“Is that a cruise ship on the lake?” Sort of.
For nearly a decade, the Spirit of Lake Murray, an eighty-foot dinner and event yacht, was a staple on the horizon of Lake Murray, and she has once again set sail, with an all-new look and service.
The 1994 Skipperliner, which would become the Spirit, was originally named The Jacksonville Princess, and served in the Jacksonville, FL area for many years before she was purchased by the Colten Family, who brought her to Lake Murray in 2009. She sailed from the Sunshine State to Charleston, then was disassembled and trucked to Shealy’s Landing, reassembled, and floated in Miss Murray. After some upfit and work, she set sail on the Lake in 2010, offering dinner cruises and private events for several years, until 2019, when she was docked in Leesville in need of service required by the United States Coast Guard.
While she wasn’t “in service” as a touring vessel, she was used, for a short time, as a venue for bands and acted as a “beer garden” in Leesville, off of Highway 378, however, Covid, like so many venues, closed her doors…or gangplank, as it were, leaving her fate in question. The Spirit sat in the waters at the Hollow Creek Marina for a few years, until two longtime lake residents, Norman Agnew (Yes, of Agnew Lake Service) and Rick Crout, saw the vision of what she could be. Together, they created Lake Murray Tour Partners, LLC, acquired the eighty-foot Skipperliner, and set about to change history and her future.
“I felt like there was a need and an opportunity,” says Crout, whose background includes operating a successful aviation business for many years, buying, and selling jet airplanes, along with working in Charleston Harbor as a boat captain. “I remember being on a boat for events, and always loved the experience.” Agnew also had a connection to the Spirit, as she was docked just across the cove from his family dock building business in Ballentine…oh, and then there was the boat he operated with his father, The Southern Patriot.
In November of 2022, the Partners came to terms with the Coltons, acquired the Spirit, and sailed her from Leesville to what would become her new home, in the very cove she started her career on Lake Murray in, and then the real work began – breathing new life into the boat that had made so many memories for guests over the years.
The plans included replacing some of the hull, which, over the years, and partly because the first half of her life was in salt water, was in bad shape. They also planned to create a true bar down the starboard (the right for you landlubbers) side of the interior. “There was such a missed opportunity,” Agnew says, “The bar was in the bow (the front) of the boat, which meant that guests were missing some of the best views of the lake, out of the front window.
Other plans included creating a full working galley (kitchen), that could actually prepare food, as in the past, everything was catered into the prep kitchen that was on board. The fully operational galley would also allow for the boat to have a full liquor license, enhancing the onboard experience for guests who wished to partake in an adult beverage. Other additions included reconfiguring the heads (bathrooms), ensuring that at least one could accommodate wheelchairs. On the top deck, the team wanted to redo the Admiral’s Room, an intimate private area, as well as remove a metal roof near the stern (the back) which obscured the night sky.
“We knew she needed some work, but it turned out she needed a lot of work,” notes Crout, pointing out that as they peeled each layer off, they learned of more repairs she needed. As they began the renovation process, they learned that many of the key support beams were unsafe, and replacing a few panels of the hull became a complete rebuild. “Cutting corners wasn’t an option,” Agnew says, pointing out that they took the extra time and expense to not simply make it “good enough,” but “right.”
Over the next twelve months, the Spirit was basically built from the ground up, working step by step with the Coast Guard, which issues a “certificate of inspection” to allow for more than six paying passengers, per federal law. She was gutted inside, and a team of welders spent countless days cutting out the old steel and putting in new steel. The motors were overhauled, and a new generator was installed, and construction on the 25-foot bar was completed.
All the while when the welders were well, welding, plans for the experience side were being developed. Steve Price joined the team as the General Manager, bringing many years of restaurant and hospitality experience. “At the end of the day, it is a restaurant, and the guest’s experience is the number one concern,” he says, with Crout following up with “Right after safety.”
The final float tests and inspections were completed in December, along with the issuance of an A card from DHEC, and the new and improved Spirit of Lake Murray was ready to set sail. And sail she has, already…The “new” Spirit of Lake Murray has already created a splash in the lake, offering an amazing array of public dinner cruises, with tasty creations originating in the onboard galley, along with amazing cocktails with some of the best service around.
The Spirit of Lake Murray offers public dinner cruises, can be booked for private events, and when she isn’t sailing, she is open to the public as the coolest happy hour spot around, sitting on the dock, but open for business, offering food, drinks, and a gentle breeze in the air.
Get ready to set sail, make your reservations at 803-250-5497 or on their website.