POST 493 - DAY 287 / 30: FERRY - OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA

SPIA spent a windy rainy night in the Ferry Terminal parking lot. Long before daylight, we boarded the CARTERET Ferry Boat for the 27 mile crossing of PEMBROKE SOUND to OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA on the Outer Banks. The crossing took us 2.5 hours.

The above pic is looking over the bow (front) of the ferry into the windy sea of 6-foot high waves.

The view looking over the stern (back) of the CARTERET.

The Sun still below the Eastern Horizon...reminds me of the months of crossing the South Pacific and Indian Oceans during my 120-day round-the-world cruise.

The Sun is about 5 degrees above the horizon hiding behind that bank of rain clouds. The Sun rays form a curtain from clouds to sea.

Half way to OCRACOKE, our twin ferry passed us going in the opposite direction.

She is about one mile away.


Our ferry, the CARTERET preparing to return to CEDAR ISLAND.

An Ocean Cruising Sloop (sail boat), with a wind charging system to keep the batteries fully charged. Some yachts use solar panels to accomplish the same result.

Another view of the Sloop. It appears to be about 28 feet long with a manual "tiller" steering system. The room inside this yacht is much LESS than SPIA has.

The OCRACOKE docks looking out over Silver Lake Harbor.


A boat launch ramp in the harbor.

Many pics of Inns, Motels, Homes, and Businesses are included below...without much comment.



It has been very windy for two days. Even the Seagulls are not flying this morning.

Last night, as we experienced wind and rain, OCRACOKE experienced heavy winds, rain and a downpour of POUNDING HAIL. All the streets of town were flooded when we got off the ferry.

Silver Lake Harbor with the OCRACOKE Lighthouse in the distance.

A pair of very tame MALLARD Ducks. They were taking turns drinking from water dripping from that hose.

Even the Pelicans were not flying.





Bicycles, scooters, and golf carts were available for rent.

Yesterday, during my lengthy chat with Treva, she arranged for me to meet her next door neighbors (in Stacy), who also have a home in OCRACOKE. Dan works for BLACKBEARD'S LODGE, owned and operated by Chip. Chip offered me a suite with Jacuzzi for $61.00 off-season rate.

SPIA and I were greeted and given a safe comfy spot to park for the night.

It is now 7:00 pm...very dark...windy...and I am hungry. Ran out of $$ a week ago and been on short rations since...tomorrow Uncle Sam should re-fill my Debit Card. Just too many major repairs to SPIA to allow much for subsistence.

Looking at the front entrance of BLACKBEARD'S LODGE.



Chip's BLACKBEARD'S LODGE has a private swimming pool. This sign is posted at the entrance of the pool.

Keel-Hauled: What is that?

In sailing ship days, punishment was in many forms...whipping strapped to a grating, sitting at mast-top (150 feet high) for 2 - 3 days during storms, etc., and for the real tough customers, Keel-Hauling was a favorite punishment. It goes like this:

The "offender" is securely tied to the center of a long rope. The rope, with offender, is lowered over the bow (front) of the ship - which is sailing in salty seas at about 10 miles per hour -. Seamen on each end of the long rope walk along opposing sides of the ship, our "offender" now bumping along the bottom under water as the line handlers walk to the stern (back) of the ship.

During the underwater transit from bow to stern, our "offender" bumps along the hull KEEL (the center timber holding the ship bottom together - which is always covered with barnacles, seaweed, and a society of various worms -).

Reaching the stern, the line handlers pull our "offender" up out of the water. If he is still alive, he is taken to the ORLOP DECK deep within the darkened ship, where the Surgeon and his Loblolly Boys will strap our offender onto wooden chests ...an oil lamp or two for light. The often half-trained Surgeon will then try to treat the poor soul...not much body left...just soul.

As already mentioned, Keel-Hauling often results in death somewhere between the bow and stern about 20 feet underwater while bouncing and scraping along the ship Keel.

Map of OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA.


OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA Light House.



Please read the above caption...it is very interesting...merely click click to enlarge.








This new home is being lifted to new heights to allow stormy seas - Hurricanes - to pass UNDER it. Sometime it works. Recent storms on the Gulf Coast proved it does not ALWAYS work.



These horses ancestors were found on OCRACOKE island hundreds of years ago. Speculation as to how they got there...a popular one: Spaniards brought such horses to the Americas to subdue the native Indians...many Spanish ships foundered (were wrecked) along the American East Coast...; i.e., horses swam ashore and set up housekeeping.

A popular way to get around the village of OCRACOKE.





Please click click...US Navy History on OCRACOKE Island.

Yes, marshes also extend onto the islands.

SR 12 is a good place for proficient bicyclists. Many passed me as I walked out 8 miles toward the ferry to HATTERAS Island, which we will take tomorrow.

Where telephone pole / wires are near airports, a BALL similar to the above are hung for the airplane pilot to see...wires are not readily visible when flying at 100 + miles per hour.

As I walked North past the Airport, the sound of a Helicopter caused me to turn around.

This is the Boeing "OSPREY" vertical take-off / landing rotating motor nacelle aircraft. During the past week I have seen many of these aircraft flying around the many US Marine Bases along US 17.

Today, one sneaked up behind me and put on a bit of a show, which I was fortunate to capture with my trusty Panasonic - the damaged one.


It dropped behind some trees where I could not see it...then zoomed directly at me at tree top height...150 feet over my head and as I took the above photo, rotated it's engines to forward flight and in a couple short moments, was a mere dot in the sky.

Very impressive.

I met this sign as I returned to OCRACOKE.

I wanted to find information on BLACKBEARD, but it was already late. Returned to SPIA and have been putting this blog update together for the past 4 hours.

In the morning, I will check with Chip. Dan tells me there is lots of BLACKBEARD reference material in Chip's BLACKBEARD'S LODGE.