B EAUFORT, P ORT R OYAL A ND T HE S EA I SLANDS
Alsaoki:ng
Th
e u s s I r e e Wat LY 2011 U J / E N JU
•Net M amps •Fish C tyle S •Boat
CONTENTS June/July 2011
features
10 Preserving An Industry
The Reaves family talk about the future of shrimping and what it means to the environment
16 Hands On
Joseph Legree, Jr. shares his handmade trade and stories of growing up in Beaufort.
20 Fish Camps
From the elaborate to primitive, fish camps share a mystique and view all their own.
29 Cruising In Style 34 Young Captain
Salley Mayse has a one of a kind boat built so she can cruise the Intercoastal Waterway.
Captain Ross Holmquist shares his accomplishments on the water.
38 Water Festival Commodore
Bob Bible is profiled, and he answers some questions about the 56th Annual Beaufort Water Festival.
departments
07 Publisher’s Thoughts 09 Editor’s Letter 53 Dining Guide
Also:
57 Beaufort Weddings 06 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
PUBLISHER’S Thoughts
Learning about shrimping, learning about family...
On the Cover B EAUFORT, P ORT R OYAL A ND T HE S EA I SLANDS
Also:
er Issue The Wat LY 2011
king •Net Ma mps •Fish Ca le Sty •Boat
JUNE/JU
The Reaves Family on the dock in front of their shrimp boat, Gracie Belle, on St. Helena Island.
-Cover Photo by TODD WOOD
It is fascinating to me that a person can continue to learn and experience new adventures throughout their lifetime. All you have to do is keep an open mind, and take advantage of opportunities as they come your way. When preparing for this issue, we really had no idea what opportunity would present itself. But, as in every issue we publish, there is always a surprise around the corner! With June/July serving as the Water Festival issue, we wanted to make sure that all of our stories were related to water activities in the great outdoor life of Beaufort, South Carolina. Well, shrimping is definitely one of those outdoor adventures. When I use the term “adventure”, I truly mean what I say! I had the opportunity to go on an exciting, once in a lifetime adventure! Most people will go through life without ever having the experience of spending an entire day on the water….on a shrimp boat….with full crew…. pulling nets…..and learning something new with each pull of the day. I can happily say that is one thing I can now strike off my bucket list! A few weekends ago, I got up early on a Saturday morning, and set out on a terrific journey. I, along with several others from our staff, got to spend a 12 hour day on a shrimp boat owned by the Reaves family. What a tremendous experience. With the cold winter we had this year, the opening of shrimping season has been delayed. But, DNR has to run test boats to see where the shrimp are being caught, the types of shrimp being caught and the sizes. We were fortunate enough to have DNR agree to let Beaufort Lifestyle be a part of this fascinating experience……..and to share it with such a wonderful family…….a family that truly cares about our waters and everything in them. Julie Hales, PUBLISHER During my twelve hour adventure on this boat, I got the opportunity to speak with DNR and learned a lot about what they do and how they do it. I also got the amazing experience of getting to know the Reaves family, and what this industry has meant to them throughout the years! I heard stories all day….some from Laten Reaves, the father of the family. What a true Southern Gentleman. Listening to his stories, one can truly tell the passion he has for the industry, but most importantly, the passion he has for his family! Craig Reaves is a wealth of knowledge on the industry. He is indeed an educator. I learned so much from my conversations with him. It is very evident that Craig has a passion to protect these waters for the future of the local shrimping industry. Then there is Cameron, the younger brother. What an amazing young man. He has a smile that lights up the sky when you talk to him about his experiences on the water. His love for these waters and what he does is so obvious, from the first sentence that leaves his mouth. The hospitality shown to us by this entire family was amazing. Their high morals and family values are an inspiration to many people in this community…..and I am no exception to that rule! Thanks Reaves family…..I could not have asked for a more perfect day!
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 07
CONTRIBUTORS
Photo taken by Susan Deloach. The hands of Joseph Legree, Jr. working on a casting net. See his story on Page 16.
Cindy Reid
Cindy Reid ascribes to the cocktail napkin motto “I’m not from the South but I got here as quick as I could.” Born and raised on the sleepy Hudson River towns of rural New York, she always knew she was meant to feel sand and not gravel under her feet. She graduated from Mills College in Oakland,CA and spent the next twenty years raising a daughter and working in the retail book business before finally landing in St. Helena, SC. Her work has appeared in About Town, skirt!, Salon.com and she is a regular contributor to Coastal Mariner.”
Having grown up on the Main Line of Philadelphia and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Mary Ellen now lives on Saint Helena Island with her Great Dane, Duke. She has a son and a daughter who live in Colorado and New York City. With a degree in business, she has owned several companies including Calypso Car Wash and Oil Change in Naples, Florida and a firm which specialized in French wall upholstery in Philadelphia. She spent several years on a barge cruising the canals of Europe. Her passions include traveling, photography, entertaining and being Mary Ellen Thompson anywhere on the water.
John Wollwerth
John Wollwerth is a photographer raised in New York, now living in Beaufort. He specializes in wedding, advertising and architectural photography. John is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers. His work has appeared in such magazines as Coastal Living, South Carolina Homes and Gardens and Period Homes, to name a few. He comes highly recommended by numerous wedding planners, and he travels regularly throughout the region.
08 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
Paul Nurnberg
Susan Deloach
Paul Nurnberg is an award-winning photographer, who has lived in Beaufort, SC since 1996. He recently relocated his studio to Port Royal, SC from Savannah. Focusing on a variety of commercial advertising work including people, lifestyle, products and architecture, Paul also photographs select weddings. His work appears regularly in national magazines and regional advertising. He is the past national secretary of the Advertising Photographers of America and a four-year board member of the ASMP, SC chapter and remains an active member in both. Paul also offers classes in photography through Artworks and directly from his studio.
Susan Deloach was born Susan Bessinger in Beaufort, where she still resides with her husband Larry and sons Hudson and Tucker. Susan has a gift for capturing the personality and unique essence of her subject whether on location or in the studio. Her portraits are as diverse as the personalities of the people she photographs - some are edgy, some joyful, but all have one thing in common: the sensitive, skilled and thoughtful approach of the artist behind the camera.
EDITOR’S Letter
June/July 2011 Julie Hales owner/publisher julie@idpmagazines.com Todd Wood managing editor todd@idpmagazines.com Freda Harris account executive freda@idpmagazines.com Lorrie Stroud account executive lorrie@idpmagazines.com Lane Gallegos graphic design lane@idpmagazines.com Lea Allen administrative assistant/circulation lea@idpmagazines.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Write to us and tell us what you think. Beaufort Lifestyle welcomes all letters to the editor. Please send all letters via email to Todd Wood at todd@idpmagazines. com, or mail letters to One Beaufort Town Center, 2015 Boundary Street, Suite 328 Beaufort, SC 29902. Letters to the editor must have a phone number and name of contact. Phone numbers will not be published. CALENDAR SECTION We’re looking for your information about clubs, organizations, events and meetings. For events in in Aug/Sept 2011, copy must be submitted by July 20, 2011. Please email all copy to todd@idpmagazines.com. ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS Beaufort Lifestyle welcomes story ideas from our readers. If you have a story idea, or photo essay you would like to share, please submit ideas and material by emailing Todd Wood at todd@idpmagazines.com All articles and photos will be reviewed by the editor, and if the articles and accompanying photos meet the criteria of Independence Day Publishing, Inc., the person submitting the material will be contacted. Stories or ideas for stories must be submitted by email. Only feature stories and photo essays about people, places or things in Beaufort, Port Royal or the Sea Islands will be considered. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe to Beaufort Lifestyle by submitting a check and subscription information form found in every issue. You may also subscribe by calling (843) 379-8696 . Beaufort Lifestyle is published bimonthly by Independence Day Publishing, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Beaufort Lifestyle One Beaufort Town Center 2015 Boundary Street, Suite 328 Beaufort, SC 29901 (843) 379-8696
I Have The Best Camera, And You Likely Do Too Chase Jarvis said it best when he said, “Right now is the most exciting time in the history of the planet to be a photographer.” He also said that the best camera is the one you have with you. I’d say I have to agree, especially as of late. Without going into all of the technical information, I own some of the best cameras and lenses you can buy (Nikon of course). But many times those lenses and camera bodies are just too bulky and heavy to carry everywhere. Recently, I started experimenting with my new iPhone 4, and I have finally fully grasped what Chase was saying about the best camera being the one that is with you. I think it is great how you can basically get creative and create images no matter where you are. It has been a little addictive, I will have to admit. I’ve been using my cell phone camera just about everywhere you can think... restaurants, gas stations and of course out on assignment for the magazine. It has fired up my creative mojo, and I’d like to think that there are many more people just like me, getting creative with their phones. Recently, while out on a shrimp boat with the Reaves family, I managed to capture some beautiful photos of the sunset with my iPhone. The photo on the table of contents page was taken with the iPhone, and while it is not technically perfect, it is quite impressive considering the boat is rocking and I’m just handholding the phone. I added a polarizing filter with a quick push of an app download and...voila! It’s amazing how technology is inspiring people to get in touch with their creative sides. So here’s to having the best camera...the one that you have with you. I never thought technology would enable so many people to become creative, but it has. Being creative inspires and promotes so many great things in our society. If you have a great photo you have shot on your camera phone, hopefully you will be inspired to share it with others, or maybe even become a photographer.
