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FOLLY BOAT

Hurricane Irma Washes Away Folly Boat Into James Island Backyard

Featured Image Credit: WCIV

The Folly Beach Boat is a staple to the Charleston Community. It’s hard to miss while you’re driving along the highway on your way to Folly Beach. It’s always painted differently with a different design and a different message. It all started when Hurricane Hugo Hit in 1989 and the boat washed ashore on the side of the highway. Now, 28 years later, Hurricane Irma has washed it away and into the backyard of a James Island resident.

People from all over come to Folly to cover the landmark with painted messages for all occasions such as birthdays, weddings, graduations, disasters, encouraging notes, and much more. The boat was most recently painted with “Godspeed Florida” and “This Too Shall Pass” in honor of Hurricane Irma hitting the coast.

folly boat

Stephanie Lee took this photo of the famous Folly Boat on Sunday night and it had messages of support for the Florida Keys and others impacted by Hurricane Irma. Image Credit: Stephanie Lee

Then Monday came and so did Irma….

Charleston did not get directly hit by the hurricane but experienced violent winds, heavy rain, and tons of flooding. The Folly Boat has swept away with the storm and the Charleston community was threatened with losing the boat along with all the memories. Thankfully, the sentimental boat turned up in a James Island backyard after floating a half-mile and crashing into a local dock owned by Chris John. Social media kept people updated about the boat’s disappearance and rediscovery.

“All the sudden, it was just floating by,” said Chris. The boat currently resides in his front yard. We hope the boat will be able to be returned to its original location and provide messages to the community again. The condition and if it will be returned to its home is still unknown.

The messages this boat has endured is important to the people and community.  The boat has become a part of Folly Beach life and we are glad that we did not lose it for good!

Guest Columns

folly boat

Folly Boat: What Will It Take To Save One Of Folly Beach’s Greatest Treasures?

Image Credit: Adam Chandler via Charleston City Paper

The scenic drive to Folly Beach has its fair share of sailboats, white osprey, and an occasional dolphin – but there’s something else that turns driver’s heads: “The Folly Boat.”

The abandoned vessel has become a Lowcountry landmark that has brought in hundreds of local artists and thousands of onlookers over the past three decades. It washed up about twenty-eight years ago during Hurricane Hugo, the worst hurricane to ever hit South Carolina back in September of 1989. The boat was never claimed following the aftermath of the storm and now sits on the edge of the highway next to a salt marsh.

Over the years people have painted all sorts of things on the hull of the boat. The best part? There are no rules and anybody can participate. From memorials to wedding announcements to advertisements for local festivals, it has become a source of bringing the community together. Folly Boat has become so popular that it has undergone multiple clean-up jobs after the paint has become so thick that the layers began to fall off the sides of the vessel. The boat is a perfect symbol for the funky, feel good vibes of the Folly Beach community that we all know and love.

folly boat

Image Credit: Fits News

However, our little boat has found itself in danger of being taken away. This year, the Folly Boat has become a primary target of the S.C. Secessionist Party. This group wants to draw attention to the ongoing failure of the S.C. General Assembly to properly display the Confederate flag that was removed from the State House two years ago. They have been conducting a “flagging” campaign across the state, painting the Folly Boat on numerous occasions.

The Folly Boat has become an identity to Folly Beach and has brought in an influx of artists that makes this community so special. It would be a shame to see the boat taken away due to one group’s actions.