For our Hampton to Southport leg, we left Hampton on March 17 and pointed our bows to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much wind. So we ended up motoring most of the way. We had a tight weather window to get around Cape Hatteras. Our departure from Hampton was timed to correspond with rounding the Cape after a particular frontal system had moved off to the north.
Other than a minor sail drive alarm scare early on (another post about maintenance coming soon) it was mostly uneventful. Unfortunately, it was uneventful in the fishing department too. There was a debate about how close to round the Diamond Shoals at Hatteras but we quickly sorted that out and then proceeded to aim for Cape Lookout and Lookout Shoals. After rounding Lookout, again with nothing exciting to report we headed for Cape Fear and the Frying Pan Shoals. Weather and wave state for this leg of our trip south wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t absolutely horrible either. Mostly uncomfortable in the direction we wanted to go but a few degrees off and we were able to manage.
Once we were in cell tower range we made arrangements to stay at Bald Head Island Marina in Southport. We did this knowing that we were going to have to stay put for a couple of days to wait out another weather system coming through. We crossed over Frying Pan Shoals around dinner time on March 19th and were docked with both engines off around 9 pm.
While Bald Head Island wasn’t the least expensive spot to stay it was definitely a neat little island. Bald Head Island has an interesting history. It is believed to have been a seasonal retreat going back to the Native American Indians. These tribes were here prior to the European and Spanish settlers. The island is home to the no longer used “Old Baldy” lighthouse. Its construction was completed in 1817 to replace the aging original 1794 lighthouse. However, Old Baldy wasn’t tall enough and was downgraded and eventually decommissioned. In 1903 it was replaced by the Cape Fear light (with a lightship stationed on the shoals in the meantime). The Cape Fear light was replaced by the Oak Island light fifty years later in 1958.
For the most part, cars aren’t present on Bald Head Island. Other than law enforcement, fire, and medical, there are a few municipal vehicles and the daily run of various delivery and contractor vehicles. What you will find is a large number of golf carts of all shapes and sizes. The homes are quaint but expensive with a decided mixture of what I call southern-east-coast-island architecture.
If you grew up in the 80’s you likely remember the film ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’. Bald Head Island was the primary shooting location for the film, as well as a major location for the early 90’s film ‘The Butcher’s Wife’.