FREE
AUGUST 7, 2020
TALES O OF
DEEPWATER The refloating of the Deepwater stirs a family’s memories and honors an Outer Banks legend.
COASTOBX.COM
2 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
KITTYHAWK.COM
THIS WEEK $20 OFF
HANG GLIDING
BOOK ONLINE USING CODE: COASTFLY20 • EXPIRES 8/14/2020 Must present or mention coupon at time of booking. May not be combined with any other offer or applied to previous booking. Some exceptions apply.
GO HANG GLIDING! 1.877.FLY.THIS • KITTYHAWK.COM
3 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
Discover What’s NEW at the Cotton Gin
A Wide Variety of Unique Styles & Products Apparel • Jewelry • Home Decor, Kitchen • Garden • Toys, Books • Bed, Bath & Beauty
Come Find
Sanctuary
Award-Winning Artisan Wines Cultivated on the Outer Banks
Jewelry made with sand from the Outer Banks
Free Tastings • Free Tours
Available at Cotton Gin locations in Corolla, Duck & Nags Head.
Find
Something for Everyone!
Also Visit Our
POP-UP SHOPIn Jarvisburg 7005 Caratoke Hwy. Inside Sanctuary Vineyards
COTTONGIN.COM
Cotton Gin in TimBuck II, Corolla 789 Sunset Blvd., Corolla, NC • 252-453-4446
Cotton Gin in Duck 1185 Duck Rd., Duck, NC • 252-261-2387
Cotton Gin in Nags Head 5151 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head, NC • 252-449-2387
4 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
6
ON THE TOWN Local musicians are serving up originals and classic covers.
8 BEYOND THE MUSIC Musician Bill Rea has been learning the fiddle during lockdown.
table of contents
12 COASTAL CULTURE Kitty Hawk painter finds inspiration in cosmos, nature.
18
This rum cocktail will transport you to a tropical island — without ever leaving your home.
22 COVER STORY The relaunch of the Deepwater pays homage to a local legend.
30
The Ocracoke Fig Festival goes virtual, stays delicious.
JEFF HAMPTON/STAFF FILE
A record number of people visited Jockey’s Ridge in June.
Jockey’s Ridge draws record crowds by Jeff Hampton Staff writer
A record number of people — more than 310,000 — visited Jockey’s Ridge State Park last month to climb the largest natural sand dune on the East Coast. During Memorial Day weekend alone, 39,000 climbed the dune — another record. Park Superintendent Joy Greenwood said people are looking to escape the indoors after months of quarantine, and that the park gives them room to safely spread out. “It’s been insane,” she said. “They can find their own little space on the dune.” Park statistics show 310,144 came to the park in June, with about 14,000 coming out some days. The last record was set in July 2019, with 301,325. Last year, the park drew a record 1.7 million visitors. It was the most visited state park in North Carolina. Even with the highs this months soaring into the 90s and the sand getting searing hot, the crowds keep coming out, Greenwood said. “July numbers are also looking big,” she said. Rangers take coolers of water and paper cups up the hill periodically and offer people a cool drink. Several have suffered symptoms of heat exhaustion and received aid, she said.
While Jockey’s Ridge is one of the biggest attractions on the Outer Banks, Greenwood said this year’s numbers are still surprising. They come to take hang gliding lessons, slide down the steep slopes on snowboards and fly kites from its peak of about 90 feet. Crowds show up at the end of the day to sit atop the dune, munch snacks and watch sunsets over the Albemarle Sound. Allen and Melissa Laws and their children were descending the hill Wednesday morning after flying a kite in the stiff southern breeze. For the first time, they were able to send the kite up high enough to reach the end of their string. The family from western North Carolina vacations on the Outer Banks every two years. Monday, they climbed the hill to watch the sunset. “It was the most people I’ve ever seen before,” said Melissa Laws. “Everybody needs to see the sunset from Jockey’s Ridge,” added her husband. The park of 426 acres was formed along U.S.158 in 1975, but the shifting dunes have been there for thousands of years. Ships have long used the tall white hill, visible for miles offshore, as a landmark while passing by the Outer Banks. Jeff Hampton, 252-491-5272, jeff.hampton @pilotonline.com
SCENES FROM THE OBX
COROLLA • DUCK • NAGS HEAD • RODANTHE • HATTERAS
$10 OFF $75 RETAIL PURCHASE AT ANY LOCATION
Must present coupon at time of purchase. One coupon per person. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Some exceptions apply. Excludes recreation activities.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTEN COLLINS
Readers share snaps from around the Outer Banks. See page 34.
ABOUT COAST For more than 30 years, COAST has been the go-to source for information about the people, places, and things that make the Outer Banks one of the top destinations on the East Coast. The publication shines a spotlight on locals who are making their mark, and it provides current information about the latest happenings that should not be missed — from music and art, to food, festivals, fishing, and more. COAST. All local. All the time. EDITOR Victoria Bourne, victoria.bourne@ pilotonline.com, 757-222-5563 LOCAL EDITOR Dave Fairbank davefairbank100@ gmail.com
ART DIRECTOR Abby Likens abby.likens@ virginiamedia.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Carrie Brothers, Dave Fairbank, Amy Gaw, Jeff Hampton, John Harper, Sam Harriss, Daryl Law, Catherine Kozak, Maggie Miles, Mary Ellen Riddle, Megan Scott, Scott Sechman, Jessica Taylor ADVERTISE WITH US Find out how you can engage more readers with an integrated marketing program. John "Ski" Miller, media sales manager, ski.miller@virginiamedia.com; Elizabeth Cato, senior account executive, elizabeth.catoe@ virginiamedia.com HOW TO GET YOUR NEWS OR EVENT IN COAST Do you have an event coming
up that’s open to the public, or an idea for a story? If so, we’d like to know. Contact victoria.bourne@ pilotonline.com. THINGS TO KNOW During the summer season (May-August), when Coast is a weekly publication, information must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of an event. During the shoulder season (September-October), when Coast is a monthly publication — with the exception of November-December and January-February, when two months are combined — information must be submitted at least 14 days in advance of an event. WANT TO KNOW MORE? For more information, visit coastobx.com; facebook.com/CoastOBX
KITTYHAWK.COM/LIFEISGOOD
6 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
ON THE TOWN
Singer-guitarists sling their own tunes, covers By John Harper Correspondent
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Troy Breslow and the Company Band Singer-songwriter Troy Breslow, who performs at the Tap Shack in Duck, resides at the corner of Bob Dylan Boulevard and Hank Williams Street. For clarity, he actually lives in Carrollton, Virginia, just outside Smithfield. “I’m a local boy,” says Breslow, who spent a year in Nashville before returning home in 2019. “But I have to write about things outside the 757.” His music, equal parts outlaw country, folk, rock, blues and rhythm and blues, is filled with literate lyrics that suggest Dylan’s keen wit and introspection and Williams’ simple, homespun philosophy. In the rollicking, honkytonk tune “Politics and Roadrage,” for instance, he says, “I sing just to keep from burning bridges.” Breslow, who describes himself as “a 23-year-old, Jewish country singer who makes authentic American music,” also knows a little something about the broken hearts club. “Forget Your Love” is a tear-stained ballad that recalls Williams at his most aching. “There’s a loneliness inside since you left me hanging on/And I threw that broken heart into the ocean/Seems like you forgot me, forgot your love.” Breslow’s voice is rich and twangy, and he often gets in touch with his inner Dwight Yoakam, occasionally yodeling on original tunes about traveling (“Half a Station Wagon Blues”), love (“Farmer’s Daughter”) and regret (“Tennessee”). “A lot of my songs are about being on the road,” says Breslow, who’s a married father of a 15-monthold daughter. He’s released two EPs and is writing songs for a
new album. For the Tap Shack gig, Breslow, who plays guitar, will be joined by a bassist and drummer. He says his set will include originals and remakes of songs by, among others, Sturgill Simpson, Jimmie Rodgers, Tyler Childers and, of course, Dylan and Williams. ■ When: 6:30-9:30 p.m. ■ Where: Tap Shack, 1209 Duck Road (behind Coastal Cravings), Duck ■ Cost: No cover ■ Info: 252-480-0032, beardedfp.com
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Phil Delpierre The singer-guitarist, playing at Saltbox Cafe in Colington, describes himself as “one of the new kids on the block.” Delpierre, 64, who lives in Southern Shores, started performing on the Outer Banks last summer and found himself with a lot of work. “I was playing three or four times a week,” he says. “But with COVID-19 affecting musicians and venues, I’m trying to play at least once a week.” Delpierre, who fingerpicks on a Taylor 314 acoustic guitar, traffics in organic remakes of mostly 1960s and ‘70s singer-songwriters, with a few blues and country artists thrown in. “It’s songs I like,” he says of his repertoire of about 250 tunes, “(and) that I think people can relate to.” A typical set might include: “Come Monday” by Jimmy Buffett, “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor, “Boom, Boom” by John Lee Hooker, “Die a Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett, “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin and “Colder Weather” by the Zac Brown Band. Also on the play list are, among others, Tom Petty, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Paul Simon, Maroon 5, Willie Nelson, Bob Marley and John Prine.
