Fun on 'fuskie

Wick Scurry remembers what Hilton Head Island used to look like. 

“I remember when there were only three hotels and very little development,” he said. “I used to have a cabin where Shelter Cove is now and I spent lots of time on the water, fishing and hunting and visiting Daufuskie.”

It is Scurry’s love for the way things were — untouched — that help keep his ferries fueled as they make daily round trips from Hilton Head to Daufuskie Island, a place that’s only accessible by boat and has about 250 full-time residents. As an operator of several businesses on Daufuskie and a ferry and barge service to Hilton Head, Scurry has been introducing vacationers to the tiny island for almost 40 years. The boat captain chatted recently about what first-time visitors can expect on their trip to ’fuskie. 

What should I bring on a day trip to Daufuskie Island? 

I recommend comfortable clothes, walking shoes and a light, long-sleeve shirt to keep the bugs away. You don’t need to bring a cooler because there’s restaurants and a general store over there. I would recommend bringing along Skin So Soft for the no-see-ums.  

Will I get seasick? 

The chances are slim. We ferry about 30,000 people a year and I’m proud to say we’ve never had a case of seasickness. Folks typically get seasick when they lose sight of land. It throws your equilibrium off. The boat ride from Broad Creek Marina is about 30 minutes and you always see land on the trip.

What kind of things will I see on the way over?

The boat ride over is like a narrated nature tour. You’ll typically see dolphins and lots of shorebirds including egrets and ospreys. Once you get to the island, your journey becomes more of a historical tour. 

As the story goes, islanders once made a living making corn liquor and ferrying it, hidden under pieces of metal, to Savannah. Thus the liquor was coined Scrap Iron. Where can I try the drink?

The Old Daufuskie Crab Co. at Freeport Marina offers a drink called Scrap Iron to honor these bootleggers. You don’t mix it, just drink it. And you can get jugs of it to-go. 

What if I miss the last boat?

There’s some great guest cabins on the island to rent for the evening! We always have people running to catch the last ferry and if we see them, we usually stop. 

In the almost 40 years traveling back and forth between islands, you must have some stories to tell. What’s one of the oddest things you’ve seen during your journey?

One of the strangest things I’ve seen was back before Hilton Head was really developed. I saw a guy carry a bull on a bateau over to Hilton Head. He tied the bull’s legs together and loaded him on the shallow, flat-bottom wooden boat.  

What do you love most about Daufuskie? 

Daufuskie is filled with history and natural beauty, and it’s a reminder of what Hilton Head used to be like. Because there’s no bridge, it hasn’t been built up. I hope they never build a bridge. 

DAUFUSKIE ISLAND MUST-SEES

First Union African 
Baptist Church: Built in the 1880s and restored in the 1990s, the church features original chandeliers and hand-carved pews. The church is still in use today. 

Mary Fields School: The two-room school was built for the island’s black children in the 1930s and immortalized by Pat Conroy in his book, “The Water is Wide.”

Bloody Point Cemetery: 
Established along the Mongin Creek, it is one of six Gullah cemeteries on the island for the burial of slaves during the plantation era. It was used until the late 20th century. 

This story was originally published April 18, 2014 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Fun on 'fuskie."