In recent years, Boeing has invested billions in new plants in South Carolina, including a second assembly line for the 787 Dreamliner.
As recently as last month the company acknowledged it wants to buy more land in North Charleston as a potential site for more facilities.
But now comes a downside of Boeing doing more business in the Palmetto State: A yacht harbor on golf-centric Hilton Head Island is too shallow for Boeing’s corporate yacht.
The Island Packet in Hilton Head reports that Boeing was considering entertaining guests aboard its corporate yacht, the Daedalus, during the RBC Heritage golf tournament at Hilton Head, but the Harbour Town Yacht Basin couldn’t handle the yacht. The silted harbor didn’t have enough depth.
That harbor’s depth is 4.5 to 5 feet. The Daedalus draws 7.25 feet of water.
Boeing and the Royal Bank of Canada are major sponsors of the golf tournament.
Boeing briefly considered anchoring the Daedalus offshore, but that meant shuttling guests to and from the yacht harbor in small boats. The company rejected that idea.
The yacht harbor is a short distance from the Harbour Town Golf Links, the tournament’s home.
According to maritime sources, the Daedalus was built in Seattle in 1999. The 151-foot-long yacht is powered by two, 1,000-horsepower diesels. The yacht has accommodations for 10 plus the crew. The boat has an unrefueled range of 8,000 miles.
Daedalus is certainly a commodious and handsome vessel, but by the standards of Arab princes and Russian billionaires, it is practically a row boat.
Russian businessman Roman Abramovich currently owns the world’s largest megayacht, the 533-foot Eclipse. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum owns the second largest by length, the 531-foot Dubai.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s largest yacht, Octopus, is listed as the world’s 12th-largest at 414 feet. That yacht is equipped with two helicopters, two small submarines and a handful of auxiliary boats.
Allen’s other yacht, the 303-foot Tatoosh, is reportedly being offered for sale for $160 million. That yacht was originally built for Seattle cellphone magnate Craig McCaw.
John Gillie: 253-597-8663
john.gillie@thenewstribune.com
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