COURTESY OF PHIL DELPIERRE
Phil Delpierre started performing on the Outer Banks last summer and found himself with a lot of work.
“For me, every time I play it’s a joy,” Delpierre says. “And I hope a joy to others.” ■ When: 6-9 p.m. ■ Where: Saltbox Cafe, 1469 Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills ■ Cost: No cover ■ Info: 252-255-5594, thesaltboxcafe.com John Harper has been covering the local entertainment scene for The Coast and Virginian-Pilot since 1994. He’s also written hundreds of stories on subjects ranging from history to sports and food. Harper is longtime radio broadcaster and program director on the Outer Banks and can be heard from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the local Triple A outlet WVOD-99.1-The Sound. He’s the host of the popular Saturday morning flashback feature “10 at 10” and is also an award-winning wedding D.J.
COURTESY OF TROY BRESLOW
Singer-songwriter Troy Breslow's music is equal parts outlaw country, folk, rock, blues and rhythm and blues.
7
S U R F
•
S UP
•
S K I M
•
K A Y A K
$6 OFF
$40 RETAIL PURCHASE AT ANY LOCATION
Beach life is the
Must present coupon at time of purchase. One coupon per person. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Some exceptions apply. Excludes recreation activities.
Whether you are listing a home for sale, looking for an investment property or seeking the perfect Outer Banks beach house to call home, we offer unprecedented service in making your experience the best it can be.
joelambjr.com • joelambrealty.com • 800-552-6257
We dogs Caterin Too! Voted Best Ribs 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2018 Best BBQ and Wings 2019
ily Sized Try Our Fam and Picnics To Go e! uc get a Free Sa
KHSURF.COM • (252) 441-6800
In Season
OPEN 7 Days a Week from 11am til 9pm!
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
OUTER BANKS VACATION RENTALS & REAL ESTATE SALES
8 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
BEYOND THE MUSIC
A Rea of light in dark times Renaissance man pines for closeness, togetherness By Scott Sechman Correspondent
Since I’ve never featured Bill Rea in one of my pre-COVID-19 columns and I’ve never sat down for a lengthy conversation with him, I was destined to tune up the Google machine. When I typed in his name, a load of Bill Reas came up in the results. There’s a banker. Nope, not my guy. There’s an actor. That’s not him, either. Music publisher? Maybe. So, I’m flummoxed. I refocus my search by adding “Outer Banks.” Bingo! I find an article on Bill Rea from a local publication. This is my guy. And listed as his background are actor, banker, composer, publisher, educator, multiinstrumentalist and Renaissance man. Well, Renaissance man wasn’t — I added that because that’s what this cat is. I’ve bumped into Rea several times over the years, but they were in passing. Like a quick hello, a nod of the head or a “sounds great.” My interactions with him were strictly music related. The open mic at Kelly’s where he held court with the late, great keyboardist Buzz Bezzette. On another occasion his band The Crowd had a booth at the Outer Banks Wedding Expo. I was on the other side of the room and heard the strains of the Lovin’ Spoonful’s relatively obscure song, “Wild About My Lovin.’” “How cool is that? Nobody does that song,” I
thought. But Bill Rea and his band do. Nearly 30 years on this beach, the Shenandoah Valley’s loss is our gain. Rea and his musical family are worthy of one of those gray historical signs of notable events or people that you see on the highways. In a “normal” summer season, you can check local music listings and find multiple entries of Rea’s various combos, including The Crowd, The Other Brothers and Gorillas and the Miss, (featuring Rea’s talented daughter, Katelyn). Most recently, the entire Rea clan livestreamed a performance from their living room for the inaugural Dare County Arts Council’s “Courthouse Sessions.” Yet, this season is hardly normal. I reached out to Rea, and he answered some questions regarding these extraordinary times. Although he’s known as a raconteur with a wicked sense of humor, he’s also a serious man. After all, he used to be a banker. What has been the hardest part of dealing with the pandemic? It’s the only thing on TV. What have you been doing during the shutdown? I’ve been learning fiddle tunes on my great-greatgrandfather’s fiddle. Yes. I said great-great-grandfather. My grandfather gave it to me, his grandfather gave it to him … great-greatgrandfather. Have you started or completed any projects? I start a project every day, living life as it comes! I am grateful that I get the chance to start over every morning with the fuzzy side up (head) and the forked side down (feet). What have you missed
the most? Walking into the bank with a mask on and having a teller hit the alarm. What concerns you going ahead? I’m ready to see the citizens of our country enjoy each other’s company again. I’m afraid that people have forgotten the golden rule. It is okay to disagree, it is not okay to hate each other for our differences. Our nation is great because we are a melting pot of cultures, creeds and religions, the best parts of all of us blended together for the greater good. It is my hope that we can be a country that remembers our history, both good and bad, but lives for our future. A land of good neighbors. Is there any music that has helped you get through this? When it comes to music, I like many styles; however, I am particularly fond of vocal harmony. So, anything with a good melody, counterpoint and plenty of harmony helps me get through hard times. That is everything from Mozart to Monroe, from Paganini to Prine. What makes you smile or laugh? My grandson. Who or what keeps you centered? Faith in God. What has encouraged you during the pandemic? The generosity of strangers. What has discouraged you during the pandemic? Politicians and selfish people. What has surprised you the most? The taste of fresh cold peaches when the temperature is in the upper 90s. The sound of the ocean in my backyard in Manteo when it’s blowing northeast 35 to 40 mph, and the love that I
COURTESY OF BILL REA
In a “normal” summer season, you can find multiple listings of Bill Rea’s work, including The Crowd, The Other Brothers and Gorillas and the Miss.
have shared with the same woman for 33 years. How will you keep yourself safe when work resumes? I will wear my seat belt, refrain from driving while texting and when the situation warrants it, I will wear steel-toed boots, leather gloves and a nice hard hat. I believe that I am responsible for my own safety. Are there any new insights you’ve gained or new activities that you’ve en-
More Information Transplanted to the Outer Banks from the wilds of the L.A. area, singer-songwriter Scott Sechman has shared stages with Bill Medley, Tom Rush, Al Wilson and the Grass Roots during his ongoing music career. He has contributed to Mojo and various online outlets. His column, Beyond the Music, appears Fridays in Coast.
gaged in that you’d like to maintain going forward? I have discovered that naps in the afternoon may just be manna from heaven!
I fully anticipate the continuation of this habit as I believe it does me a world of good. As a matter fact, everyone should try it.
OBX Jeep Jam 2020, originally scheduled for late September, was cancelled as a result of the county and state restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
OBX Jeep Jam set to rev its engines again in 2021 Staff reports
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of countless events around the world and the Outer Banks is no different. In early July, Bearded Face Productions, a promotion and production company serving the Outer Banks, announced that this year’s OBX Jeep Jam, originally scheduled for late September, had been cancelled as a result of the county and state restrictions put in place
to slow the spread of the virus. All tickets purchased online will be refunded automatically, the news release said, and all OBX Jeep Jam vendor fees will be refunded at the point of purchase. Besides an opportunity to get all kinds of Jeeps and aficionados together in one spot, the event was to be held to help raise funds for a local nonprofit called OBX GoFar, according to the OBX Jeep Jam website. “GoFar is a comprehen-
sive fitness program designed to teach children of all abilities about healthy eating habits, goal setting, and how to train for a 5K,” the website said. Plans are already in the works for the jam’s return next year, according to the release. Look for OBX Jeep Jam on Facebook or go to OBXJeepJam.com for more information. For any questions about ticket or vendor refunds, email Mike Dianna at beardedfaceproductions@gmail.com.
All tickets purchased online will be refunded automatically, the news release said, and all OBX Jeep Jam vendor fees will be refunded at the point of purchase.
Old World Glass Byers’ Choice Carolers Possible Dream Santas Ginger Cottages
Christopher Radko Snowbabies Jim Shore Fontanini
Karen Didion Originals Hollywood Nutcrackers Disney Ornaments LED Lights
• Remember your visit to the Outer Banks with a personalized ornament • Browse among our Thousands of Ornaments Table Top - Home Decor • Jewelry - Engraved Gifts Halloween Haunted House On the way to the NC Aquarium, Festival Park & Lost Colony. Hwy 64 in Manteo on Roanoke Island
252.473.2838 • OuterBanksChristmas.com OPEN DAILY AT 9:30 A.M.