- Todd Wood, EDITOR Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 09
St
COVER STORY Shrimping In The Lowcountry
Preserving A Way Of Life For Future Generations The Shrimping Industry in this country is under seige from abroad. The Reaves are doing their part in educating the public about how to save the once flourishing industry. Story by MARY ELLEN THOMPSON Photographs by TODD WOOD
Laten Reaves: “It began with me; I was the first shrimper in my family, my daddy never even got on a shrimp boat until he got on mine. In 1960, I started shrimping at age thirteen in Holden Beach, NC, where we lived. I worked for three summers on a shrimp boat and when I was sixteen I bought my first boat, the Sher-Lan for $9100. I worked her until I was eighteen or nineteen and was drafted into the Army.” “When I got out of the service, I married Alice, whom I had known for a long time. I ran the SherLan for another two years until we turned her into a charter fishing boat and I bought the Wanda-K for shrimping. In the beginning, fishing was the industry in Holden Beach. Money was being made on boats. I liked being out on the ocean - we worked hard, sixteen to eighteen hours a day, but we relaxed on the water at the same time.” “I had the Wanda-K for three years until I lost her to a fire caused by a gas generator. In 1970 I began building the Captain Craig, named after my young son. In 1977 the Captain Craig blew up off of Key West, FL. She had submarine batteries in her, and no
10 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
one told us they would cause gas to build up in the hull. The bow blew right off her.” “We fished all along the Southeastern and Gulf coasts. In Beaufort, in the late 1960’s, I met Bubba VonHarten, who then owned a shrimp dock. In the 1970’s I started packing shrimp with him. A decade later, I opened a series of seafood restaurants, first in Holden Beach, NC, then in Loris, SC. Craig was running the restaurant in Loris when he was 16. In 1985 we bought the Boy Shrimper for Craig. We sold the restaurant in Loris and moved back to Holden Beach, where we had another restaurant and it was there that Craig met his wife, Jana. In 1988, our son Cameron was born, eighteen years after his brother Craig.” “When we brought our boats to Beaufort in 1992, times were hard at first. We scratched for clams in the winter, shrimped in the summer, and I built model shrimp boats, which I sold to collectors and restaurants for decoration. In 1993, we started CJ’s Seafood, and sold seafood out of the back of a Dodge sedan, from Beaufort to Columbia, to Myrtle Beach and back.
THE WATER ISSUE Shrimping Industry
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July2011 11
< LATEN REAVES: Standing outside the wheelhouse of the Gracie Belle shrimp boat. CRAIG REAVES > Talking about the future of shrimping, and also how shrimpers are turtle friendly.
Reaves’ (Secret) Recipe for Shrimp or Oyster Balls (Fritters) 2 pounds of local shrimp, minced Small bunch of green onions, diced 1 8 oz. can of water chestnuts, minced Splash of Worcestershire Sauce Pinch of onion salt Pinch of garlic salt Pinch of Greek seasoning 1 cup of self-rising flour Add 1 cup of warm water to the above ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. Form into balls. Refrigerate and let sit over night to allow flavors to meld. Spoon into oil ( preferably peanut oil) heated to 350 degrees and cook until golden brown all over. For Oyster Balls - same as above but substitute oysters for shrimp. Serve as h’ors d’oeuvres or appetizers. Enjoy!
“A few years later, we leased a fish house off Coffin Point and started our own processing facility. We unloaded boats, headed, graded and bought the shrimp, and sold them to restaurants. Since 2000, we’ve had a dock which we’ve run ever since. Then, in 2007, the family took over the lease for the Sea Eagle Market on Boundary Street, which is home base for retail and wholesale seafood sales as well as a seafood catering business. In the course of his sixty-four years, Laten has been like a cat with nine lives. It’s nearly impossible to work in the shrimping business for any length of time and not sustain some injuries, but Layton takes his in stride. He had his left arm severed, then repaired, when he was in an automobile accident on his way to the seafood market. The tendons in his left hand were severely sliced by a power saw when he was building a dock. A block broke free on the boat and fell on his foot when he was trying to free a net that was snagged. “Daddy,” Craig said to him, “take off your boots and show Mary Ellen your feet.” Which Laten obligingly did. “See,” Laten said as he showed me his mangled and missing toes, “now one foot is a size 6 1/2, the other is a size 9 1/2.” If those injuries weren’t enough for one man to endure, Laten was electrocuted when he was repairing a sign on one of the restaurants. “We’d just bought the restaurant and it had a neon sign over the entrance. I cut off the electricity to repair it and thought that was enough but I didn’t have any way of
12 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
knowing that the previous owner had wired the sign directly to the electric line, bypassing the breaker box so it didn’t show up on the electric meter because it was expensive to run that sign. When I touched the wires, I got a jolt that threw me into the power line, knocked me off the ladder and I went twenty feet straight down, face first onto the ground.” Despite setbacks, the family has stayed strong together. In 2005, Alice was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was a survivor for six years until it reoccurred. Laten recently took her to the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Oklahoma for a month and he reports that she is presently doing well. “We have worked together from the very beginning; she has traveled all over to see me, to be with me when I was away from home.”
Craig Reaves’ Story: Craig is a man with a mission -- several missions, in fact. In his professional life, he works on the boats, runs the wholesale food operation, works at the family market, caters private events and festivals. He also oversees their clam mariculture in the Broad River, and their commercial oyster harvesting operation. Craig is President of the South Carolina Shrimping Association, and is on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Seafood Alliance and the South Carolina Shellfish Growers Association. He explains: “We have been a part of all aspects of this industry; it helps us to understand, and to connect with the industry as a whole.” With his knowledge of the seafood industry, Craig is an educator. What he has learned is too vast to chronicle in a single story. What he knows about the shrimping business is immensely important. If you are a consumer of shrimp, what he has to tell you should have a huge impact on how you buy
or consume shrimp. “Shrimp is the most highly demanded seafood in the United States. Eighty-five percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States is imported.” This should be a red flag! Research shows that these imported shrimp are loaded with hormones, antibiotics, and may be farmed in horizontal pens with other crops. Chicken pens may be sitting atop the shrimp pens; the chicken feed, excrement, and other nasty things drop down into the shrimp pens and are consumed by the shrimp. Antibiotic residue stays in the shrimp and can produce effects from allergic reactions to neurological damage to death in consumers and even those who handle the shrimp. If you research this yourself - it will knock your socks off. Craig advises, “Do not assume that if you go to a seafood restaurant with shrimp boats tied up nearby, that they serve fresh, wild caught shrimp. Ask where they get their shrimp and don’t order it if it isn’t fresh wild caught. Many tourists, and locals as well, assume that nearby shrimp boats are an advertisement, when in fact, the restaurants may use imported shrimp to keep their costs down.” The shrimping industry in this country is under siege from abroad, and higher costs here (including fuel prices) to catch and process shrimp locally. “Grocery stores are required to label shrimp with their country of origin; restaurants and roadside markets are not mandated to disclose that information.” One of the fears the shrimpers have is not only that their way of life is being squeezed out of them, but also that the
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 13
LARRY DELANCEY and LINDSEY ROBERG of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources went out with the Reaves to do an official test to see what the shrimp population looks like off the coast of Beaufort. At press time, the shrimping season has been delayed until the middle of June.
imported shrimp will cause negative reactions in the community if consumers get ill from eating or handling them and blame the entire industry, just as has happened with mercury poisoning in fish. Be proactive about what you are ordering in restaurants and buying in the market; adopt the attitude: Go Wild, Eat Local! And that pertains not only to shrimp, but is supportive of any local food sources. Even though Craig’s interest in, and commitment to, the seafood industry is deep in his heart and veins, his personal life interests extend far beyond that. Craig and Jana are members of the Shell Point Baptist Church and use the family’s larger shrimp boat, the Gracie Belle, as a ministry for the children. At the Beaufort Water Festival they decorate the boat with Christian themes and invite the children to spend the night aboard. Craig is also a “fisher of men” (Mark 1.17). He picked up a hitch-hiker, Tony, some years ago, who turned out to be a traveling minister. They formed a friendship and alliance and Tony has been working in the business with them since then. In 2005, Craig and Jana invited Brandon Wells, the son of a friend, to live with them when he was thirteen; their hearts are big enough to include in their family those people they meet along their path. Just as Craig and Cameron were raised on shrimp boats by their father, history repeats itself as Craig and Jana’s children, daughter Melena and son CJ, work in the family business as well. Actually, everybody works in some aspect of the business.
14 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
Laten’s wife, Alice, works in the Sea Eagle Market with Jana and Melena. CJ helps with the farmers markets in Greenville and Columbia, SC, deliveries and catering festivals. Again, as history repeats itself, and as Cameron is eighteen years younger than Craig, Craig and Jana’s youngest daughter, Molleigh, is seventeen years younger than Melena. Now three, Molleigh has been brought to the market since birth, and if all goes well in the industry, her day in the family business is sure to come. Cameron and Brandon run the Bubba Wade and work in the market. Craig and Laten still operate the Gracie Belle when conditions are favorable. What began with a single shrimper has expanded to these various operations in order to outpace the declining economy of running fishing boats for a living. In 1992, there were eightyeight shrimp boats operating in the waters off of Beaufort, in 2011, there are only twelve. “Shrimping has an iconic value,” says Craig. “We employ people, we carry on the heritage and traditions. As shrimpers, we help the coastal environment. One way is by using Turtle Exclusion Devices (TED) in our nets which keep the sea turtles from being tangled in the nets; the sea turtle population has rebounded. ‘Shrimpers are Sea Turtle Friendly.’” The nets pick up debris that has been discarded into the water and that helps to clean up the environment as well. “We pick up all sorts of things in the nets - lawn furniture that has blown away in storms, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and trash bags that have
“Shrimping has an iconic value. We employ people, we carry on heritage and traditions. As shrimpers, we help the coastal environment. One is by using Turtle Exclusion Devices (TED) in our nets which keep the sea turtles from being tangled in the nets; the sea turtle population has rebounded. Shrimpers are sea turtle friendly.” been left on the beach and washed out, or thrown overboard by boaters. These things are harmful, not only to the turtles and porpoises, but many other creatures as well.” When they are out working on the boats, the Reaves’ family primary concern and commitment is to bring the best product to the consumer. Their motto is: “From our boats to your table.”
Cameron Reaves’ Story: Cameron has been on shrimp boats since he was four. His dad got him his own shrimp boat the Forgiven, when he was fifteen. At twenty-one, Cameron bought the Bubba Wade, which he and Brandon now run. But Cameron’s story, outside of the shrimping industry, is unique. When he was thirteen years old, he was diagnosed with Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS). This is a rare sleep disorder that has only been diagnosed in four to five hundred people worldwide. It is characterized by extensive periods of sleep, as long as two to three weeks at a time with minimal times of being awake, long enough to eat and use the bathroom. When Cameron comes out of one of these episodes, he has no memory of that time. He has his GED, but he had to drop out of school in eighth grade because he would miss classes for two or three weeks at a time and couldn’t catch up. He can sense the onset of an episode about two days in advance, but there is no pattern to how long it will last. He has, quite literally, missed about half of his life for the past ten years. Cameron’s attitude is amazing. He participates in studies at various institutions and is hoping to be awake in August when he is slated to go to Stanford University for a KLS study. The studies can be quite painful. He told me about one in Reno,
CAMERON REAVES: Climbing out to adjust the blocks out over the water.
