The Spirit of South Carolina, the state’s only tall ship, sits in the Charleston Harbor, but not for long.
The ship will set sail on Saturday after several hurdles to get her back in the water.
“This one was finished in 2007,” said Richard Bailey, Spirit’s captain, as he looked over his vessel. “It did good service for a few years, then it ran into financial difficulties. “The bank took the boat and basically had an auction. I imagine they thought they were going to make a huge amount of money, but it ended up that the bids were pretty modest. Two local fellows, to keep her from going out of town, joined together and bid on it. They were Michael Bennett and Tommy Baker, who most Charlestonians probably have heard of.”
After sitting dockside for years, the boat finally got an overhaul at the Newport Shipyard in Rhode Island.
“She’s now a brand new ship,” said Jesse Doucette, the ship’s chief officer.
Although brand new on the outside, her crew is quick to point out her rich history.
“This is a replica of a schooner, a type of vessel that carried pilots out to ship
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