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
COURTESY OF MICHAEL VALLEJO/OBX JEEP JAM
9
OUTER BANKS ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SHOP...SINCE 1967
Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
10
LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR | AUG. 7-13
Locally Sourced Seafood Steamer Dinners Salads, Sides, and Dips Steamed Shrimp & Crabs
COURTESY JONNY WATERS AND CO.
Catch Jonny Waters and Co. on Aug. 11 at Jack Brown’s in Kill Devil Hills.
MANTEO
(252) 441-8808 | 101 Grey Eagle St. | Nags Head whaleboneseafood.com
Avenue Grille: Aug. 7 – Toolan and Evans OBX Marina Tiki Bar (Wanchese): Aug. 7 – Roaming River Hippies Poor Richard’s: Aug. 7 – Natalie Wolfe
Wine Dinners at The Froggy Dog! Experience a culinary adventure at The Froggy Dog. Our five-course wine dinners combine the talent of our in house sommelier and private chef.
NAGS HEAD New York Pizza Pub: Aug. 13 – Mug night w/ DJ Styles Tale of the Whale: Aug. 7 – Jessica Diaz; Aug. 12-13 – Joey Wood
KILL DEVIL HILLS Jack Brown’s: Aug. 7 – DJ Mattie D; Aug. 8 – Jeremy Russell; Aug. 9 – Formula; Aug. 10 – Stephen Brown Band; Aug. 11 – Jonny Waters; Aug. 12 – The Ramble; Aug. 13 – The Conch Shells Rooster’s: Aug. 12 – Phil Watson Saltbox Café: Aug. 8, Aug. 10, Aug. 13 – Kim Kalman; Aug. 12 – Phil Delpierre Sandbars: Aug. 11 – Phil Watson Stonefish Beach Bar (Avalon Pier): Aug. 7 – TBA; Aug. 8 – TBA
KITTY HAWK
be held on Wine Dinners willth th !
rd , and 17 August 3 , 10ing is limited and
Seat Reservation only. ot! to reserve your sp us ll Ca will sell out.
Avon, NC | 252-995-5550
Longboards: Aug. 7 – TBA Ocean Boulevard: Aug. 7 – Steve Hauser Rundown Café: Aug. 7 – SOULone; Aug. 8 – Formula; Aug. 9 – Joe Mapp; Aug. 13 – Kamea Blake
DUCK
COURTESY PHIL WATSON
Local musician Phil Watson plays Sandbars on Aug. 11. Aqua: Aug. 7 – Monte Hooker; Aug. 8 – Devin Frazier; Aug. 9-10 – Randy Burton; Aug. 11 – Monte Hooker; Aug. 12 – Graham Outten; Aug. 13 – Bobby Soto
Roadside Bar and Grill: Aug. 7 – Yacht Dogs; Aug. 8 – Burton Murray Band; Aug. 12 – Stephen Brown Band; Aug. 13 – Blue Dog (Ruth Wyand and Dan Martier)
Cravings Tap Shack: Aug. 7 – Brother Jerry; Aug. 8-9 – Keller Williams (SOLD OUT); Aug. 12 – Troy Breslow and the Company Band; Aug. 13 - SOULone
Village Table and Tavern: Aug. 7 – Phil Watson; Aug. 11 – Marc Murray; Aug. 12 – Natalie Wolfe; Aug. 13 – Laura Martier
NC Coast: Aug. 7 – The Wilder Bros.; Aug. 10 – Bryan Campbell; Aug. 11 – Greg Shelton; Aug. 12 – The Wilder Bros.; Aug. 13 – Steve Hauser
COROLLA
Red Sky Café: Aug. 7 – Greg Shelton; Aug. 11 – Jeremy Russell; Aug. 12 – Live jazz TBA
Beer Garden: Aug. 7 – Randy Burton; Aug. 13 – Derek Smith Bernie’s Brother: Aug. 7 – TBA; Aug. 10 – TBA; Aug. 12 – Bryan Campbell See Page 11
breakfa s special t 7 days a week
Wednesday - Saturday 6 pm - 10 pm! Family Friendly!
August
2020 Events and Specials!
RESTAURANT & BAR
KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC
Pub Menu Specials Daily 4:00 - 6:30 (Dine In Bar Only)! 25¢ Shrimp • 99¢ Ribs • 79¢ Wings Sunday
Monday
$2 Discounts MUG
1/2 PRICE BLOODY MARY’S AND MIMOSAS
Look for Breakfast
Great Drink
Free Dinner Coupons
Specials All Day!
Tuesday
and
in the Visitors Guide and Restaurant Guide
AND
$2 Wine
Wednesday
ED
T WAN
Locals Sign up for Birthday Club
Thursday
Visit our Gift Shop! We also sell
Friday
Lobster Mania!
APPETIZER
10oz
Prime Rib
Restrictions: $8.95 ★ The Restaurant and Bar are open from LOBSTER 7 am - 10 pm daily. MAC & CHEESE
$14.95 Shrimp & Grits
served with baked potato and cole slaw
$15.95
All late nite entertainment is canceled until we are allowed to fully open.
Lobster tail or claw
Macaroni and lobster smothered in a 3 cheese pancetta sauce topped w/sliced tomatoes and seasoned bread crumbs served with 2 lobster claws
homemade italian, chocolate Complimentary w/seafood chip, and Dinner the month of your peanut butter $18.95 Birthday cookies! Best on the Beach! Also, a free Dessert!
Saturday
$19.95 TWO 1LB LOBSTERS $29.95
441-6530 • www.jollyrogerobx.com • MP 6 3/4 Beach Road, KDH
★ Please remember when you are sitting at the bar, food must be ordered. ★ For the time being, we are a restaurant and not a bar. ★ You are required to wear face masks upon entering and while waiting to be seated. You are not required to wear them while you are seated at a table. ★ Absolutely no vaping is allowed in the restaurant. ★ We apologize for any inconvenience and hope we will be back to normal operations soon.
Dinner Specials Start at 4 pm
Locals! - Nightly 20% OFF Dinner w/ Local ID
Locals! - Mon-Fri 20% OFF Lunch w/ Local ID
Continued from 10
HATTERAS ISLAND AVON Froggy Dog: Aug. 7, Aug. 9, Aug. 13 – Kim Kalman Turner’s High Moon: Aug. 7 –TBA; Aug. 8 – Brian Surratt; Aug. 9 – TBA; Aug. 12 – Open mic w/ Rory Kelleher; Aug. 13 – Ladies night w/ DJ Rory BUXTON Café Pamlico: Aug. 10 – Rory Kelleher; Aug. 11 – Brian Surratt; Aug. 12 – TBA; Aug. 13 – Stephen Vang RODANTHE/WAVES/SALVO Neptune’s Kitchen and Dive Bar: Aug. 11 – Marshy Bramble; Aug. 13 – Broughton Aycock Rodanthe Pier: Aug. 11 – Rory Kelleher; Aug. 13 – Jamie and Mark HATTERAS VILLAGE
Jazz guitarists Joe Mapp plays Aug. 9 at Rundown Café in Kitty Hawk. Quarterdeck (Frisco): Aug. 9 – Mary Joy McDaniel; Aug. 13 – TBA
Breakwater: Aug. 9 – Jam session w/ Rory Kelleher; Aug. 12 – Brian Surratt
The Wreck Tiki Bar: Aug. 12 – TBA
Hatteras Sol Deli and Café: Aug. 7 – Brian Surratt
Coyote Music Den: Aug. 11 – Livestream in-house concert w/
OCRACOKE
Marcy Brenner, Lou Castro, available on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn; Aug. 12 – Livestream in-house concert w/ Marcy Brenner, Lou Castro and Martin Garrish on Ocracoke Rockers Facebook page.
COURTESY JOE MAPP
MAINLAND BJ’s Carolina Café (Jarvisburg): Aug. 12 – TBA Sanctuary Vineyards (Jarvisburg): Aug. 8 – TBA; Aug. 13 – TBA
COURTESY GREG SHELTON
Catch Outer Banks musician Greg Shelton on Aug. 7 at the Red Sky Café in Duck.
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
Outside Dining and Karaoke!
Look what Jolly’s doing this season!
