First of Palmetto Bay Marina boats return to water following hurricane
Donna Hardin struggled to find the words to describe how she felt as a boat lift rolled with her floating home that was displaced during Hurricane Matthew.
For five months her sailboat has rested on its side among docks thrown into the Broad Creek marsh on Hilton Head Island.
“I feel wonderful,” Hardin said Friday as her sailboat neared the water. “I am so grateful for everyone who helped.”
Hardin said she moved to the island when she was 11 and lived on her boat at Palmetto Bay Marina for about a year before the Oct. 8 hurricane hit.
Friday was a happy ending to a story that, at times, seemed to be hopeless for many involved.
Hardin’s boat was one of two to return to the water Friday.
Other boats, including Matthew Leitner’s, wait for repairs before they can be placed back in the water.
Leitner said Friday his boat would take on too much water if returned now. He hopes to have the damage repaired in a week, estimating the cost at about $10,000.
Hardin also still has repair work to be completed, though her boat can float. Water pours in through a broken dry storage bin every time it rains, she said, adding she is uncertain about the cost and time it will take to repair that damage.
Last week, Hardin’s and Leitner’s boats were two of five removed from the muddy marsh, thanks to a volunteer effort that included a crane brought to the site by Florida-based Bigum Decks N’ Docks, which picked up the $4,000-a-day tab for the crane.
James McGrath, owner of Tiny Homes of Hilton Head, was among several volunteers who cheered Friday as the boats entered the water.
“It has been a success,” he said. “Nobody was hurt; nothing was damaged; no one was sued; and the boat owners get to go home.”
Leitner’s mom, Joan Leitner, watched with about 30 people as the boat lift moved each of the sailboats across the parking lot to the water.
“It was as exciting as watching a new baby come into the world,” the retired obstetrics nurse said. “It is so sweet to watch.”
For Brenda Stevens, the moving of the boats had another meaning. She lives in the Palmetto Bay Marina condominiums that overlook the marsh.
“It has been depressing seeing this every day,” Stevens said. “The winter birds didn’t even come back this year.”
While docks still scatter the landscape, it is a little easier to look at knowing people are returning to their boat homes, Stevens said.
“All of these guys are my friends, and it is a happy day,” she said.
Those who want to help the boat owners recover their costs can visit the GoFundMe page and search for Palmetto Bay Marina Relief Fund.
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Teresa Moss: 843-706-8152, @TeresaIPBG
This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 3:06 PM with the headline "First of Palmetto Bay Marina boats return to water following hurricane."