Damage to Spirit of South Carolina put at well beyond $100,000

This is not exactly how the Spirit of South Carolina was supposed to avoid the Atlantic storm season.

The Charleston-based tall ship went into a Newport, R.I., dry dock Monday for inspections and repairs after lightning struck near the boat July 27 while the ship was sailing just off Block Island.

Coast Guard and insurance inspectors found no signs that lightning actually struck the boat — no charring, no melted wires. While the anti-lightning equipment on the boat prevented a direct strike, it appears the charge hit the water and traveled up the propeller shafts. Just about everything electronic on the ship was fried.

The damage is going to be well past $100,000, maybe twice that.

"It's a very, very rare circumstance," said Brad Van Liew, director of the S.C. Maritime Heritage Foundation. "It's difficult and disappointing, but it could have been worse. Somebody could have been hurt."

The foundation will be looking to donors this year to help defray the cost of the repairs.

The Spirit had sailed to New England for the summer in part to escape tropical storms, which can significantly affect the ship's insurance rates. The irony of getting hit by a storm while allegedly escaping them is not lost on Van Liew.

While in New England, the crew had a number of activities planned — a sail from Maine, a race around Prince Edward Island.

On July 27, the Spirit was hosting guests on a three-day sail from Newport to Martha's Vineyard. Capt. Tony Arrow could see a squall line coming, so he stopped at Block Island to let any passengers who wanted off a chance to catch a ferry back to the mainland. Those who stayed were sent below decks while the crews worked.

"The seas were not that bad, and I've seen higher wind, but it was a pretty intense lightning storm," Arrow recalled Tuesday. "It was loud."

Then a flash, a boom, and the tall ship modeled on a 19th century ship was suddenly sailing under 19th century conditions: no power.

Conrad Zimmerman of Charleston, who was aboard Spirit at the time, said one of the crew said, "Hooray, 19th century technology trumps 21st century technology."

"The crew was confident, competent and comfortable," he said. "They never batted an eye."

Arrow expects most repairs, which will include scheduled maintenance, to be done in the next few weeks.