11
$3.99
12 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
COASTAL CULTURE
Painter of land, sea, sky and beyond For Kitty Hawk artist, the world is his subject
By Mary Ellen Riddle Correspondent
Joseph Johnson doodled as a child. His interests in cartoons and science fiction yielded images of robots, monsters and spaceships. He pored through art history books. Growing up in Clifton, Virginia, surrounded by farmlands and woods, instilled a love of nature. He enjoyed taking walks. The skies, with little light pollution, called to him. By the age of 10 he had his first telescope. Johnson, 65, grew into a painter of land, sea and sky. “Being out in the country inspired me to want to paint the rural scenery,” he said in a recent email. “I like to depict a scene and let people imagine themselves being there.” His paintings include a galaxy, a Hawaiian waterfall, a rushing stream in Minnesota, and a luminous Outer Banks sea and sky scape. Joining impressionism with realism, Johnson leans towards representational work, but he concentrates on the essence of his subject. “I don’t like to do too much detail, every leaf or every little ripple,” he said. To Johnson, it is more important to supply a suggestion and a feeling of the environment. This approach offers viewers an open door into his scenes where everything is not spelled out for them and where they can, as a result, have a personal experience. Along with flowing water, colorful skies, and verdant greenery, Johnson notices the changes that nature undergoes. “I appreciate various seasons,” he said. He just finished an autumn scene and showed a
COURTESY OF JOSEPH JOHNSON
“Autumn Road,” an oil painting by Joseph Johnson.
series illustrating three seasons in the International Miniature Art Show at Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head. In more than four decades, he has come a long way as a painter. Johnson started painting seriously in his early 20s. “I saw other artists’ work that was far better than mine,” he said. “I discovered I had a lot of room for improvement. I started out painting on my own, but eventually began taking adult education art classes.” For over 20 years beginning in his early 30s, Johnson learned under John Young in Fairfax County, Virginia, who taught him
various techniques, including color mixing and composition. He profited from the critiques that Young held. “I learned a great deal from him,” Johnson said. “I have taken classes with different instructors over the years and always learned something new.” In 2014, Johnson and his wife, Tara, and dogs Brandy and Auggie moved to the Outer Banks. Within two years, the Kitty Hawk artist started studying under local painter Brad Price. He particularly appreciated the way Price laid in his composition and his use of undertones in the process. Johnson, who pri-
marily painted with acrylic paints, began painting with oils in Price’s class. “They each have their advantages,” he said of the two mediums. Acrylics are water-based and dry quickly yet can appear flat. Oils take a long time to dry, but, Johnson says, the colors are generally more vivid. To improve the acrylic colors, he adds an acrylic gel medium to the paint. And, these days, the mediums mixed with oils have improved and cause less physical reaction than turpentine. So how does this painter of land, sea and sky begin creating? “Most of my art is drawn
Joseph Johnson, Kitty Hawk artist What: Nature paintings in acrylics and oils Where: Silver Bonsai Gallery, 905 U.S. 64, Manteo, 252-475-1413, admin@silverbonsai.com. (Hours are 11 a.m.– 5 p.m., Monday–Friday.) To view more art and schedule commissions, contact Joseph Johnson at 252-715-1338, jwickliffejmsn.com.
from photos my wife and I have taken, but I am also inspired by work from other artists and photographers,” Johnson said. “I will use a particular photo or painting for reference and do my own interpretation. I’ve done a few paintings that I made up as I
went along, but usually I have a particular source.” After he’s chosen his subject, Johnson does a rough sketch. Then comes the painting process. “I will start by roughly painting the composition See ART/Page 13
Continued from 12 in an undertone usually in gray or purple, then start building up layers,” he said. “Any details are done last.” Johnson paints with just a few colors. “One of my instructors used to stress ‘limited palette,’” he said. “I mostly use different variations of blue, gray, green or red. I work to keep my palette realistic and try to mix natural looking tones.” While his subject matter is mostly landscapes and seascapes, he has included birds in some of his works and painted a few dog portraits. He hasn’t placed too many people into his paintings, though he did paint a self-portrait currently on display at Glenn Eure’s Ghost Fleet Gallery in Nags Head, which shows him holding the moon. As a retiree from computer programming and software development, Johnson has plenty of time to paint these days. Years of studying has helped him
COURTESY OF TARA L. HAGENBROCK
Joining impressionism with realism, painter Joseph Johnson leans towards representational work, but he concentrates on the essence of his subject.
hone his craft. “Many of my early painting attempts were very primitive and were mostly done in primary colors,” Johnson said. “Everything was the same tone and intensity, whether it was in
COURTESY OF JOSEPH JOHNSON
“Spiral Galaxy,” an acrylic painting by Joseph Johnson.
the foreground or in the distance.” Over the years he learned a lot more about composi-
• Bathhouse with Shower • Full Hookup • Cable TV • Water Views • Playground
tion, color mixing and perspective to give his work a more natural appearance. But, as every painter knows,
each painting is a new puzzle to solve. “Deciding when a painting is finished is one of the
Mary Ellen Riddle has been writing the Coast’s art column for more than 20 years and brings to her work a BFA in painting from East Carolina University and a profound passion for the role the arts play in society.
• Local Seafood fresh off the boat • Shellfish, Fresh Fish and Daily Catch • Groceries • Crabbing Supplies • Great Selection of Beer and Wine
126 Marshy Ridge Rd, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
1341 Colington Rd, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
252.564.4741
252.441.5978
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
hardest things,” Johnson said. “I need to sometimes put a painting aside for a while and come back to it with a fresh look. My rule of thumb is to stop when doing anything more would be overdoing it.” Is there more for this life-long student of art to learn? Yes, says Johnson. “I am continually working to improve my craft,” he said. “Seeing other artists’ styles, techniques and methodologies has also given me new ideas to incorporate into my own work.” In the end, his art comes full cycle. “I want my art to capture a place and moment in time that particularly struck me,” Johnson said. “I would want the people seeing my art to think that it is somewhere they would like to be.”
13
ART
14 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
EATING IN
Delicious crowd-pleaser from Eventide in Duck
By Megan Scott
Correspondent
Nothing can please a hungry crowd like chips and dip. After hours in the sun and waves, there is probably no lack of mouths to feed and palates to please, so we’re upping the ante with a dip that’s actually a cheesy spread, full of rich, creamy flavor that’s perfect served up with crispy crudités and salty pretzels. Even better, this spread can double as a mouthwatering layer in a quick and easy sandwich. This is the Blue Cheese Spread from Eventide restaurant in Duck, and it’s the “blue” in Eventide’s signature Blue LT sandwich. Owner Leigh Raskin said it’s not only a customer favorite, but her staff can’t get enough of it, either. Eventide sits on the picturesque soundfront of the Loblolly Pines shopping plaza in Duck. Consider abandoning any no-screen rules you may have enacted upon crossing the bridge because if you visit Eventide (particularly around sunset, but any time of day, really) your Instagram feed will thank you. The views are almost as gorgeous as the food. The seasonal, clean and uncluttered fare coming out of Eventide’s kitchen is all taken from Raskin family recipes. Leigh, her mother, Kerry, and her brother, Jamie, are the brains and the brawn behind this charming eatery. The Raskins are no strangers to the area. Leigh
Eventide in Duck What: Homespun recipes, plates to share, sandwiches, wine, beer and sunsets When: noon-9 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday Contact: www.eventide duck.com
MEGAN SCOTT/FREELANCE
Eventide’s Blue Cheese Spread makes a quick and easy snack.
Eventide’s Blue Cheese Spread Serves: 6-8 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles 4 ounces cream cheese 1 tablespoon fresh parsley 1 tablespoon green onion ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Blend all ingredients in a food processor or a blender. Serve on its own as a dip with pretzels and crudité or as a spread on Eventide’s Blue LT sandwich. PHOTO COURTESY OF EVENTIDE
Leigh Raskin, co-owner of Eventide in Duck.
and Kerry spent 10 years in the same space serving up pizza under the moniker Wave Pizza. Business was so good, too good, that they were just about forced out of their modest Duck location due to overwhelming demand. But rather than give up the waterfront and the cheers-worthy views it provides, the Raskins decided to change course. Wave Pizza closed in late 2019 and Eventide opened in its wake, specializing in cheese boards, sandwiches, and wine and beer. Jamie Raskin stepped in as certified sommelier, and former Wave Pizza employee April Forbes slipped right into place at Eventide, assisting with any and everything as she pursues her cicerone certification — a sommelier for beer. The Raskin family has been in the restaurant business for decades, and they’re thrilled to share
their homespun recipes. Their food is accessible, somewhat southern, very homemade (the jams that accompany cheese plates are from time-honored Raskin recipes), and perfect for the beach. Throughout the COVID pandemic, Eventide’s to-go business has been a hit. Their plan from the beginning featured the grab-and-go functionality of sandwiches and cheese plates, and they’re happy to have been able to satisfy the appetites of hungry beachgoers from a safe distance, in addition to following Center for Disease Control guidelines for in-house dining. This blue cheese spread is the kind of snack you’ll make and eat half of before it leaves the kitchen. The tangy blue cheese mixed with rich cream cheese is perfectly offset by a zip of green onion and fresh parsley. With pretzels, it’s all
Eventide’s Blue LT Serves: as many as needed
you need to quell your 3 p.m. craving. But on a sandwich, layered with crisp Romain lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and salty prosciutto, it’s the summertime lunch of your dreams. Tomatoes are one of North Carolina’s best kept secrets. A native heirloom variety like Cherokee purple, sliced thick, can be the perfect sweet, complimentary companion to the pleasing savoriness of the Blue Cheese Spread and prosciutto. Speaking from experience, if the creamy blue cheese spread mingles with the juices of the tomato and begins to run down your arm, don’t waste it on a napkin. Scrape it off and enjoy. Megan Scott is co-owner of The Spice & Tea Exchange in Duck. You can check out her food blog at www.servingtonight.com.
