Sep 30, 2018
The waters where boaters now cruise, the Swamp Angel once terrorized Charleston Built atop a manmade earthwork of sandbags on a ‘Marsh Battery’ between Folly and James Island, the Swamp Angel housed a 16,500-pound rifled Parrott cannon whose shells could reach...
Sep 30, 2018
We anchored Spartina in 15’ of water near a narrow beach just west of Lynyard Cay. I snorkeled over the anchor to make sure we had a good set. After that, Grace (the dog), Julia, and I dinghied over for a walk-about. The roughly 100-yard long carbonate sand beach was...
Sep 30, 2018
By 1937, over 15,000 people celebrated the Fourth of July on the island. Folly’s Playground amusement park was a primary draw for day-trippers to the island. Mary Barnett Herbert recalls the riotous atmosphere in local bars during the ‘40s and ‘50s, caused in part by...
Sep 30, 2018
We left Nassau the first week of July 1996 aboard Sailing Vessel Royal Affair, bound for New York City. I’d never been to New York and was excited about the visit. The 90-foot charter sailing yacht was one of two owned by my employer — we’ll call him Homer. I took...
Sep 30, 2018
The Folly Pier was built in 1931, leading to the opening of restaurants and stores that served an influx of seasonal visitors. Throughout the ‘20s, Folly’s investors and boosters worked to improve the road from Charleston and the thoroughfares on the island itself. It...
Sep 30, 2018
John awoke abruptly to the sound of fiberglass splintering against granite as his boat pounded across the rock groin. Soon he and his 32-foot sailboat washed ashore. A friend messaged, wondering if my boat had washed up on the beach. Standing in Spartina’s main salon,...