NV where they gave him eight spinal taps in one day. He has been tested, poked and prodded in order to enhance the studies about this rare neurological disorder. He can’t make plans in advance because he doesn’t know if he will be awake to keep them. He likes to play softball for the church team, but that’s about all the commitment he can make to a sport. We discussed the issues of dating. With his charming sense of humor, Cameron told me, “When I meet a girl, I have to tell her on the second date that I’m not sure if I will be able to keep the next one.” “How is that working for you?” I asked him. “Oh, pretty well, the girls are sympathetic. They bring me food when I’m having an episode, and check in on me. Now, what I have to find is someone who wants to live on my shrimp boat!” Cameron said that if he hadn’t been born into the shrimping life, he probably wouldn’t have chosen it for himself. But, he hopes that it will last long enough for him to buy his child, when he has one, a shrimp boat. So, all in all, the Reaves story is about triumph over adversity - professional and personal. They stand strong, united as a family. There is a song entitled “Where have all the cowboys gone?” Since cowboys are often associaed with strength, fortitude, independence and the American way, we would say there are cowboys right here, in Beaufort, South Carolina - in the Reaves’ family. < LATEN REAVES: Making quick repairs to a shrimp net before sending the nets back out.
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 15
Handmade Trades
Story by MARY ELLEN THOMPSON Photos by SUSAN DELOACH
Ambassador of Gullah Culture casts his craft
O
ver sixty years ago, Joseph “Crip” Legree, Jr. began making cast nets on Saint Helena Island. “I learned from my cousin, Harry Owens. My uncle made nets, but I’m 87 years old and now I’m the last one living out of my generation. But, I have taught my grandson, West McKinnon, how to make them.” Mr. Legree makes nets in different sizes - four, five, or six feet in length. How long does it take him to make a six foot net? “Ooh! It used to take me three or four days but now I don’t see so well any more.” About how many nets does he think he’s made in his lifetime? “Oh, so many that I can’t call that.” Not only is hand making cast nets on the very verge of becoming a lost art, the nets are no longer useful for their intended purpose - catching trophy fish. Cast nets are still commonly used to catch shrimp in the Lowcountry, but the eyes (mesh size) in Mr. Legree’s nets are larger than shrimp catching cast nets. Fearful that not only is his craft becoming obsolete, Mr. Legree worries that he won’t continue be able to sell many more of his nets because, he says, “You can’t catch trophy fish in nets now - you have to use a rod.” Although that is true, according to a conversation I had with the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement in Charleston, SC, you can use these nets to catch bait fish and they allow you to catch bigger bait fish than you would in a shrimp size cast net; the larger mesh allows the smaller fish to escape. However, if you do catch a trophy fish in the net, you must release it. The nets themselves are works of art and are quickly becoming collector’s items. Mr. Legree uses nylon string now, instead of the cotton he used to use because, he says, “Cotton pops when pulled tight, and rots from the water with age.” A net begins with a series of eyes (loops or openings) and knots. Every second row of eyes and knots contains twelve loops which enable the net to grow in circumference as it gets longer. A six foot net takes longer to make than two four foot nets, he says, because the longer the net, the bigger the diameter is at the bottom. Each knot is made by making two over and under twists. “It takes a lot of arm work. It’s not hard but it takes a lot of time,” he explains. “These nylon nets will last as long as you live because the nylon doesn’t hold water. People buy them,
16 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
Joseph Legree, Jr. begins work on another one of his custom casting nets.
some with no lead weights at all, just for decoration.” Employing what looks like part of a paint stirring stick, and a plastic shuttle as tools, Mr. Legree attaches the top of the net to a nail stuck in the wall on his porch, and uses the stick to wrap the string around, he loops the shuttle back and forth to make the knots. He ties a piece of colored string in the net to mark the spot where he will come full circle. The process looks like a combination of weaving and macrame and also seems similar to the process of tatting, which is how some kinds of lace are made. Every loop must be precisely the same size and the knots must be in exactly the right place. The object is for the net to spread evenly when cast over the water. Lead weights are placed at the bottom of the net when it is finished so the net will gather upon itself when it reaches the bottom, and a series of strings attached from the weights through a circular piece of plastic (he used to use cow horn) which tie at the top of the net and allow it to be pulled up without releasing any of the catch. Born on Saint Helena Island in 1924, Mr. Legree says, “I was one of fourteen children; eleven grew up, and six are still living.
A closeup of Legree’s steady hands at work.
When he was a child, he broke his leg. “How did you break it?” I asked. “Bad! There was a cart with a cow pulling it. I was riding in the cart and there was this song on the radio: ‘The music goes ‘round and around, whoa-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho.’ I stood up in the cart and went around and around and when the cart stopped, I fell out of the cart and the wheel ran over me. The leg healed itself but it was like two sticks tied together; one leg grew back short so I grew up crippled and they started calling me “Crip.’” Since he is a river man, he is often called “Cap’n Crip.” Mr. Legree attended the Frogmore School until third grade when he had to go to work in the fields to help support the family. He began working on the river by the time he was sixteen. After that, “I had some part time jobs, but my job was working the river - fishing, crabbing and shrimping.” Predeceased by two wives, Jannie Holmes Legree and Clarinda Byas Legree, he raised his family; “I was both the mommy and daddy for them.” His family consists of three daughters Bernice Wright, Geneva (Connie) McKinnon, Doris Byas Holmes; and two sons, Leroy Byas and Amos Williams, who all live on Saint
Continued on Page 46
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 17
18 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
feature story A Way Of Life
Story by MARY ELLEN THOMPSON Photos by TODD WOOD
The Line On Fish Camps
I
Fish camp leases, once given with a handshake, are becoming extinct, islands that are owned are forbidden dock permits or repairs, and the fear is that this way of life will not be able to be passed down to future generations.
In the South, we think fondly of our “Good Old Boys.” It is not a term that necessarily applies to the socially prestigious, but rather common parlance for those men who know the ways of the land and water. They hunt, fish, know how to fix just about anything, and are men of their word. In Beaufort, their favorite hangout is that Southern icon, the fish camp. It is an elitist society in and of itself, because in order to get invited to a fish camp, you have to know someone who has one. Slowly disappearing from the landscape due to tidal changes and new governmental and environmental regulations, the fish camp is not just a place, but a way of life passed down through generations. Steve Patterson has a wealth of information about the history of the islands and camps. “The first camp was built in the 1930’s on Bay Point Island, where there used to be a Civil War Fort. That camp had two houses - one for the men and one for the women.” By his count, there are about twenty-five fish camps still standing on the islands. Some are individually owned, but most are owned by groups of people, with up to thirty-eight families sharing ownership in a camp. “Camps are owned by odd groups of people, not necessarily best friends. However, they all provide a place to go to get sunburned, go
20 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
fishing, hunting, crabbing and cook what you caught. I got in when Buck Morris was looking for some young muscle to do some work around the camp. I have so many great memories!” Google “fish camp” and you will get a myriad of sites ranging from restaurants to camps where they teach fishing. A few, and there are precious few, will actually direct you to a true fish camp, which is where you go to experience nature in a no-frills environment. They are the men’s clubs of the South. Originally they boasted bare bones structures on an island with outhouses, bunkhouses, and fire pits. They were cobbled together, added onto, and had conveniences particular to each camp such as cisterns, solar panels, generators, and other comfort factors. They can only be reached by boat, usually according to the tide. Once there, wood is chopped, dinner is hunted or fished for, camp fires are built. Beverages are stocked and consumed in abundance, and tall tales are told. Very tall tales. Fish camps are the perfect environment for pondering, photography, fishing, crabbing, gigging, hunting and whatever activities you wish in relative isolation, by experiencing nature in a way that is designed to bring you back to yourself. According to Charley Webb, fish camps began when “The
THE WATER ISSUE Fish Camps
Fish Camps come in various shapes, styles and sizes, however the one thing they have in common is that they have some of the most spectacular water views in the Low Country.
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 21
Gibbes McDowell and Mike Hudson enjoying conversation by the fire at McDowell’s fish camp.