2 slices sourdough bread 2-3 tablespoons Blue Cheese Spread (spread thinly on both slices of bread) 2 slices prosciutto ⁄2 of a tomato, sliced thick
1
1 big or 2 small leaves of Romain, roughly chopped 3-4 tablespoons of buttermilk dressing (high-quality, store-bought Ranch dressing is an adequate substitute) Assemble sandwiches, between two slices of sourdough, in the order the ingredients are listed, to taste.
MEGAN SCOTT/FREELANCE
The at-home version of Eventide’s Blue LT.
15
HEADBOAT FISHING, CRUISES & EXCURSIONS
INGG 1/2 DAY FISHIN ES SUNSET CRUIS RSIONS CU RPLE MARTIN EX
252-473-5577 | ObxHeadboat.com • 1/2 DAY INLET & SOUND FISHING
PU
• ROANOKE ISLAND SUNSET CRUISES • WANCHESE HARBOR DINNER TOURS • PRIVATE CRUISES & HALF-DAY FISHING TRIPS Call for rates and schedules. April through October
83 Years In Business
Serving up plenty of tasty dishes morning, noon and night, including omelets, hamburgers, club sandwiches and prime rib and seafood dinners!
• PURPLE MARTIN EXCURSIONS Call for rates and schedules. DEPARTS FROM PIRATE’S COVE MARINA 2000 Sailfish Dr. on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway
252-473-5577 CrystalDawnHeadboat.com
Come Visit Our Sister Restaurant
DUNE BURGER
FISHING CHARTERS
(252) 441-2441
BEST BURGER YOU WILL EVER* EAT. Both Restaurants are Located in Nags Head, NC - Beach Road at the 16.5 milepost near Whalebone Junction
252-441-7366 ✦ www.samandomies.net Dune Burger ✦ 252-441-2441
Stylin’ Summer!
• WHALE WATCHING & GULF STREAM ADVENTURE TOURS
$3 OFF
Call for rates and schedule.
• OCEAN BOTTOM FISHING
TICKETS SOLD IN ADVANCE. 7:00am - 4:30pm
CRYSTAL DAWN
• GULF STREAM CHARTERS
• 1/2 Day Fishing Trip • Sunset Cruises
Call for rates & schedules. 5:00am - 4:30pm
ALL CHARTERS DEPART FROM PIRATE’S COVE 2000 Sailfish Dr. on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway 252-473-5577 | CountryGirlCharters.com
20177+ 20188+2019
$5 OFF
CRYSTAL DAWN
1/2 Day Fishing Excursions Per Ticket Groups of 10 or More
Good for entire party. Mention this coupon upon booking or at time of purchase to receive offer.
Good for entire party. Mention this coupon upon booking or at time of purchase to receive offer.
USE CODE SAVE3
USE CODE SAVE5
THE COAST
THE COAST
Seasonal Nightly Entertainment!
Serving Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner! Happy Hour Steamed Shrimp from 4 pm – 6 pm 901 S Oregon Inlet Rd, MP 18 ½, Nags Head, NC 27959
252-255-1976 • fishheadsobx.com
Enjoy fishing on our 600-foot pier, then relax at fish heads!
Be your own...
Captain
ALEX AND ANI • BRIGHTON • XCVI • HOBO FREE PEOPLE • CORKCICLE • Z SUPPLY UNO DE 50 • GIFTS & HOME DECOR HOURS: MON-SAT 10-6 • CLOSED SUN
Milepost 11, Naags Head • 441-4042 • thefrenchdoorobx.com
7665 76 65 S S.. Va Va.. Da Dare re Trail, Tra rail il, Na il, Nags Head
252-441-5028 2 52 2 441 5 50 028
www.fishingunlimited.net
WE HAVE BOATS TO FIT ALL OF YOUR NEEDS!
Fishing, Crabbing, Dolphin Watching or just Cruising the Roanoke Sound
1/2 or full day charters!
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
20177+ 20188+2019
16 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
INNER BANKS
PHOTOS BY KATIE SLATER/COURTESY LINDSEY HERRING
Bri Vuyovich and her team with Outer Surf want to go beyond surfing by teaching young women and girls how to love themselves, how to embrace their strengths and talents, and how to encourage and support each other, on and off the water.
Surf, sun and some self-empowerment By Maggie Miles Correspondent
The general idea of surf camp that most people might have is show up, get in the water, learn how to surf, go home. Well, not for Bri Vuyovich and her team. For them, surf camp is about girls empowering girls. Vuyovich wants to go beyond surfing by teaching young women how to love themselves, how to embrace their strengths and talents, and how to encourage and support each other, on and off the water. According to Vuyovich, Outer Surf is a lifestyle camp, so it was important to add aspects of wellness, yoga and journaling to get the girls
thinking about their mental as well as physical health. A big part of that is helping the girls discover and be confident in their talents. “So, we do a lot of asking the girls what they’re good at, which is really fun. Because young girls in middle school and high school kind of get embarrassed and they try to hide what they’re good at, but when they bring in things to show what they’re passionate about, whether it’s a volleyball or a trophy or a ukulele, then they all encourage each other with that,” says Vuyovich. And according to her, they ’re asking these questions at crucial age. For some girls, it’s the
difference between hiding in their room or bringing that talent out into the world. “They can actually see what they love and what they’re good at and then build it up and then recognize it and say, ‘Okay, I’ll share this gift.’” Participants do lots of art, tie-die and screen printing; they even get to try their hand at photography. They practice yoga because that helps with balance and establishes a sense of calm. Health coach Lindsey Herring of Rooted Routine was brought in to teach the girls journaling, nutrition and mental health. Herring’s slogan in her See SURF/Page 17
Brooklyn Younts, left, Larken Watson and Piper Dunavant at Outer Surf surf camp.
practice is: “Change your habits, change your life.” Now, she is bringing that to the girls of Outer Surf, teaching them how to implement healthy habits for their performance on and off the water. She’s helping them make the connection that selfcare isn’t just facials and bubble baths. It’s brushing your teeth, taking a shower, eating healthy, and making sure you’re hydrated. Surfing helps the girls zero in on their habits, how it affects how they feel, and how that effects their performance. Herring does workshops on sugar addiction, the effects of caffeine, how to build a healthy plate with proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and many other topics. He r f avo r i t e p a r t though, is going deeper into the mental health
“...Young girls in middle school and high school kind of get embarrassed and they try to hide what they’re good at, but when they bring in things to show what they’re passionate about, whether it’s a volleyball or a trophy or a ukulele, then they all encourage each other with that.”
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
Continued from 16
17
SURF
— Bri Vuyovich aspect, and that self-love isn’t about physical attributes, but things like kindness and generosity. In the journaling workshops, Herring teaches girls the importance of having a positive attitude. She tells them, if you have 10 things going on in your life, and you have nine good things, you tend to focus on that one bad thing and not on the nine other things that are going well. She relates it to surfing,
“If you are thinking ‘I can’t stand up’ and you keep saying ‘I can’t stand up,’ guess what, you’re not going to stand up,” she says. “And I always tell this to the girls in the water, I’m like, ‘Your feet are glue, your feet are glue — repeat that, that’s all you have to do right now, I’m going to push you, you’re going to pop up, you’re feet are glue,’ and I swear every time they stand up and they don’t fall. It’s amazing.”
KATIE SLATER/COURTESY LINDSEY HERRING
Briana Susano Santiago gets in some board time during Outer Surf.
We’re committed to the health and safety of our customers and associates.
