn’t have insurance on his boat.

Overall, he said, it could cost about $15,000 to repair and pull the boat from the muddy banks of the marina, located along Broad Creek near the Cross Island Parkway on the island’s southern side.

Leitner said several boat owners without insurance are trying to work together to lower the removal costs, though he is unsure of when that will happen.

He is among three other displaced boat owners who are camping at the site. All of them were living on their boats prior to Hurricane Matthew.

A few days ago, he scavenged some carpet out of a dumpster and put it inside and outside his tent. He receives free ice from the Black Marlin restaurant nestled among other eateries and stores at the marina.

“Ice is like gold,” Leitner said. “I was paying $5 a bag for ice before.”

About nine people have been displaced overall, he said.

Setting up camp at the marina is more than just economical, Leitner said. He said it keeps away looters and helps keep him connected to recovery discussions.

The row of tents joining Leitner’s is now referred to as “tent city” and acts as a central hub for information for marina boat owners.

There was a steady stream of visitors to Leitner’s tent Thursday afternoon. One boat owner requested a screwdriver; another asked if Leitner knew who borrowed a boat’s anchor.

The marina is a total loss, said Doug James, the marina’s immediate past owner who noted he is acting as a consultant for the marina. He said about 75 boats were docking at the marina before the Category 2 storm.

It could take a year to rebuild half of the marina and two years to have it up and running fully, James said.

“Permitting is a lot of the process,” he said. “It is complicated because a lot of different governmental bodies are involved.”

Those who want to help the boat owners recover their costs can visit the Go Fund Me page at The Palmetto Bay Marina Relief Fund.

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This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Boat owners camping at marina after Matthew damaged floating homes."