Ask just about any chef or professional in the food and beverage industry in Charleston who exemplifies what it means to be a Lowcountry fisherman, and the answer likely will be Mark Marhefka of Abundant Seafood.
Marhefka and his wife, Kerry, opened Abundant Seafood in 2006 and won a James Beard Leadership Award in 2020 for their sustainable fishing practices. Marhefka is known as one of the best fishermen in the country and he is as humble, hardworking and conscientious as they come.
On June 28, the unthinkable happened.
While fishing 50 miles off the coast, his boat – the Amy Marie – was struck by lightning. Marhefka and his crew were uninjured, but the boat lost all electronic and other critical navigation equipment. The team was able to make the grueling 20-hour journey back to land and once there, the Amy Marie was sent to a shipyard for an assessment. The cost for repairs and new equipment as well as the income lost while out of commission is exorbitant.
“Never in my 49 years of harvesting the ocean did I think that I was going to be struck by lightning and it would be as financially devastating as it is,” said Marhefka. “As a career commercial freshman, I’ve always said my biggest fear is a fear of the unknown. And that’s what happened on June 28 when we were struck by lightning 50 miles offshore.”
He said the strike compromised everything electrical on the boat.
“I’m so grateful and proud to be in a community here in Charleston with so many people who have contributed both financially and emotionally to help me get back offshore and get fish back into their hands.”
The storm damaged the bilge pump, all switches, the breaker, batteries, radar, antenna, satellite phone, color plotter and antenna, transducer and more. Other expenses ahead: the cost to dry dock the boat and pay the crew in addition to those associated with getting the boat back on the water.
Helping by raising money
Randi Weinstein, founder of FAB, a conference supporting women in the food industry, and longtime champion of all things Charleston cuisine, quickly jumped into action when she learned what had happened to the Amy Marie.
“When I heard about Mark and his boat, I knew we had to do something,” said Weinstein. “I’m in a text group with a bunch of pretty amazing women and we all knew something had to be done to help him fix up his boat and decided money needed immediately was what led us to create the Go Fund Me (campaign).
“The whole electrical system was fried and luckily Mark is able to rewire all that on his own, which will save money so all the electronics can be purchased and replaced.”
As of July 14, the campaign has raised more than $67,000, or 89% of the $75,000 goal.
Thanks also to help from Mike Lata, chef and owner of FIG and The Ordinary, Marhefka was able to secure the most essential electronic equipment to get back into the water to assess further damage. Other equipment will continue to be replaced over time.
People eat Marhefka’s fish at many of the top restaurants in Charleston. To purchase fish from Marhefka and Abundant Seafood, head to Shem Creek at 102 Haddrell Street (by Tarvin Seafood) or follow @abundantseafood on Instagram for hours and other news. To contribute to the Go Fund Me effort, click here.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