20 OFF
$ 252.441.6115 nagsheadhammocks.com KILL DEVIL HILLS
DUCK
COROLLA
Purchases of $250+ Use Code NAGS20
*Offer expires 8/31/20. Coupon cannot be combined with any other offer CST20
18 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
THE SANDBAR
Cool down with this rum cocktail
By Sam Harriss Correspondent
The dog days of summer — sticky humidity, the scent of coconut sunscreen slathered across scorched beach goers, and the lingering air of charcoal grills. Those days where there’s no reprieve from the heat and no afternoon thunderstorm to cool things off make summer tick by in the best of ways. It’s almost like fall isn’t lurking in the shadows and the gale winds would never think of toying with lake Atlantic. Many of us here are still on the work grind to make paradise exist for the out-of-towners, but we nevertheless know how to use a day off wisely. Waking up dutifully to pack a cooler, beach chairs, umbrella, 20 types of lotion, cornhole boards, blow-up swimming pool, radio, spike ball, paddleboard and surfboards, a gas powered blender, 30-foot giraffe inner tube, maybe a
couple of kiddos and a good read. And then … we bask. We finally have all the reasons in one 20-by-20foot sandlot to start drinking before 5 p.m. Heck, before noon. So, if we’re gonna go through the rituals of a day off, we are surely going to make a cocktail befitting the occasion. This recipe is our homage to the Outer Banks’ first distillery and the rum its owners so amazingly sweat and cry into bottles each day. It’s hydrating and floral, with that hint of lime every beach drink needs. Plus, it’s super simple, because haven’t we done enough already just packing for a day off? Sam Harriss is the owner/founder of Camp Cocktail, a mobile bartending business on the Outer Banks. When she’s not slinging drinks from the window of her remodeled 1969 Shasta camper trailer, you might find her nose-deep in a good book, a sleeping dog by her side.
Rum cocktail 1 1⁄2 ounces Outer Banks Distilling Kill Devil Hills Rum 1 ½ ounces coconut water ½ ounce fresh lime juice ½ ounce lavender syrup (recipe follows) Add all to shaker tin with ice, shake, dump in glass and garnish with lime wheel. For lavender syrup: 1 tablespoon culinary lavender 1 cup water 1 cup cane sugar Add all to saucepan, heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Let steep and cool down for 30 minutes. Keeps for a week-plus in a refrigerator. SAM HARRISS/FREELANCE
This rum cocktail will become your instant summer classic.
19
A trip to the Outer Banks’ beautiful beaches is an enjoyable and memorable experience for many visitors and families. Whether you’re going swimming, sailing or surfing, taking strolls in the sand or laying out to catch some sun, or participating in any of the many other activities at our coastal attractions, we want your time at the beach to be as safe as it is fun. Here are some tips and resources to help you stay safe:
Exposure to the sun
Enjoying the sunshine means also being aware of the dangers of prolonged exposure to the sun. Proper and regular application of sunscreen to exposed skin will help protect your skin from sunburn and sun damage. Remember to reapply sunscreen every time you get out of the water.
Rip currents Rip currents are channeled currents of water that flow away from shore, and can quickly pull even the strongest swimmers out to sea. Since the current flows under water, it’s important to know the signs of a rip current and avoid the water in that area. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), indicators of rip currents include: ■ A channel of churning, choppy water. ■ Notable differences in water color. ■ Lines of foam, seaweed or debris moving steadily seaward. ■ A break in the incoming wave pattern. Check the National Weather Service Surf Zone Forecasts for the latest rip current, high and low tide and surf height information. You’ll want to check the Outer Banks regional forecast.
Flags on public beaches also indicate rip current alerts: green for low hazard and calm conditions, yellow for medium hazard with moderate surf conditions, and red for high hazard with rough conditions indicating rip currents. Be sure to look for flags on lifeguard stations and read the sign keys when arriving at the beach. If you see warning signs of rip currents or moderate or high hazard flags, stay out of the water and alert others to do the same. If caught in a rip current, you should stay calm to conserve energy and allow yourself to think clearly. Don’t try to fight the current. Instead, swim out in a direction following the shoreline and swim toward shore once you’re out of the current.
Beach warning flags
Watch for flags posted at many beach access sites
signifying water conditions.
Lifeguarded beaches
The Outer Banks welcomes several million guests annually and many of these people enjoy our shores and waters. For travelers who prefer swimming on beaches with lifeguard stations, here’s a list of lifeguard stations. Please note: lifeguard locations are subject to change at any time. Roving lifeguards also patrol the beaches on ATVs.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish and Portuguese man o’ war stings are best avoided by staying aware of beach surroundings. In the case of a sting, it should be treated quickly. Jellyfish have clear, jellylike bodies, with tentacles with stinging structures hanging below, and swim under water. The Portuguese man o’ war has a colorful air-filled bladder
that keeps it afloat on the surface of the water, with tentacles stretching underneath. If you spot either, stay calm, get out of the water and alert others. Both inject venom when they sting, and can sting even after they’re dead, so avoid touching those washed up on the beach. Common sting symptoms include red welts, blisters, pain, tingling and itching. To treat a sting: ■ Wear gloves or other hand covering to remove tentacles. ■ Wash the affected area with vinegar or rubbing alcohol. ■ Do not rinse with water, which could release more venom. ■ Contact a lifeguard or doctor for further treatment as needed.
Sharks
Most shark encounters with humans are cases of mistaken identity. Swimmers, surfers and others in the water may splash and
WE’RE OPEN 7 AM TO 9 PM
present visual targets that mislead the shark, causing it to mistake people for prey. Most attacks occur in near-shore waters, between sandbars, or near steep drop-offs where sharks feed. Chances of encountering a shark in North Carolina waters are very low. To further reduce your risk, consider the following tips from the North Carolina Aquarium: ■ Do not enter the water or swim near a pier, as they attract baitfish that sharks feed on and are a very likely place for sharks to swim if they come close to shore. ■ Avoid waters being used by sport or commercial fishermen, especially if there are signs of baitfish or feeding activity. Diving seabirds are good indicators of such action. ■ Always stay in groups. Sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual. ■ Avoid being in the water during dusk, darkness or twilight hours.
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
TAKE BEACH SAFETY SERIOUSLY
20 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere
Salt Water Taffy ~ Truffles ~ Fudge ~ Chocolates Open Daily 10 am to 6 pm Hwy 12 in Buxton right before the turnoff to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse 252-995-7171 • 46928 NC 12 Buxton NC 25
Hatteras Island Avon, North Carolina
• 15 + varieties of New York Bagels • Homemade soups and lunch specialties • Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and more • Cozy coffee shop • ALL MADE FRESH DAILY • Custom cakes and pies • Homemade Boston cream and jelly donuts
Dine-in Seating (Including Larger Patio) or Carryout! Ice Cream & Coffee Drinks
Our 2020 menu features many gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options, including scratch-made dressings and sauces. We have private dining rooms to accommodate larger parties (12+) and maintaining required distancing, health, and safety guidelines. Special Sunday Brunch menu 9 am - 4 pm
Open Daily 12 pm - 11 pm
FREE WiFi
Hawaiian Shaved Ice • Italian Ice Shakes • Sundaes • Smoothies
252-995-5550 • www.froggydog.com Our 5-course wine dinners start in June. Call to reserve a table
Custom Ice Cream Cakes!
Call (252) 986-5109 | Open 6 AM - 4 PM
40146 N.C 12 in Avon
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
Hatteras Island
21
The perfect place to start or end your day!
22 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
By Catherine Kozak Melody Leckie PHOTOGRAPHER
TALES OF
DEEP WATER The refloating of the Deepwater stirs a family’s memories and honors an Outer Banks legend.
