History Comes Alive on Beaufort's Waterways

Beaufort, with all its water and history, seems a natural place to catch a glimpse of an occasional classic yacht plying local waters. First discovered by European explorers almost 500 years ago, Beaufort and sister-city Port Royal have seen a lot of watercraft come and go over the years. During the Civil War, our little town served as one of the main ports for the Union fleet, helping to strangle the young Confederacy before it could get on its feet. A local couple, Earl and Elizabeth McMillen, are doing their part to bring back a little history to Beaufort's hallowed waterways. The McMillens, who split their time between their home in Beaufort's Old Point neighborhood, and Newport, RI, have done some jaw-dropping restoration work on yachts that at one time seemed destined for the boat graveyard. The Lowcountry Weekly recently did a nice piece on some of the thought processes which go into a classic yacht restoration. To learn even more about what the McMillens do, visit their very well-done website, www.woodenyachts.com.