HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV) — Daufuskie Island business owners tell News 3 they are struggling to make ends meet. They say the new ferry service has reduced the steady stream of tourists.
“The majority of my business was through that ferry system, and since no one is riding the ferries anymore, my business has literally been destroyed,” Daufuskie Transit owner Stewart Yarborough said. It’s being dismantled,” he said.
Daufuskie Island business owners like Stewart Yarborough say they’re struggling to keep cash flowing.
Yarborough operates Daufuskie Transportation, which helps travelers move their luggage around the island. He says problems with the new ferry service are keeping visitors away, which is hurting.
“Last May, we brought in $25,000 to $30,000,” Yarborough said. “This year, so far in May, including this weekend, we’ve brought in $4,000, so that’s a significant decrease.”
Passenger complaints have increased since ferry service switched to Lowcountry Ferries. Complaints range from low luggage capacity to long distance trips to difficulty getting on and off the boat for people with disabilities.
Stewart is not alone. Many others have also noticed a drop in foot traffic.
“In the old days, the two most popular ferries were the 10 a.m. ferry or the 1 p.m. ferry, which had 40 to 48 passengers,” said Ron Angle, owner of Dufsky Carts. “Today I was at the marina to meet guests who came on the 10am ferry. There were 4 people on the boat. 4, period.”
Stewart and Ron say they are both worried about bankruptcy. They are speaking out and demanding answers, but they don’t know what else they can do. The threat of closure, or at least downsizing, looms before them.
“Right now I’m thinking about downsizing and getting rid of some of my current inventory so I don’t have to carry as much inventory as I normally would, because I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Mr. Angle said. “So no one really knows if this problem is going to go away anytime soon.”
“I’ve worked hard for 14 years to build this business,” Yarborough said.. “It’s really hard to even talk about closing it down because this is how I thought my son would have a good life on the island. What they’ve done to the ferry system is just… It means it will no longer work for us.”
WSAV reached out to Lowcountry Ferry Company several times for comment, but did not receive a response.