23 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
T
he restored Deepwater at the Manteo waterfront docks was built on the Outer Banks during the midcentury lull, a time bookended by explosions of war and tourism. The wooden vessel was the first and last big boat that John Wilson Jr. ever made. Time has shown he did it right. The boat was crafted by a man who knew the pleasure of a cruise and wanted to share that with his family. But the glory years for the 39-foot vessel happened later, when it was helmed by legendary charter captain Lee Perry, a vivid personality from the dawn of Oregon Inlet sport fishing. Saved from the scrap heap by Wilson’s grandson, John Wilson IV, and his partner, Billy Parker, the Deepwater sat in storage for 22 years, until the men decided to pull the
restoration trigger. “It’s just remarkable that a 63-year-old boat is as good as new,” Wilson said during a spin of the then freshly restored Deepwater in Roanoke Sound a few years back. “Better than new. It will be around for another 63 years. And it will help us remember Lee Perry.” THE PICNIC DAYS When Roanoke Island resident John Wilson Jr. built the Deepwater in 1953, with the help of renowned Outer Banks boatbuilders Warren O’Neal and Roy Etheridge, he wanted it as a “picnic boat” for easygoing family outings in Roanoke Sound with his wife, Alma, and their three children and their spouses and children. Everyone would share cold fried chicken, pimiento cheese sandwiches on white bread, potato salad and deviled eggs, and wash it down with sweet iced tea. For dessert, there
Opposite: Capt. Lee Perry, wearing glasses and ball cap, and passengers on the Deepwater. Above: The Deepwater at the Manteo docks, 2015.
was always homemade chocolate layer cake. John Wilson Jr.’s son, Jack Wilson, died at the age of 92 on Feb. 26, 2018, but when interviewed for this story prior to his death, he clearly remembered seeing the juniper for the Deepwater after it was hauled to his father’s horse pasture from the Great Dismal Swamp. Jack said his father had selected juniper for the boat’s keel from the Dismal Swamp, where M.R. White owned a sawmill. More juniper boards were also cut for planking the hull. Jack, who was 27 when the boat was built, said the wood was put under some oak trees in his father’s yard and arranged like a tent for about six weeks to allow the wood to dry. But long before construction had begun, Jack recalled, his father had whittled a model of the hull he wanted for his boat. The Deepwater — the origin of the name is a mystery — looked entirely different from other
24
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
25
boats built on the Outer Banks, Jack said. It had a hard chine (the angle in the cross section of the hull), likely inspired by the Northern boats his father saw while working during the 1930s in New York as a captain of a Sutton Lines steamer. The bow stem was inspired by a Harkers Island workboat. The Wilsons kept the boat docked at Brinkley’s Boathouse on the Manteo waterfront, now the site of Marshes Light Marina. Jack and his wife of 70 years, Estelle Wilson, who also died in 2018, spoke happily of memories of the Saturday cruises, sharing the picnic lunch with relations from every generation, baby to elder. THE FISHING YEARS When the Deepwater outgrew its family mission and John Wilson Jr. wanted a smaller, faster boat, he sold it in 1959 for $6,000 to his daughter-in-law’s father, Delton Dowdy from
Kitty Hawk. Dowdy, who had recently retired from the Coast Guard, added a flybridge and used the boat for charter fishing trips out of Oregon Inlet when the charter business was in its infancy. Dowdy’s mate, his nephew and native Kitty Hawker Lee Perry, purchased the Deepwater in 1966. For 25 more years, Perry – who became legendary as a charter captain – ran the boat in all kinds of weather, fished in all kinds of conditions, and entertained all kinds of people with outrageous fish tales and hot-tempered rants that cooled as quickly as they erupted. “There’s not a person who knew Lee who doesn’t have a story about him,” Wilson said affectionately. The Deepwater’s Lee Perry years were as rollicking as its family picnic days were serene. First as mate, then as captain, Perry was on the boat from 1959 until 1991, always fishing even when other captains wouldn’t go
because of adverse conditions. The boat’s fourcylinder engine was fine for family cruising, but for fishing it needed new power. Perry had a competitive streak, and he worked the boat hard. “Whenever anybody would pass Lee Perry, was when he would have to have a new engine,” Wilson said with a bemused smile. Talk was, Wilson said, that Perry was bound to die in a boat accident because wooden boats shouldn’t go so fast. Perry cussed at and often fired and rehired his crew — sometimes on the same day, Wilson said. If he lost fish, it was the mate’s fault. If he caught fish, it was because the captain had the right bait. But despite his actions, he was the first charter captain people requested. Another reason Perry was so memorable — besides his flash temper — was for his speech impediment resulting from a cleft palate he’d had repaired as a child.
Top left: A traditional Deepwater picnic: pimiento cheese sandwiches, Coca-Colas and 16-layer chocolate cake. Top right: Billy Parker onboard with dogs Henry and Eliza. Bottom left: John F. Wilson Jr., builder of the Deepwater, with his grandchildren. Bottom right: Wilson and his wife, Alma.
Kitty Hawk fisherman Charles Perry grew up with Lee, his much-older first cousin. Lee Perry, Charles said, fished with unconstrained passion. “Fishing excited him as much as anyone could get excited,” Charles recalls. “The last blue marlin he saw was just as exciting as the first blue marlin he saw, I promise you.” Despite his speech difficulty, Lee Perry talked a lot, but understanding him could be a formidable challenge. Charles said he heard about people spending hours with him on charter trips and confessing later that they didn’t understand one word he had said the entire day. Sometimes he would get so charged up that he forgot he was holding the mic button down on the radio. “He’d talk nonstop for three or four minutes,” Charles recalls. “All of us would be laughing. He was hilarious … We’d sit up on the bridge and listen and laugh and laugh.”
After Perry’s death, the boat was deemed unusable for modern commercial fishing. In 1991, a local boatbuilder bought it for the engine, and the hull was set aside. RETURN TO THE WATER When Wilson, the builder’s grandson, learned that the engineless Deepwater was for sale, he paid $5,000 for it and shelled out $6,000 more for a storage barn in the same pasture where the boat was originally constructed. “Billy and I bought the boat in 1991 when it was to be abandoned because it was too old, too slow and too outdated to be used for a charter boat business,” he said. It sat in storage until 2013, when Parker spurred Wilson to make the decision to get the boat restored. Restoring historically valuable things is more than a hobby to the men. In 1980, Wilson and Parker, who is originally from
Raleigh, founded the nonprofit Outer Banks Conservationists, which is best known for its restoration and management of the Currituck Beach Light Station. In 2010, they also opened Island Farm, a 19th-century living history site at the Etheridge farmstead on Roanoke Island. The men have been partners since meeting at architecture school at North Carolina State University 40 years ago. Wilson said he has paid heed to his grandfather’s admonition that it is necessary to respect those who came before in order to respect oneself and those who come after. “In addition, while getting my master’s in historic preservation in Washington in the 1970s,” he said, “I remember something a professor said often: ‘Preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future.’ “I enjoy that conversation.” Wilson sees preservation of the Outer
Top Left: Delton Dowdy, the boat’s second owner, 1959, before the flybridge was added. Above: The Deepwater’s legendary Lee Perry years. In 1966 he purchased the boat and fished it until 1991. In the photos above Capt. Perry is the man with the white shirt, glasses and ball cap.
26 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Banks’ sense of place as an intergenerational responsibility. “Every time Billy and I successfully restore or protect and preserve something,” he said, “I think of my grandfather. I think he was right. And I think we all have an obligation to preserve the past for the enjoyment and enrichment of the future generations.” Since Wilson and Parker don’t fish, they thought it more appropriate to take the Deepwater back to its picnic days, Wilson said, and to leave the charter fishing days to retellings of the Lee Perry escapades. The Deepwater still has its original juniper hull. The unusual stern is pre-Carolina flarestyle, more of a blending of Harkers Island and Northern influences. The boat, which draws 3 feet, includes a lower cabin with a V-berth and
a head with a shower that was converted from the original galley. Even with its brand-new engine, the boat’s top speed is 21 knots. It doesn’t offer a particularly smooth ride — it tends to bounce on the water instead of slicing it — but it provides a satisfying, w i n d -w h ip p i n g-y o u r - h a i r experience. It took 18 months for Wade Davis to restore the vessel. Davis comes from a long line of Outer Banks boatbuilders, including the designer of the Roanoke Island shad boat, George Washington Creef. Davis is the son of late yacht builder Buddy Davis, another notable Outer Banks character who was instrumental in making Outer Banks boat building a mega-million-dollar industry. Having grown up on the docks in Wanchese, Davis was familiar with the Deepwater from the Lee Perry days. But he said it was “bad-looking” after being stored for so long. “The barn was dry as a daggone bone, which is not the best thing for a boat,” Davis said. Poking around with his pocketknife, Davis realized that things weren’t as bad as they first appeared. Not only was the vessel salvageable, even capable of being restored to near-new condition, Davis said, it was also impressively well-crafted. Tight joinery had saved the boat from rot. Ultimately, only small parts of the cabin, mostly the windows, needed replacement. Davis also replaced the mahogany doors and trim and reconstructed the flybridge, working off photographs of the original vessel that Wilson had provided. The boat attracted much attention at his Wanchese shop from the locals who remembered its charter fishing years, he said. “Oh, gosh, everybody says that thing was an icon here,” Davis said. “The captain was very charismatic.” Davis credits Wilson for seeing the value of restoring the Deepwater and said he was proud
Top: Boatbuilder Wade Davis, left, discusses Deepwater’s restoration with John Wilson IV. Bottom: Wilson on board during restoration in 2013.
to be able to bring back a boat with so much Outer Banks history. “It was a hoot,” Davis said. “I was blessed to get an opportunity to do something like that.” John Wilson’s father, Jack, a former administrator with the North Carolina Ferry Division, said he “thought it was wonderful” when the Deepwater was returned in August 2015, good as new, to the water. “I was real happy — very, very happy,” he said. “It was too nice a boat to just let go.”