barrier islands here were open game. In the 1930’s through the 1970’s, when the real estate boom had not yet begun, families would find a secluded island, ask permission of the owner, and set up a shack. Each camp took on its own character according to the characters that belonged to it. There was always a father figure, a ‘Don,’ a boss, who held the position of authority. He would set the rules for fun as well as tasks that needed to be done. When we were kids, the freedom was pretty wide open. We’d been taught that the tide goes in and out, oyster shells cut, and snakes bite.” Gibbes McDowell recounts a story told to him by his father: “When we were boys, we were sent out to the island for a week or two. The oldest of us was about fourteen, the rest of us about ten or twelve. Our fathers would go to the ice house and buy a three hundred block of ice wrapped in burlap and sawdust, they would get twine, hooks and lead at Fordham’s Hardware, and eggs, bacon, salt, flour, grease and other staples from the grocery store. About six or eight of us would get into an big old wooden bateau with the ice, food, a big old cast iron skillet, our fishing equipment, and we would leave from the Old Point. It took two tides to get to Bay Point where we would camp, so we spent the night in the boat on the way out and back. Once we got there, we would bury the ice in the sand, fish, forage, explore, cook for ourselves and have an experience that would teach us selfsufficiency and independence.” McDowell goes on to explain: “Our grandaddies inherited, or sometimes just built, primitive structures on some of these
22 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
islands and passed them down to their sons, our fathers to us, and so on. We learned, back in the day, the meaning of ‘going down the river,’ which is an experience that binds people to each other. It is an old boy society that crosses all barriers. One of the most important tenets of ‘going down the river is that what happens down the river, stays down the river!’” Like any closed society, owners of fish camps these days, demur disclosing too much information about their private hideaways. Increasing State legislation is making it difficult to maintain, or even keep, these camps. Building and dock permits are expensive and hard to come by; environmental concerns are cited. Steve Patterson explained that one of the issues with the State is that owners must prove clear title, and that is a complicated process that dates back to King’s Grants. Originally given by the King of England to the Lord Proprietor, titles must be traced back to the 1700’s. On some islands, such as Hunting Island which is owned by the State, they have granted leases on the land, but now the State wants to eliminate private ownership on public land. So there are many factors making it more and more difficult to own, or even maintain, these camps. According to McDowell, envy may well be one of the reasons. “Millionaires driving down the roads (to their expensive homes), casting envious glances, is a factor at play. At the camp, we have a million dollar lifestyle on a Budweiser budget.” Fish camp leases, once given with a handshake, are becoming extinct, islands that
“You are sitting on a wild beach listening to the sound of surf in your ears. You view limitless horizons because you have a clear field of vision. It’s like being Robinson Crusoe.” are owned are forbidden dock permits or repairs, and the fear is that this way of life will not be able to be passed down to future generations. There is simply nothing like a fish camp experience according to Gibbes McDowell. “You are sitting on a wild beach listening to the sound of surf in your ears. You view limitless horizons because you have a clear field of vision. It’s like being Robinson Crusoe.” Current day fish camp stories vary in breadth and depth from raucous times the “boys” go out to drink and fish and play practical jokes on each other, to random acts of kindness. Payback is hell if you tread on someone’s toes, or space, or fishing hole. The concept of “boys will be boys” is never truer than at the fish camp, and unfortunately many of the stories are not fit for print; but if you can wrangle an invitation, you will be sure to hear them. Charley Webb’s greatest joy in his fish camp experience is: “Appreciating good friends and introducing newer generations to the traditions and Lowcountry treasures.” He remembers the seasonal joys of going down the river. “Every summer I now look forward to taking my grandchildren, ages four and six, out for a week. Traditionally summer was a time when families went together. The fall and winter, when the weather is a bit harsher, was time for more manly pursuits. You are cocooned in an atmosphere that you don’t get elsewhere. When I was a child, the only light we had was a Coleman lantern. Now, at night, when
you open your eyes you see lights everywhere - on towers, Hilton Head Island; but all you have to do is close your eyes again.” His advice: “If you ever get invited to a fish camp, consider yourself real privileged - drop everything and go! And remember, above all, leave the land the way you found it.” Webbie Langford also has his share of experiences and stories about his fish camp days.“Originally the camps were on hummocks, dry sand dunes, places to get out of the weather. For me, the most fun I had was building a camp; building, working on it, was what I enjoyed most. We had the first so called ‘modern’ camp. Camps now have stoves, refrigerators, television, some even have air-conditioning. They use generators for electricity. Almost anything will run on a twelve volt battery, so why, in the middle of nature, do they want to listen to a generator run?” He had his share of practical jokes played on him: “I remember the time when I was about fifteen, some of my buddies and I went to a fish camp. There were a bunch of older guys there sitting around and drinking. We’d been out on the river all day and we were thirsty. There was an old glass Coca-Cola jar sitting there. It was full of clear liquid that looked just like water; they handed us the jar, I had no reason to think it was anything other than water so I took a big drink. When that liquid hit my mouth I realized it was moonshine and it burned all the way down! My mouth was on fire and someone handed me a two quart pot full of grape juice,
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 23
the thing is that the juice was full of bugs! Who cared? I drank it anyway, I had to do something to get that fire put out.” Langford tells a tale about payback: “Another story is that a buddy of mine went fishing off the bridge by the camp and someone came up under him in a boat and dropped his line into the same hole where my buddy was fishing. My buddy said to him ‘Hey, I’ve got my line in that hole!’ The response was “It’s a big river.” So my buddy went to the store, got a bag of ice and filled a bucket with the ice and some water, went back to the bridge and dropped it all over that guy and his boat.” And he tells another kind of story altogether: “Once, when we were building the camp, two men went out there with us to help. They had no knowledge of the river so instead of going back to the boat landing in the creeks, they went out into the ocean. They had no business being out in the ocean in that boat, they didn’t have enough experience. But they found two men floating in the ocean, the first one they got into the boat easily enough but the other was floating face down, he was almost dead. Finally they hauled him into the boat also; they put the first man out at the camp and took the second one to the boat landing where they got help for him and went back and got the first one. Two lives were saved that day because of that camp.” Patterson pointed out that the camp structures have evolved over time and there are now some houses that look as though they belong in an upscale neighborhood, and some that are still somewhat primitive. Some have been moved, some have been torn down by the State, some have washed away. Artifacts, such as pottery that is thousands of years old, arrowheads, prehistoric sharks teeth, can be found on most of the islands. Other interesting
24 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
things, such as a B-52 bomber that crashed into one of the ponds on St. Phillips Island, a sunken ship on Hunting Island, turn up every now and then. When asked what the biggest danger is to these camps, Patterson replied: “Weather is way more of a threat to these islands than legislation.” Although new, modern houses are being built on the barrier islands, and their owners refer to them as fish camps, they bear
Completely surrounded by water, the only access to a fish camp is by boat.
little if any resemblance to the original fish camps. To compare to them to fish camps of old, is like comparing a big modern drug store to the wonderful pharmacies with soda fountain counters of yesteryear. Structure and conveniences aside, they are still isolated oases on pristine beaches or marshes with extensive views of sunrises and sunsets on the horizon. A place to enjoy family and friends, outdoor pursuits, and the choices for entertaining yourself are limited only by your imagination. Quiet, reflective
spots where the sound of the ocean, or wind blowing through the grasses, are the loudest noises you’re likely to hear until the hum of a motor approaches and your friends pile out of a boat for a cookout and an evening of story telling. Sam McGowan reminisces, “My greatest memories were of my father, Beau Sam McGowan, taking me and Steve Brown down the river to one of the first camps built by my grandfather, Sam, and his family, on Eddings Island in the 1950’s. My family and some other partners leased that land for many, many years. Now it is called St. Phillips Island and is owned by Ted Turner.” “They would put us in an old bateau and cover us with canvas to keep us warm in the boat. I remember sitting around the island with the old-timers drinking, eating conch stew, and hearing the tales of past trips. In the evening they would sometimes sit around a big table, play poker, drink liquor and tell lies. Lots of the tales that were told were as far fetched as one could imagine! Since deer, fish, ducks, conch, oysters and other wildlife were abundant, we would sit around the fire and eat whatever was the catch of the day; it was like being at a seafood buffet - there were so many wonderful things.” If you can, inveigle an invitation to a fish camp. Put on your most comfortable clothes, pack your cooler, and step back in time.
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 25
Think Unique, off the Beaten Path. Think Sense of Time a
HiSTory • SHoPPing • Dining • naTUrE
Heritage House Antiques • Antiques • Furniture • Collectibles • Sweetgrass Baskets • Decoys • Architectural & Iron Elements
SALE ON
Tuesday-Saturday 10-5 1619 Paris Avenue, Port Royal, SC 29935
(843) 522-8881
26 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
FFoo rr m m oo rr ee ii nn ff oo rr m m aa tt ii oo nn vv ii ss ii tt w ww ww w.. pp oo rr tt rr oo yy aa
e and Place. Experience Small Town Charm. Old Old Village Village of ofPort Port Royal Royal
The Little Brown School Building the foundation for a lifetime of learning. Full day preschool for children aged 1-5 Weekly summer camps for children aged 4-8
For more information 843.521.4888 www.thelittlebrownschool.com Come by and see how The Little Brown School’s unique hands-on approach to learning can inspire your child’s creativity and confidence. Conveniently located in downtown Port Royal.
yy aa ll .. oo rr gg aa nn dd w ww ww w.. oo ll dd vv ii ll ll aa gg pp oo rr tt rr oo yy aa ll .. cc oo m m
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 27
Visit Port Royal
28 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
BEAUFORT LIFESTYLE
BOATING STYLE
Story by CINDY REID Photos by PAUL NURNBERG
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Discover.” - Mark Twain
A
t a time in life when most of us take up golf or bridge, St. Helena Island resident Sally Mayse had a different aspiration. “Once I moved to the Lowcountry, I set a goal of having a small boat I could sleep on and use to cruise the local waters and travel the Intracoastal Waterway.” The result is the Perspective, a 27 foot Pocket Cruiser which was built for Sally entirely on St.Helena Island by boat builder Carl Hahn. An exceptional boat built along the lines of a Maine lobster boat, it is the only one of its kind among the countless boats seen around Beaufort. As owner Sally Mayse says, “It is the perfect boat, built perfectly.” Sally grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland and was introduced to boats at an early age. “One evening when I was eight or 10 years old we were all sitting at the dinner table when Daddy said ‘I bought a 54 foot sailboat today’. The next evening, Mother said from her end of the dinner table ‘I bought a mink coat today’” She laughs, “I guess Mother had no idea that Daddy was buying a boat until
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 29
< SALLY MAYSE piloting her Bluejacket 27 SM. A view of Mayse at the captain’s chair inside her boat.
he announced it so she got him back.” The Lantana, a 54 foot yawl, was kept it in Annapolis, Maryland and Sally says, “Every weekend we would sail together as a family. Dad built an 8 foot dingy that we would all pile in and take out to where the boat was anchored. We sailed the Chesapeake Bay and did the Dismal Swamp to Nags Head, we took lots of nice trips on that boat.” In addition to the family trips she says, “I was a Mariner Scout, a Girl Scout program for senior high school girls. We sailed cat boats at Hartge’s Yacht Yard on the West River and camped at a Girl Scout camp on the South River for a week at a time, it was a great experience. It was an excellent program because boating teaches both teamwork and independence and it fosters creativity and problem solving, all skills you want in an adult.” After graduating Queens College in Charlotte, NC with a degree in History and a Teaching Credential, Sally taught school in the Shenandoah Valley and on the eastern shore of Virginia, meeting her husband in Onancock, VA. After living in Richmond, VA for 5 years, they moved to Walterboro, SC for 7 years and then on to Fairhope, Alabama, on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Sally taught at Walterboro High School until she became the Director of the Lowcountry Tech Prep Consortium, which worked with the school districts in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. She says, “I travelled
30 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
“We sailed cat boats at Hartge’s Yacht Yard on the West River and camped at a Girl Scout camp on the South River for a week at a time, it was a great experience” throughout the region and that’s how I came to discover Beaufort. The Beaufort School District recruited me so I left the consortium and came here in 1996.” She has been at Beaufort High School for the last 15 years.
