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expecting to work here for a season. Alas, 33 years later, I am lucky enough to continue to have the best job on the island. What question do you get most often from Harbour Town visitors? There are a few: “Who owns that boat?” “How many bedrooms does it have?” “What does that one cost?” While we understand the curiosity that yachts invoke, it is our obligation to respect the owner’s privacy. Therefore all of these questions are off the table. We do field questions about the length of a yacht, or the draft, or the origin of a particular flag. So general questions are fine. But personal questions? No. What do you do, or where do you go, for a vacation? My family and I are lucky enough to have a small cabin on the beach on a remote island in the Bahamas. With no electricity, we truly get away from it all: We fish, snorkel, wash our clothes in a bucket, drink rum and watch the sun go down.
NATE JONES BROAD CREEK MARINA Age: 30 Years in the Lowcountry: 22 Years as a harbormaster: 6 What is the biggest misconception about harbormasters? That we hang around all day and don’t work hard. I mean I wanted to be a harbormaster so I could wear shorts and T-shirts at work, and I couldn’t imagine being in an office all day. I’m usually in my office about two hours a day. But there’s a lot that goes into it. I’m always fixing things and managing employees. Right now I’m covered in grease; I’ve been working on a forklift for
the past two hours. Do you have a favorite hobby on the water? I love to fish, offshore fishing. I fish for everything off my boat – but her name is not appropriate for this magazine. Your job is on a resort island hanging around boats. What do you do, or where do you go, for a vacation? I go to other islands and hang around boats. I love the Virgin Islands. My wife and I go once a year. What sets your marina apart from the rest? Our family of employees, and our level of customer service that we give the boaters here.
DON LAWRENCE WEXFORD PLANTATION Age: 78 Years in the Lowcountry: 27 Years as a harbormaster: 7 What question do you get most often at work? Because of our lock system, the No. 1 question I get is, “How do you get water into the harbor?” I always tell people, ‘No, it’s not the rain and no, we don’t use a water hose.’ We have a high tides system, which allows us to let in a measurable amount of water when needed. What is one of the most exciting or funniest stories from your days on the job? About five years ago, we had a new member try to get his boat through the lock. Come to find out his boat didn’t fit! Unfortunately his Realtor had given him the wrong measurements for our lock system. As a result, the Realtor had to put in new fenders (which weren’t as wide as
our old ones), allowing for larger boats to come through the lock system. What is the biggest misconception about harbormasters? The biggest misconception about harbormasters is that we have nothing to do. As harbormaster, it’s my responsibility to allow access to boats coming in and leaving the lock system, monitor every boat going through (when boats leave, who was on the boat, when it returns) and in the harbor, monitor the docks, check boaters’ registration and insurance, and provide pump-out services. Plus I’m responsible for helping facilitate three major annual harbor events – Blessing of the Fleet, Boat Commissioning and the Holiday Boat Parade, as well as other popular harbor events, including our monthly Commodore Dock Parties, Annual Cobia Fishing Tournament and our Annual Sandbar Party.
JAKE MCMILLAN WINDMILL HARBOUR MARINA Age: 31 Years in the Lowcountry: 10 Years as a harbormaster: 2 Why did you want to be a harbormaster? I’ve always been in love with boats and being near the water. I first started out as a Dockmaster at Windmill Harbour, and after working in that position for a year, I developed a rapport with the boat owners, the care of their boats, and the marina itself. When the opportunity arose to be the harbormaster, I knew it was something I couldn’t pass up. Do you have a favorite hobby on the water? July 2014 85
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