Last of broken down boats leaving old Port Royal dock. Now new construction can begin
Two dilapidated boats that remain tied to the town-owned dock in Port Royal — which have delayed construction of a new shrimp dock on Battery Creek —are finally headed out of town.
At a Thursday auction, ordered by a federal court, an old shrimp trawler sold for $50. It will be moved shortly, Town Manager Van Willis said. The town previously removed the oil and fuel from the vessel.
A sailboat also was up for sale at the auction, Willis said, but there were no bidders. As a result, Willis said, “It’s officially ours now.”
The town plans to scuttle the sailboat.
The town’s plan to replace one of the few publicly owned commercial fishing docks remaining in South Carolina comes as Safe Harbor Marinas begins its initial work in a major redevelopment that will transform the town’s waterfront.
Abandoned and beat up boats have been a problem in waters around the town for years. Willis’ announcement that the final two boats tied to the dock would be removed is being cheered by some.
Earlier this year, the town OK’d an ordinance aimed at preventing boats from being abandoned in its waters in the future. It requires a permit for mooring a boat, prohibits mooring too close to public boat landings, bridges, private docks and marinas, and bans derelict or abandoned vessels.
Last spring, the town gave the owners of the old boats tied up at the dock a deadline to move them but a few stragglers remained.
Now the town can begin work demolishing the old dock, which is at least 40 years old, and constructing a new one, Willis said.
State lawmakers have contributed $900,000 for the dock redevelopment.
With a new dock in place, the town hopes to partner with a third party to build and run a facility that would process seafood caught by the owners of working shrimp boats.
The shrimp trawler and sailboat will be removed in the next few weeks, Willis said. The town is still working on the details of the dock demolition that will follow, Willis said.
Two vessels that sank at the dock remain underneath the water. They will be removed when the dock is replaced, Willis said.
A landing vessel also is beached on the shore nearby. That vessel is not the responsibility of the town, Willis said.
This story was originally published February 13, 2023 at 9:28 AM.