Beaufort “I knew I needed to relocate to Beaufort to be nearer my work so I started looking for a place to live. A realtor was showing me various properties and one day she took me to St Helena Island, which I had never been to before. The minute we crossed the Chowan Creek Bridge I felt something click in my heart-like a keystone had dropped into place.” She continues, “I looked at property in Dulamo, which suited me because I wanted something with privacy but not isolated, and it had to be on the water. And I wanted to be part of a neighborhood. I saw this property and liked it immediately.” Finding her new home by water turned out to be pretty straightforward. “I had a little 16 foot Starcraft that someone had given me because it had no engine and needed work. So a friend and I rebuilt it. I put it in on the Fourth of July at Bennett’s Point and went from Bennett’s Point to Beaufort by water- came right up to Dulamo dock and there was my lot!”
She continues, “Then I went over to the sandbar, anchored my boat, and right away this man came over and started chatting with me. And that’s how I met Carl Hahn. I told him I had bought a lot in Dulamo, and he said you have to be a little crazy to live there so I should fit right in!” “It has been a very welcoming community; everybody is so nice and helpful,” she says. (In fact Sally’s neighbor Kip Graham brought Sally’s story to Beaufort Lifestyle’s attention.) “There are so many craftsmen available, so many talented people here. I have been extremely happy in my neighborhood”, she says. Sally lived on Harbor Island for a year while she was building her house and she moved into her new house exactly one year after she moved to Beaufort, on August 7,1997.
Bluejacket 27 SM Carl Hahn has lived on Eddings Creek on St.Helena Island for the last 32 years. The 81 year old boat builder, originally from the Bronx, says “I like building boats. I built my first boat when I was 17 years old.” Sally says, “I used to like to go over to Carl and Debbie Hahn’s place Saturday mornings. Carl and Larry Rowland
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 31
“We agreed on lots of ideas, especially putting pieces that give the boat its classic older look. At the time while Carl was building the boat I would get up at 5 a.m. and walk over to his place and look at the progress and leave notes before I had to go to school.” and Bob Wolf would be in the garage telling tales of boats, history and the Lowcountry. Carl had a beautiful 46-foot modified Chesapeake Bay boat he had built for himself and I wanted a bigger boat, so I started talking to him about building a boat for me. Carl had seen a boat on the internet, a Bluejacket 24 designed by Tom Lathrop of Oriental, NC.” About the Bluejacket Carl says, “The design is really perfect, as perfect as you can get.” Sally says, “Carl insisted he was going to build that boat and that it would be the last boat he built. Did I want it? I jumped at the chance and said yes, but that I wanted some changes.” Bluejacket boats plane at low speed and never stick their nose in the air or create huge wakes. They need smaller engines than other similar sized boats and offer commensurate high fuel mileage for cruising economy. Cruising
32 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
comfort is not compromised as the Bluejacket also has large berths in the forward cabin and standing headroom in the pilothouse with excellent visibility at all times. A great feature is the private head with standing headroom. The Bluejacket has comfortable seating for captain and crew, lots of galley counter space and storage, plus plenty of fuel and water capacity. “Tom’s boat was 24 feet and I wanted a slightly larger boat . Tom came to Beaufort and we talked. He agreed to redraw the plans to make mine 27 feet. When I went up to Oriental, NC, to pick up my plans he handed me a presentation folder that said Bluejacket 27SM. I asked what the SM stood for. He said ‘Sally Mayse.” I was quite overcome.” Sally says, “I brought the plans back to Carl who set to work. What is amazing about Carl is his eye for line and color. With seemingly a minimum of effort, in
a smooth and easy way, he built my boat piece by piece.” Regarding their collaboration Carl says, “We got along good, we didn’t have disagreements. It was no argument because Sally would say ‘I want this’ and I would say no.” “We agreed on lots of ideas, especially putting on pieces that give the boat its classic ‘older’ boat look.”Sally says, “At the time while Carl was building the boat I would get up at 5 AM and walk over to his place and look at the progress and leave notes before I had to be at school.” Carl says, “I‘d see her footprints- ‘oh Sally was here’- and look for a note.” St. Helena resident Trudy Flannigan and her daughter Cathy did the custom upholstery work. “One of things I love about the boat is that all the work was done right here in Dulamo by my neighbors.” says Sally. The boat was started in 2005 and was launched in June
2008 .
Perspective On the Water The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a 3000 mile waterway that runs right through Beaufort. Many boaters discover Beaufort while on the ICW and many Beaufort boaters cruise portions of the ICW due to its accessibility. It runs most of the length of the eastern seaboard from New Jersey, around the Gulf of Mexico, to Texas and is maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Perspective’s trips so far have been cruising portions of the ICW. The initial long trip was from Beaufort to Myrtle Beach, to the Wacamaw River up into Conway and was a success. Since then, the Perspective has been to the Cooper and East Cooper Rivers and through the Pinopolis Lock at Santee Cooper’s Jefferies Hydroelectric Station, which raises (or lowers) the 75 feet difference between the Tailrace Canal and Lake Moultrie. Last summer’s trip was down to the Georgia Sea Islands, including Blackbeard’s Island, which is northeast of Sapelo Island. In addition Sally has taken the boat to the Georgetown, SC Wooden
Boat Show twice. Sally says ,” I would like to do the Great Circle Route: Intracoastal Waterway, Chesapeake, up to New York, through to the Great Lakes down the Mississippi, across Florida and up the
southeast coast. I will finally have time to do it after retirement takes effect July 1.” “I don’t think of it as a dream. I think of it as a goal-something I can achieve. It just seems like an easy thing to do” said Sally.
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 33
No Worries
Offshore charter boat Captain Ross Holmquist lives his life according to the seasons.
I
f you ever crossed the Broad River Bridge in spring and wondered why there were suddenly all those boats clustered out there, the only answer is Cobia. Cobia season is a big deal around here. These large and powerful fish are only seen in area waters from early April to early June as they migrate up the east coast. They range in size from 20 to 40 pounds on average, with the state record held by Robby Maroudas of Hilton Head Island with a 92pound, 10-ounce cobia caught in 2009. If you don’t tire the fish out, it can tear your boat up thrashing around and, due to the limited season, it is one of the most sought after game fish to catch. It is just a flat out thrilling fish to land. “The day started out rough with everything that could go wrong going wrong. There was thick fog, all my bait died, and the tire on the truck went flat. So we decided on going with Plan B- which was to just go fishing, and everything worked out.” And work out it did , with Ross, his father Robbie and Captain Steve Roll winning first place in the recent Fillin’ Station Cobia Tournament with a 59.14 lb. cobia. “Last year my dad, Steve and I fished together as well in the same tourney and ended up second. We always have
34 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
• Story by CINDY REID Photos by SUSAN DELOACH • a good time together and that’s what fishing is all about, having fun and sharing it with your buddies. It was nice to win, but it was better to have had a great day fishing with my dad and Steve, “says Ross. As the youngest offshore charter boat Captain in the area, Ross Holmquist is an outdoorsman who typifies what living life on the water is all about. Born and raised in
Beaufort, he has spent most of his life on beautiful Coosaw Island. “I get to wake up and look at the river everyday” he says, “It doesn’t get any better than that!” His father Robbie, an insurance agent with Farm Bureau, and his mother Melanie, a medical coder at the Naval Hospital, live next door and his brother Adam is currently stationed in North Carolina at Camp Legeune
with the 2nd MSOB, (Marine Special Operations Battalion, USMC). “Dad and I have always fished together. My Dad got me started at an early age. I was so young I don’t remember not fishing.”Ross says. “To this day the best fishing trips are when me and dad get out there together, fish or not.” At Beaufort High School, Ross excelled at athletics and was a four year starter in football, wrestling and track (shot and Disc). He says, “I had the opportunity to take football to the next level but decided I was done. I wasn’t big enough, I’m too short, and so after high school I was done with football. I went to Francis Marion University because they did not have a football team- if I wasn’t going to play I didn’t want to be at a school where football was a big part of campus life”. While at FMU, Ross spent three nights a week at his uncle’s hunting cabin on a 400 acre spread, where he hunted for duck and deer. “It was hard to keep me in school and my grades reflected that, but I had a GREAT deer season!” he says. After his freshman year, Ross came back to Beaufort and enrolled at USCB. “The last two years I cracked down and took as many classes as I could.” He graduated in December 2010 with a
THE WATER ISSUE Young Captain
Captain Ross Holmquist
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 35
degree in Business Administration and is currently part of the management staff at Port Royal Landing Marina.
“Fishing is good.” Cobia, wahoo, dolphin, grouper, red snapper, triggerfish, vermillion snapper, king and Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, tuna, sail fish, spot tail bass….the list goes on and on of fish found in the Beaufort area. Ross says, “Beaufort has so many fish, it is 80 percent water, and clean water with big tide swings, so the fishing is fantastic whether you are inshore or off shore”. In 2008 Field and Stream Magazine named Beaufort one of the Top 20 Fishing Towns in America due to the plentiful fish and excellent facilities. After working in a few local boat and dock supply stores, Ross was given the opportunity to deck hand on the “Holden On” charter boat owned by Brian “Pretty Eyes” McCaffree.”Brian gave me a shot to fish, learn, and most of all appreciate what charter fishing is all about. Brian is a great friend of mine and I still look forward to every time we fish together, “says Ross.
and easy going rivalries . Everyone has a story of the ‘one that got away’ and a lucky few will have fish big enough to ‘put on the board’ (the Beaufort Sportfishing & Dive Club and Port Royal Marina Year Round Tournament.)It is not about prize money or expensive boats and gear- it is about landing the fish and the respect of your peers.
