An illustrated project in development

Stories of Southport

The people, places, and everyday moments that give Southport its character.

American Fish

Waiting for Sunset

Excerpt · Story and artwork by John Calvin Hussey

The first time I sat beside the water at American Fish Company, Betsy and I were searching for a place to retire.

We had visited communities in South Carolina, including Greenville, Charleston, and Hilton Head. Each offered something we thought we wanted, but none brought everything together. We were looking for more than warm weather or a house near the coast. We wanted culture and community, access to the beach, opportunities to fish, and a place where the water remained part of everyday life. Most of all, we were looking for somewhere that felt like us.

A friend invited us to visit Southport and brought us to the Yacht Basin. We walked past weathered buildings and docks, restaurants filled with people, and boats resting in the harbor. The waterfront seemed to hold two versions of the town at once: the working Southport shaped by fishermen and seafood houses, and the welcoming Southport where people gathered to eat, listen to music, and watch the evening arrive.

Then we reached the end of Yacht Basin Drive.