With six slips that hadn't been rented, this year could have been the first in recent memory that the Harbour Town Yacht Basin wouldn't be filled with yachts for the Verizon Heritage.
But then a few last-minute bookings came in, filling nearly all 100 spaces. It was a bright spot for the PGA Tour event, which has been struggling in this tough economic climate with slower ticket sales and a diminished corporate presence.
"We're pretty busy," said harbormaster Nancy Cappelman on Thursday. "We still had some slips available early in the week, but I think we're just about sold out now."
Each of the slips in Harbour Town is privately owned, and the company that operates the marina rents them out when they're not in use. Reservations are taken beginning in January and February, once the marina gets an idea of who's going to have their boats out of town. Usually, the slips sell out well in advance of the golf tournament.
The slips rent for $10 per boat-foot each day, Cappelman said. The yachts come in from all over the East Coast, with the majority from the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.
"This is not the busiest week for local boaters, but the weekend should be busy as long as the wind dies down," Cappelman said.
Plenty of boats were positioned just off the 18th hole in Calibogue Sound on Thursday afternoon, taking advantage of the nearly perfect weather.
On Thursday, Harbour Town came alive with tents, lots of beer, live music and, of course, gatherings on lavish yachts, beginning the festival atmosphere that will carry through the weekend.
Crowds at the tournament seemed comparable to previous years.
"We're having a blast," said Scott Johnson, a 43-year-old tourist from Atlanta who had stopped to have a drink with friends at the "19th Hole" tent. "The beer is cold and the sun is shining."
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