Fish On Ross is the primary Captain on the charter boat “No Worries”, owned by Captain Mike Sackman, a local realtor who retired from the Navy after a twenty two year career in 2004. As a Navy Master Diver Mike says he “travelled the
The Six Pack The United States Coast Guard Captain’s License is required in order to carry passengers for hire, anything from charter fishing to a water taxi to a passenger ship. To run smaller vessels, the “six pack” (so called because it enables the Captain to carry up to six passengers) license is needed. The basic requirements are sea time, first aid and CPR training, and a passing score on a four part exam. Obtaining his ‘six pack’ at 21 made Ross the youngest offshore charter Captain in the area. “I pursued it because it is a good thing to have in case you need it, for me it was one more box of the things I wanted to achieve to check off.” he says. “I have a lot of respect for all the other charter captains in the area, communication between fishermen typically leads to success when fishing is tough. There is definitely friendly competition between many of us but at the end of the day it is all a group effort to narrow in on the fish.” If you ever been on the dock when the boats come in for a weigh in at one of the local tournaments, or a good weather day, you can see the good natured competition
36 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
saw in Ross a young man that was ready, both personally and professionally, to handle the responsibility of running a charter service and keeping our clients safe and happy while providing a memorable experience. Hence the name of ‘No Worries Charters.” As Ross says, “Fishing is an excellent way to learn the waters here, especially if you are new to the area or here on a vacation. It can be a wonderful memory of something you’ve done with your family. I recently took a woman and her grandchildren out fishing, the grandkids were two 14 year olds and a 10 year old. I was able to help them get their first cobia. It was great to see the joy and excitement in those young boys when they caught a fish. Getting a fish is definitely exciting but just being out on the water is a good time and it is all about having fun.” Mike Sackman says, “I love Beaufort and all the water we are blessed to have. We can fish offshore, near shore, inshore, or just bring the boat to one of the local sandbars for a day of “river fun”. I love answering the question when my real estate clients ask, ‘what brought you to Beaufort?’ I just grin and tell them the truth, the water and the people.”
Seasons of Life
world’s oceans for various missions and training and never travelled without a fishing rod or at least access to one.” Ross says, “Mike is a great guy, giving me the opportunity to run his boat really means a lot to me. We always have a good time fishing together, you just have to listen to what he says not how he says it.” About Ross he says, “Ross (or Cobia) is known for his hard core love of fishing, which has helped him become one of the area’s best (and youngest) charter captains. Fishing is only one aspect of being a good captain, having a personality and understanding that catching fish is a bonus of the experience. Ross’s personality makes it easy to see why clients have a great time, with a bunch of fish or not coming back to the marina. I
Still an avid hunter, Ross says, “I live my life according to the seasons. Starting in January, I go from duck season, to off shore tuna fishing to turkey season, and then cobia starts mid April. From mid April through August, it is nothing but fishing, and when that winds down it is deer season. Of course in fall and winter it’s bottom fishing time.” When he’s not on a boat or out hunting he can be found “Having a group of friends sitting around and kicking back around a fire. Just being laid back and enjoying life. Beaufort has been a terrific place to grow up. There are great people in this town and there is always something to do, whether you are out at the South Ledge fishing for Blackfin tuna in the winter, bottom fishing in the fall or sandbar season in the dog days of summer. It is the golf cart speed of Beaufort that keeps me here.” As he says, “I learn something new every time I go fishing, I’m just grateful to be able to share it with others.”
Discover a great shopping experience...
downtown beaufort Beaufort, SC has a beautiful downtown shopping area nestled along the Intracoastal Waterway. With many unique shops, galleries and eateries, you will have much to explore. Take in the beauty and history of this Low Country landmark.
Beaufort Lifestyle | February/March 2011 27
THE WATER ISSUE Water Festival
Commodore for the 56th Annual Beaufort Water Festival, Bob Bible.
38 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
COMMODORE Bob Bible
If it’s summer it must be Waterfest! It is time for the annual Beaufort tradition of celebrating life on the water with the 56th Annual Beaufort Water Festival. The first sporting event was held on May 21 and the final day will be July 24. That’s two months of fun, culminating in a week of activities and musical events held at the Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort. In order to pull off two months of sporting events and entertainment, it takes a dedicated team of people, with one person leading the team. Every year at the event known as the “Commodore’s Ball,” a new Commodore is announced and last year, Bob Bible was chosen as the 2011 Commodore. After a 30 year career in the Navy, Bob has been the Assistant Director of Property Management at Tri Command Communities since 2004. He says, “I love my job and working at Tri Command lets me keep my military connection.” The Bibles make their home on Lady’s Island and have two sons, Aaron and Chris. They are the proud grandparents of two granddaughters, Sklyer and Alexis. Beaufort Lifestyle spoke to Commodore Bob and First Lady Colleen Bible appropriately enough in the Chambers Waterfront Park under the pavilion. As we watched the boats pass, and people strolling through the lovely park we talked about the Beaufort Water Festival and what it means for the community. BL: What brought you to Beaufort? Bob: I grew up in Winter Park, Florida, a small town outside of Orlando and Beaufort is a replica of the
the
Commodore and First Lady Story by CINDY REID
Photos by PAUL NURNBERG
hometown of my childhood. I love small towns and Beaufort really is a place where you can walk down Main Street and everyone says hello, and they probably know your name! BL: How long have you been volunteering with the Water Festival? Bob: My very first time volunteering was with the Rotary Club and I looked around and I thought “Wow what a great event, I really want to get involved with this!” I started volunteering with the festival staff in 1992 and I had to take a break when the Navy took me away in 1995, but I came back in 2001 as Military Liaison Director . BL: What changes have you seen over the years?
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 39
Commodore Bob and First Lady Colleen Bible.
Bob: The pavilion we are standing in is a fantastic change in recent years, it has made all the difference in our entertainment venue. We used to attach a vinyl roof over the performers and when it rained, we would be standing there with umbrellas sheltering the performers! Colleen: I remember one year when it rained and the audience stayed right there in their lawn chairs with ponchos on. They were having such a good time that no one left! Bob: The entire waterfront park renovation is fantastic and the city and The Greenery have done a superb job keeping it so beautiful. BL: How long does it take to plan the festival? Bob: It is an all volunteer staff and it takes the entire year to plan the next year’s festival. Colleen: Everyone works together and we really become like a family. BL: What is new this year? Bob: A brand new event is the “Dash for Cash for Trash” kayak event, which is not only going to be a lot of fun, it will be helping keep the river clean. We can clean the river, which helps clean the city, which helps clean the world! There is going to be a prize for the most unique piece of trash found. Traditionally we have reserved the last Sunday of the festival as the day local non-profits set up booths in the
40 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
waterfront park and do community outreach and education regarding their programs. But it seemed that by Sunday attendance was diminished so this year we will have several non- profits a day at our very popular Craft Market, where we hope they can reach more people. Other changes include moving the Women’s Golf Tournament to Rose Hill Golf Course, and we changed the schedule so the women golfers have their own day now. Colleen: Another new addition is that this year we will be giving a Waterfest ‘onesies’ to every baby born at Beaufort Memorial Hospital during Waterfest week.
favorite night is the “Commodore’s Ball” and this year we will be entertained by beach music favorites, “Legends of the Beach”.
BL: What is your favorite event? Bob: The fishing tournament! I love to fish and I can’t compete in it of course but I love helping out at the tournament and making sure everyone is having a great time. It is really a family event, we have categories for youth anglers and many families participate. And we have made some positive changes to the tournament, giving anglers the choice between fishing in shore or off shore, and adding a kayak ‘catch and release’ fishing category. We also moved the Awards Banquet from Sunday to Saturday evening. Colleen: My favorite is the “Concert in the Park”, and the performers this year are country music artist Lee Brice, who is originally from Sumter, SC and the very talented Josh Thompson. My second
BL: Any other thoughts? Bob: We could not do it without our wonderful sponsors. I can’t say enough in appreciation for their support.
BL: Waterfest tee shirts are collected year to year by many people and this year’s design is great! Bob: The Commodore gets to design the tee shirt and I really tried to incorporate everything that makes the Waterfest so unique. The little girl’s silhouette is my granddaughter Alex, that’s her toad fishing, and we have the bridge, the park stations, the 300 Years of Beaufort logo, and we even have “Happy Trails” worked in to it!
BL: What is the most popular event of the week? Bob: The best attended night of the week is our local talent night, which illustrates that this is a community event. The Beaufort Water festival is for our community to come on out, enjoy the festival, and have a great time! *For a complete list of events and the schedule for the 56th Annual Beaufort Water Festival, see Pages 42 and 43.
WHAT’S HOT The Preserve at Port Royal, a rental community surrounded by mature hardwoods & beautifully decorated landscaping. Minutes from MCRD, MCAS, the Naval Hospital & BMH. Offering 9 spacious 1 & 2 bedroom floor plans with an unmatched amenity, including FREE membership to the YMCA. Ask about Special Move In Incentives! Call 866914-5547 email:leasing@ preserveportroyal.com www.LiveAtPreserve.com
Jewelers Bench, Come in and let Jewelers Bench design or redesign a piece of jewelery you will love forever. See our ad on Page 37
The all new Dodge Caliber. 31 MPG starting at only $17,999.00 at Butler Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Beautiful Beaufort by the Bay. See our Ad on the Back Cover
Add some shimmer to your summer… Necklace $13 Earrings $11 Nuances 843.470.1110 See our ad on page 26. Summer Special $250 off each dental implant! One day procedure to replace missing teeth or partial denture. Implants look and feel natural. Call Beaufort Periodontics for appointment @ 843 525-6264. See our ad Page 17.
Boat Drinks! Summer wouldn’t be complete without a trip by boat or car to Sweetgrass Restaurant. Try a Dance Aweigh, named for a boat in the marina while watching the sun set over the Morgan River. A refreshing blast of mango rum, lime and ginger ale. See our ad on page 55..
