Interesting Article on Ocracoke, NC (off the AICW, on Pamlico Sound)
What a great report from Captains Greg and Susan concerning one of the North Carolina’s most popular ports of call. Note that this cruising duo note the same shoaling in the Big Foot Slough Channel, on which we reported last week, but they also reflect a later report of dredging here. Follow the link provided below to check out this earlier article.
Even if you don’t plan on visiting Ocracoke this summer, Greg and Susan’s account of the “movie” in Ocracoke, plus the offshore research trip, is well worth a read!
Allegria is spending and extended weekend at the USNPS docks in Ocracoke, NC. This idyllic village on the outer banks is the perfect place to enjoythe summer’s heat with a cooling breeze. The docks were only half full and we got a great spot along with enough power to be comforable with our A/C. Since we are over 62 years old we can use our Golden Passports here to get a 50% discount on the dockage, quite a bargain. The channel entering the Silver Lake anchorage was extremely shoaled with barely 6′ on the green side and seabirds walking around on the red side. Fortunately, there is an USACOE dredge working there right now.
Last night in Ocracoke, there was a feature movie played right behind our boat on a big inflatable screen, of a Disney from 2009 entitled Oceans. It had some of the most spectacular wildlife footage I have ever seen. One scene in Alaska had a pod of grey whales herding bait fish into a ball using air bubbles. Then a dozen full grown grey whale exploded to the surface en-mass from deep down. The slow motion showed their mouths, which sieve out the fish from the water, bloated and distended with their catch as they fell back. Truly do not miss this film, it is unlike anything else I have ever seen. See some clips at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765128/
There is an 85′ NOAA research vessel in residence which is working on a project to locate and photograph wrecks that are offshore from the Battle of the Atlantic, the extended battle between U boats and merchant and US Navy ships that resulted in dozen of sinkings in the early part of WWII. They have a sophisticated free ranging, self propelled side scan sonar device that they release to run track lines along the bottom. When retrieved, the data can be downloaded and reviewed. This is much easier than towing the device behind a ship and running track lines. The National Geographic has a film crew documenting the project so look for a future piece on TV and in print. This is related to the Marine Sanctuary program of NOAA surrounding the Monitor archeological site just offshore.
Greg and Susan Han
USCG 100GT Master, Near Coastal
Key Biscayne, FL
Allegria — Krogen Whaleback #16
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