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 41
CALENDAR: 56th Annual Beaufort Water Festival FRIDAY, JULY 15 Festival Art and Craft Market Noon - 5 p.m., Promenade, Waterfront Park Opening Ceremony Sponsored by- South Carolina Education Lottery Gates open 6 p.m., Ceremony begins 7 p.m. Featuring the Parris Island Marine Band and a spectacular Fireworks Show at dusk. Free admission Shuttle service available SATURDAY, JULY 16 Raft Race Sponsored by Boundary Street Collision Center 9 a.m., Waterfront Park Entry fee, $185 for Commercial $145 for Military or Non-profit Bocce Tournament Sponsored by JoCo Construction 9 a.m., Waterfront Park Entry fee: $40 per 2-person team Festival Art and Craft Market 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Promenade, Waterfront Park Sponsors’ Expo 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Waterfront Pavilion Free Children’s Toad Fishing Tournament Sponsored by Sea Island Atlas Van Lines 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Waterfront Park Free Coast Guard Cutter Tours 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free Shrimp Boat Tours Noon - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free Lowcountry Estuarium 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free Badminton Tournament Sponsored by A.C. Harvey’s Screen Printing 11 a.m., Waterfront Park Entry Fee $30 per team Gatorland Ski Show 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Beaufort River,
42 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
Waterfront Park Free Sailing Regatta Sponsored by Ameris Bank 2:45 p.m.- 4:45 p.m., Beaufort River in front of sea wall CONCERT IN THE PARK Sponsored by NEW COUNTRY BOB106.9 FM 8 p.m. - 11:30 p.m., Waterfront Park Gates open 7 p.m., Show starts 8 p.m. Entertainment by country music artist Lee Brice opening with Josh Thompson. NO STROLLERS ALLOWED Admission $20. Shuttle service available SUNDAY, JULY 17 Festival Art and Craft Market 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Promenade, Waterfront Park Boat Bingo Sponsorship available 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Local Waters Entry fee, $10 per card or $40 for 5 cards Coast Guard Cutter Tours 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free Shrimp Boat Tours Noon - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free Lowcountry Estuarium 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free CHILDREN’S DAY Sponsored by Coca-Cola Featuring Magic Marc and other shows with rides, games, and prizes 11:00 a.m. - 3 p.m., Waterfront Park Free Gatorland Ski Show 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., Beaufort River,Waterfront Park Free
Sailing Regatta (continued) Sponsored by Ameris Bank 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., Beaufort River in front of Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club TEEN DANCE Sponsored by Technical College of the Lowcountry 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Waterfront Park Gates open 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ( No entry after 8 p.m.) NO RE-ENTRY ALLOWED. Entertainment by D.J. Ross Brown Ages 13-17 only--VALID ID REQUIRED CLUTCH PURSES ONLY (6x9)size Admission $10. For advanced tickets please click on the tickets & merchandise link at the top of the page No shuttle service available MONDAY, JULY 18 Croquet Tournament Sponsored by Modern Jewelers 9 a.m., Waterfront Park Entry fee: $40 per tournament team, $30 per co-ed team Festival Art and Craft Market Noon - 5 p.m., Promenade, Waterfront Park MOTOWN MONDAY 8 p.m. - 11 p.m., Waterfront Park Sponsored by Actus Community Fund/ AMCC at Tri-Command Gates open 7 p.m., Show starts 8 p.m. Entertainment by Deas Guyz, Admission $7. FREE to ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY with valid Military ID. For advanced tickets please click on the tickets & merchandise link at the top of the page Shuttle service available TUESDAY, JULY 19 Croquet Tournament (continued) Sponsored by Modern Jewelers 9 a.m., Waterfront Park Festival Art and Craft Market Noon - 5 p.m., Promenade, Waterfront Park
TROPICAL TUESDAY Sponsorship available 8 p.m. - 11 p.m., Waterfront Park Gates open 7 p.m., Show starts 8 p.m. Entertainment by Conch Republic Admission $12. For advanced tickets please click on the tickets & merchandise link at the top of the page Shuttle service available WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 Croquet Tournament (continued) Sponsored by Modern Jewelers 9 a.m., Waterfront Park Festival Art and Craft Market Noon - 5 p.m., Promenade, Waterfront Park TALENT SHOW Hosted by the Preceptor Omega Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. Sponsored by McDonald’s. 7 p.m. - 11 p.m., Waterfront Park Gates open 6 p.m., Show starts 7 p.m. Admission $10, Free with Official 2011 Beaufort Water Festival T-Shirt. For advanced tickets please click on the tickets & merchandise link at the top of the page Shuttle service available THURSDAY, JULY 21 Croquet Tournament Finals Sponsored by Modern Jewelers 9 a.m., Waterfront Park Festival Art and Craft Market Noon- 5 pm Promenade, Waterfront Park Lowcountry Supper Sponsored by Waste Pro 6 p.m. - 11 p.m., Waterfront Park Gates open 6 p.m., Supper served 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Opening with the Groovetones Entertainment by the World Famous Whistlers followed by 7 Bridges, an Eagles tribute band
Admission $15. For advanced tickets please click on the tickets & merchandise link at the top of the page Shuttle service available FRIDAY, JULY 22 Festival Art and Craft Market 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Promenade, Waterfront Park Bed Race Sponsored by Advanced Mold Technologies 5 p.m., Bay Street, starting at Harrington Street ends at Newcastle Street. Entry fee: $25 per bed RIVER DANCE Sponsorship available 8 p.m. - Midnight, Waterfront Park Gates open 7 p.m., Show starts 8 p.m. Entertainment by Superglide opening with the Broke Locals MUST BE 18 OR OLDER WITH VALID ID TO ATTEND NO STROLLERS ALLOWED Admission $12 For advanced tickets please click on the tickets & merchandise link at the top of the page Shuttle service available SATURDAY, JULY 23
Shrimp Boat Tours Noon - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free Corn Hole Tournament (Finals Only) Sponsored by Boondocks Restaurant and Sports Bar 11:30 a.m., Waterfront Park Qualifying rounds to be held at Boondocks; June 21-25 Entry fee, $30 per 2-person team Air Show 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free (Beaufort River Closed) COMMODORE’S BALL Sponsored by Mazzanna’s Lawn Care 8 p.m. - Midnight, Waterfront Park Entertainment by Legends of the Beach Gates open 7 p.m., Show starts 8 p.m. Admission $10. For advanced tickets please click on the tickets & merchandise link at the top of the page Shuttle service available SUNDAY, JULY 24 Festival Art and Craft Market 9 a.m. -2 p.m., Promenade, Waterfront Park
Lowcountry Estuarium Noon - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free
Blessing of the Fleet and Parade of Boats Sponsored by the Water Festival Commodores Noon - 2 p.m., Beaufort River in front of Waterfront Park Free - boats must register to be eligible for prizes All applications must be at the judges stand prior to noon. Prizes will be awarded for: Best decorated boat Commercial $100 Best decorated personal watercraft $100 Judges award $100
Coast Guard Cutter Tour Noon - 4 p.m., Waterfront Park Free
Lowcountry Estuarium Noon - 2 p.m., Waterfront Park 2 p.m. Festival Ends
Festival Art and Craft Market 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Promenade, Waterfront Park Water Festival Grand Parade Sponsored by The Greenery, Inc. Organized by the Beaufort Lions Club 10 a.m. - Noon, Downtown Beaufort Entry fee: $25
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 43
EXPLORING
The Sea Islands
gnirolpxE
sdnalsI aeS eh
yadoT stneccA emoH deman sah EROTS YRTNUOCWOL 05 pot eht fo eno !sratS liateR 6464.838.348
yawkraP dnalsI aeS 637
Saint Helena.” Mr. McGowan wrote: “My close friend and confidant Joe ‘Crip’ Legree said that Helena. Another son, William Holmes, lives his last cooker, approximately thirty years ago, in Fort Myers, FL. He has twenty-seven was made out of pure copper and made good grandchildren. He also raised dogs (his whiskey. He said he nearly cried when he saw all favorites were a German Shepard and a the axe holes punched into it when his still was Rottweiler). Although he doesn’t fish much finally discovered by the law.” When asked about anymore, he drives his friends and family that, Mr. Legree said, “Yeah they put holes in it, around for appointments and errands. “I drink but they didn’t get me, that time!” beer now and then, but I’m home by 8:00 Mr. Legree told another story about those p.m.” days when the sheriff at the time was looking for With just the whisper of a white moustache the stills around Saint Helena. “The sheriff asked highlighting his engaging smile, Mr. Legree somebody ‘How long have they been making that has a hearty sense of humor and is a fine story whiskey?’ Somebody told him ‘About two weeks.’ teller. His face lights up with pleasure as he The sheriff said ‘Give them a few more months recounts some of his experiences on the river. before we arrest them so they make enough “I catch fish and I get money, then they tell money to pay their fines.’” Although Mr. Legree’s me I can’t catch fish (in nets) anymore. So vocation was catching fish, crabs and shrimp, he I take a gill net a hundred feet long - I tied made his nets as the tools for his trade and sold three of them together and string them across Joseph Legree casting one of his nets them (and apparently also whiskey) for extra the creek. The fish can’t get by, so you catch money. them. I did it for twenty years until a man who An ambassador of the Gullah Culture, Mr. worked for the governor, he caught me. He took my boat, my Legree has demonstrated his craft at The Penn Center’s Heritage motor, my nets and all. Then a big old man from Charleston came Days for many years. In 2009 he won the South Carolina Arts down and fined me $500! Now they use helicopters and planes, Commission’s Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award for cast they fly low over the water, they can see if you have nets in your net making. It was a very prestigious award and he was honored boat and they call someone who comes and gets you.” to have been chosen. Mr. Legree had a penchant for living by his own rules. In When asked about it, his winsome response was: “Yeah, I got the book the gullah mailman, (written in 2000) by local author the award and they gave me some money!” Pierre McGowan, there is a chapter entitled “illicit whiskey on
Continued from Page 17
46 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
o f u
ea
B
s ’ rt
UPTOWN DISTRICT
Visit these businesses in Uptown Beaufort, South Carolina
To advertise your Uptown Business call Freda (843) 441-7466 Lorrie (804) 814-5516 Julie (912) 657-4120
Low Country REAL ESTATE
To advertise in this section call Julie, Freda or Lorrie today!
48 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
Beaufort Town Center
One Beaufort Town Center 2015 Boundary Street, Suite 328 Beaufort, SC 29901 (843) 379-8696 Beaufort Lifestyle | February/March 2011 33
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 51
52 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
The best foods in Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands
A
t the Palm & Moon Bagel company, they have been secretly working on a new ingredient. “It takes over the mind of our customers so they will be hooked on our food forever,” jokes co-owner Chris Stoute. Since he and his wife Rainey purchased the company in September of 2009, the two have been having a blast serving the people of and visitors to Beaufort. Their New York style bagels are made from scratch every day, but Chris and Rainey are quick to point out that they do more than just bagels. Palm & Moon serves a wide variety of breakfast and lunch foods. Popular menu items include specialty sandwiches, salads, smoothies, coffee, baked goods, soups and of course, To Advertise bagels. in the dining The staff at Palm & Moon form what Chris and Rainey guide, or to find out how consider to be a very closeknit group that is focused on to get your restaurant, customer service and catering pub or bar to the downtown community. listed please “We are very thankful that we call Freda have a very loyal crowd,” says at (843)441- Chris. “We have a lot of faithful 9166, or customers that are in here every Julie at day, sometimes twice a day. The (912)657downtown community has been 4120 very supportive. As any restaurateur knows, the food service industry is always changing. “It’s been a roller coaster ride,” says Chris. “The restaurant business is so dynamic, but very fun. We can’t imagine not owning a restaurant now.” Soon they will be able to offer fresh baked breads made in house. “We are pretty excited about that, and I’m sure our customers will be too.” They also make nearly all their sauces in house as well, which includes a very popular cherry chutney and chipotle aioli. For the bagels, there are 15 different flavors of cream cheese, and their widely popular bagel chips make for a very tasty snack food. Palm & Moon Bagel Company is located at 221 Scott Street in downtown Beaufort. They are open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Qu ick
bites
Owners Chris and Rainey Stoute at the front counter of Palm and Moon Bagel Company . *Check out all the great places to eat on Pages 54 and 55.
One of their most popular sandwiches, the Carolina Moon.
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 53
Athenian Gardens 950 Ribaut Road Beaufort, SC 29902 (843)379-9222 Bella Luna Cafe 859 Sea Island Parkway
St. Helena, SC 29920 (843)838-3188 bellaluna@embarqmail.com Berry Island Cafe 1 Merchant Way, Suite 1 Lady’s Island, SC 29907
(843)524-8779 www.berryislandcafe.com
beaufortbrusters@gmail. com
Brusters Real Ice Cream 304 Robert Smalls Parkway Beaufort, SC 29906 (843)982-6277
Cat Island Grill & Pub 8 Waveland Avenue Beaufort, SC 29907 (843)524-4653
Palm & Moon proudly serves Boars Head Brand meats for their sandwiches. Find out more about Palm & Moon Bagel Company on their website:
www.palmmoonbagels.com
54 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
The best foods in Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands
The Stoutes talk with loyal customer Dr. John Patton.
www. sanctuarygolfcatisland.com Luther’s Rare And Well Done 910 Bay Street Beaufort, SC 29902 (843)521-1888 www.lowcountrydining.com Marketplace News Sandwich & Ice Cream Cafe 917 Bay Street Beaufort, SC 29902 www.themarketplacenews. com
Moondoggie’s 930 9th Street Port Royal, SC 29935 (843)522-1222
Panini’s Cafe’ 926 Bay Street Beaufort, SC 29902 (843)379-0300
Moe’s Southwest Grill 2015 Boundary Street, Ste 1A Beaufort, SC 29902 (843)379-4334
Rosie O’Grady’s Irish Sports Bar & Grill 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 3 Beaufort, SC 29902 (843)379-7676
Palm & Moon Bagel Co. 221 Scott Street Beaufort, SC 29902 (843)379-9300
Southern Graces at Beaufort Inn 809 Port Republic Street Beaufort, SC 29902 (843)379-0555
Sweetgrass Restaurant and Bar 100 Marina Drive St. Helena, SC (on Dataw Island) (843)838-2151 The Original Steamer Oyster & Steakhouse 168 Sea Island Parkway Beaufort, SC 29907 (843)522-0210 The Upper Crust 97 Sea Island Parkway Suite 201 Beaufort, SC 29907 (843)521-1999
Beaufort Lifestyle | June/July 2011 55
Go Fish with Carla Hall of “Top Chef”
Those interested in easy, tasty seafood recipes no longer have to go fishing for them. Carla Hall, All-Stars Fan Favorite on Season 8 of the TV show, “Top Chef,” offers a “Go Fish with Canola Oil” recipe collection with step-by-step video instructions. “A lot of people get nervous about cooking fish, which is unfortunate because it’s a healthy addition to any diet and ‘tickyboo’ to prepare,” said Hall. Her fish recipes include Grilled Salmon over Lentil Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette, Halibut en Papillote (meaning “in parchment” in French) with Roasted Tomato-Artichoke Ragout, Tuna Stir-Fry over Whole-Wheat Vermicelli and the trout dish below. All of these recipes are made with canola oil, which is a good source of omega-3 fat along with the fish. Omega-3 fat may help protect the heart, especially when consumed in place of saturated fat. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a qualified health claim for canola oil on its potential to reduce the risk of heart disease. In her CanolaInfo videos online, Hall answers common questions about fish,
56 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
including selecting and preparing it. For example, she suggests these amounts when buying fish: How Much Fish to Buy Whole fish: ¾-1 lb per person Dressed/cleaned: ½-¾ lb per person Fillets or steaks: ½ lb per person Broiled Trout with Lemon Oil & OvenGrilled Vegetables The star of this recipe is delicious lemon canola oil, which should be a staple in any pantry. Here, it makes this simply prepared broiled trout with vegetables a healthy and tasty weekday meal. 1 cup canola oil zest of two lemons, about 2 Tbsp 2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into ¼-inch thick diagonal pieces 1 pint grape tomatoes 1 medium red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 sprigs rosemary 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp lemon oil ½ tsp salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 4 rainbow trout fillets (6 oz each), skin removed
2 tsp lemon oil 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 inches long ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper lemon wedges for garnishing 1. In blender, combine canola oil and lemon zest. Process until smooth, then strain through fine mesh strainer. Store in refrigerator in airtight container or covered jar for 1-2 days. 2. Preheat broiler. In large bowl, combine zucchini, grape tomatoes, red onion, garlic and rosemary. Drizzle vegetable mixture with balsamic vinegar and lemon oil. Toss, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables in single layer on baking sheet and place 4 inches under broiler for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp and browned. Halfway through cooking time, toss vegetables. 3. While vegetables are cooking, prepare baking sheet with foil and canola oil cooking spray. Place trout on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides with pepper and place rosemary sprig under each fillet. Drizzle each fillet with ½ tsp lemon oil. Place fish under broiler for 7-8 minutes or until fish is opaque and flaky. 4. Carefully lift trout from pan with spatula and serve with vegetables. Yield: 4 servings.
LOW COUNTRY WEDDINGS
Photo by SUSAN DELOACH
Toasting Tips... The only one required to propose a Wedding Toast is the Best Man, but watch out for some competition...many weddings are now including a toast from the Maid of Honor as well! The 10 Commandments Of Toasting 1. Plan to speak from 1 to 4 minutes. No one wants to be bored with an extraordinarily long toast covering the entirety of your friendship. With wedding toasts, even a short toast will do if delivered with feeling and sincerity. 2. Make sure all other glasses are full before beginning. You may want to announce to the guests, or have the MC announce to the guests, to fill their glasses because toasting will commence shortly. Then give guests 3 - 5 minutes to fill their glasses. 3. Stand to give a toast (sit to receive one) and hold your glass with your right hand as you toast. After the toast, it is tradition to then clink the glasses together before sipping. 4. Start with something personal. How the bride and groom met is always a favorite. You can also use humor or quotes to get started. 5. Always use humor in good taste. While poking fun at the bride and groom can add the touch of humor you’re looking for, poking too much fun will only gain you a disapproving audience. 6. Speak in your normal voice, and avoid unnatural hand gestures or fake accents. Wedding audiences want to hear what you have to say, not watch a drama unfold. Just remember you were chosen to be you, not someone else. 7. Practice your toast. Unless you are an accomplished public speaker, just ‘winging it’ for the wedding toast is always a bad idea. 8. Look around the room at the audience and to the bride and groom as you toast. Eye contact is an important characteristic of a good speaker. 9. Speak clearly and don’t rush. Take your time and take a deep breath, because if you speak too fast, no one is going to understand you. 10. And finally, finish your toast with a wish, blessing, congratulations, or cheers.
Beaufort Lifestyle Magazine | June/July 2011 59
Dunia & Alexander
Goodno
Photography by Susan DeLoach
G
Bride: Dunia Paez Groom: Captain Alexander Goodno Ceremony: Saint Peter’s Catholic Curch Reception Venue: The Beaufort Inn Event Planner: Ashley Rhodes Photographer: Susan DeLoach Flowers: Emily Wynn Wildes Floral Design Caterer: Granville Catering Rentals: Amazing Event Rentals
60 April/May 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle
LOW COUNTRY WEDDINGS
G G
LOW COUNTRY WEDDINGS Bridal Editor answers important questions
Your wedding day is one of the most memorable in your lifetime. Whether you choose to have an extravagant affair or an intimate beachside gathering, all brides stress about getting their gown, jewelry and wedding rings just right. To shed some light on today’s trends in everything from bridal gowns to finding the perfect ring, Alison Rowe, Fashion & Jewelry Editor for The Bride and Bloom, answers some of the most common questions: Q: What’s the difference between platinum and white gold? A: At first glance they may appear similar, but if you take a closer look you’ll see there are quite a few notable differences. Platinum is the purest precious metal, meaning it’s naturally white, so it doesn’t change color or fade. White gold is actually yellow gold plated to appear white, and will require maintenance to restore its white luster. Though platinum is often perceived as the most expensive metal, I’ve seen quite a few designers introduce new lines of accessibly priced platinum bridal jewelry, which offers the high quality without the high price tag. Designers like Frederick Goldman and Simon G. offer platinum starting at $1,000. A great resource for finding a ring at your budget can be found on one of my favorite websites, www.precious platinum.com/calculator.
Q: How do I know which wedding dress style will look best with my body type? A: When it comes to finding the perfect wedding dress, fit is just as important as design. Luckily, gowns come in many styles with the goal of flattering every figure. A few tips I always offer bridesto-be: Column-style gowns will give a petite figure length, while Empire waist gowns can give a taller bride proportion. An open neckline with a delicate sleeve is great for those with a larger bust, while A-line gowns can accentuate a tiny waist and hide those hips! A great resource for shopping by body type can be found on DavidsBridal.com. Q: What are the most popular wedding band trends this year? A: As a bridal editor, I’ve found channel set and eternity bands continue to be her favorite for wedding bands, while men tend to choose bands that have more textural elements. Check out Novell Design Studios’ textural men’s wedding bands. I love when couples create metal harmony by matching the metals of their rings. Personalization-such as engraving a sentimental quote or date onto the band—is gaining in popularity as well. When you engrave a platinum band, you know it will never wear away, unlike other precious metals. Remember, your rings are the outward symbol of your love and commitment—finding the right band can be one of the most important decisions you make as a couple!
62 June/July 2011 | Beaufort Lifestyle