SIDEBAR SODA CRACKERS ALL OVER THE BRIDGE
A catch phrase from the Deepwater’s Lee Perry years has become part of the fishing lingo of the Outer Banks — and beyond. It seems that when Capt. Lee Perry was on the boat, he always ate soda crackers. Hooking a blue marlin, he would exclaim so enthusiastically that he would spray cracker crumbs everywhere. It didn’t take long for the expression “soda crackers all over the bridge” to become synonymous in Outer Banks fishing circles with catching a blue marlin. Lee Perry’s cousin, Charles Perry, said he was recently on a fishing trip in Costa Rica when he heard a voice crackling excitedly over the radio: “Soda crackers all over the bridge!” “When I heard that on the radio out there, I like to died,” Charles said, laughing at the memory that started with the Deepwater. EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally appeared in the 2016 edition of Outer Banks Magazine, which is published by The Virginian-Pilot, now a Tribune Publishing Company. It has been updated. We reached out to John Wilson IV, who restored the Deepwater with his partner, Billy Parker, for the boat’s 2020 whereabouts: The Deepwater remains on the Manteo waterfront, Wilson said by email. The boat was moved a couple of years ago from the dock behind Poor Richard’s Sandwich Shop to a new boathouse a few hundred feet north, behind “The Warehouse,” which is adjacent to the bridge to Roanoke Island Festival Park. The Deepwater is visible from the bridge, Wilson said, and spending a 67th summer sailing in the sounds around Roanoke Island. Of his parents, Jack and Estelle Wilson, who died months apart in 2018, he said, “Both had very long happy lives, active until the end.” Both died peacefully in their sleep at home, he added.
Outdoor Furniture Home Accents Beach Fashion Unique Coastal Gifts
OPEN YEAR ROUND CALL OUR BOOKING DESK Open Daily 5am - 7pm
Offshore - Nearshore - Inlet Make-Up Charters
252.473.3906 | 1.800.367.4728 2000 Sailfish Dr, Manteo, NC 27954 fishpiratescove.com
WE (ALL SUIT YOU OF YOU!)
Best Selection of Swimwear on the Beach! 2000 S. Croatan Hwy., KDH 252.441.5338
Monteray Plaza, 801 Ocean Trail, Corolla 252.453.4862
www.birthday-suits.com
Scarborough Ln Shoppes 1171 Duck Rd, Duck 252.261.7297
y
OUTER BANKS Duck 252.261.8121
Nags Head Hea 252.441.2522
CottageShop.com
Corolla Cor 252.453.3525
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
HOME OF THE OUTER BANKS FINEST CHARTER FISHING FLEET
27
Pirate’s C ve v MarinA
28 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
ISTOCK PHOTO BY PATEILERS
Charter fishing boats docked at Pirates Cove Marina on the Outer Banks.
Charter boats, piers seeing surge in business After rough spring, Dare County reopened to visitors on May 16
By Amy Gaw Correspondent
The summer season is turning out to be one of the best on the books for the local, recreational fishing industry. Charter boats are busy and pier fishing is active, as visitors seek spaces to cast a line. Of course, “best” is rela-
tive during a pandemic. The response to COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of the industry, as it has every business. The year has been a challenge. The weather was unfavorable for fishing for much of the spring, which seemed to suit the shutdown status of the Outer Banks. Dare County reopened to visitors on May
16 and fishers have been baiting hooks, nonstop, since. “I didn’t think we would get the summer we’ve had,” said Capt. Bryan Mattingly, owner of the Albatross Fleet, the longest operating charter fishing business in Hatteras Village. “The weather has been really good since June. The people visiting are ready to do something. Charter fishing isn’t in their everyday world, so they just want to
get away and do something else. They want to enjoy the day. Most boats are busy.” Mattingly credits the fleet’s longevity and reputation for the successful summer, but quickly added, “A lot of people are hurting, though. In these sensitive times, we try to make sure everyone on the boat has a good time, if we can. That is our job, too.” Garry Oliver, who, with his wife, Mary, owns and operates Outer Banks Fish-
ing Pier and Fish Heads Bar and Grill in Nags Head, agrees about the quantity and quality of business. “We never dreamed this summer would be so busy,” he said. “We did a lot of adjusting and rearranging because we want everyone to be safe, including our staff.” Visitors respect the rules and wear masks on the pier or in the restaurant, Oliver said, and the staff is masked up, as well.
“Most people seem to be happy to be outside and have no problem adjusting to a new layout,” he said. “Really, we have just been so happy to have this business to get our full staff back to work. One of the highlights of having this business is the employees; they are a great group.” Fishing spaces are marked off on the pier, every 8 feet, to help people See FISH/Page 29
29
ISTOCK PHOTO BY SGOODWIN4813
A single black cobia and numerous iridescent mahi-mahi or dolphinfish in a wheelbarrow after a day of sport fishing off the coast of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Continued from 28 stay socially distanced. “Visitors have been pretty good about it,” said Oliver. “They tend to stay in their groups.” Though fishing is recreational for most visitors, the act of catching while fishing can be challenging. “In the summer, fishing is more about enjoying the day and the people,” said Mattingly. “It took me a long time to figure out that it isn’t always about what you catch. Well, it is not the most important thing.” Mattingly said that dolphinfish, or mahi-mahi, are caught routinely, as well as wahoo, sailfish, tilefish and grouper. When dolphin aren’t biting, he said that they can “change gears” and go bottom fishing. On the piers, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and spot are being caught, as well as less frequently spotted ribbon fish. Citation-size sea mullet have also been plentiful. “Now is a great time to come down and get away from everything, and people are. There is no pressure,” Oliver said, adding that the best times to catch fish are early morning and late afternoon.
SOU UCK RIT CUR 12
WATERFRONT SHOPS
EACH YEAR, WE LOOK FORWARD to sharing our summer with Free Family Events at the Duck Town Park. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed spending time with our residents and visitors with fitness classes, magic shows, live music, and outdoor movies. 2020 has thrown some challenges our way but hasn’t affected the spirit of Duck!
WAT E R TOWER
WEE WINKS SQUARE
DUCK ROAD
FISH
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
in Duck
ND
SHOP PLAY DINE STAY
Please check our website and social media pages for updates about events in Town, including virtual ways to connect with us and learn more about Duck.
DUCK COMMONS
VILLAGE SQUARE
DUCK TOWN PARK
Welcome to Duck. We’re so happy you are here!
LOBLOLLY PINES
OSPREY LANDING
CROSSWALK
BOARDWALK
SIDEWALK
SHOPPING AREA
SHOP
PLAY
DINE
DUCK POST OFFICE SOUNDSIDE SHOPPES SCARBOROUGH FAIRE
STAY
FILE PHOTO
Garry Oliver bought Outer Banks Fishing Pier in 1969.
Mattingly has seen plenty of new faces this summer and appreciates that fishing is not only recreational, but almost therapeutic in these times. “A lot of people who are booking fishing charters have never been here before and we are getting a positive response from them,” he said. “It’s almost like the Outer Banks are being re-
discovered again. We have met some cool people, just some really great people, who needed to get away. People just want to be on the water, and fishing just takes you away from everything, from whatever you’ve got in your head.” “The weather is good and people can go fishing,” Mattingly said. “That’s great for now.”
For more information on n businesses, a shopping guide, and special eventts and promotions held by Duck Village Merchants,, visit doducknc.com.
townofduck.com 252.255.1234
SCARBOROUGH LANE SHOPPES
12
30 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Restaurants help each other during pandemic By Maggie Miles Correspondent
During a global pandemic, when small businesses and restaurants face so many obstacles, it’s nice to find a silver lining. Restaurants have been plagued with national food shortages and unpredictable volume of customers recently. On the Outer Banks, this can be an issue because food service companies often give priority to clients in metropolitan areas. But among local competitors generosity has saved the day in the form of lent pizza boxes and cheese, spoons and bowls, and yeast and flour. It may seem strange for competitors to assist each other, but according to Leanne Robinson, owner of The Spot in Nags Head and The Secret Spot in Kitty Hawk, it’s a no-brainer. “If we all help each other and give each other advice and make everything a little bit better, there’s plenty of
business here to go around,” she said. For example, Robinson’s competitor, Surfin’ Spoon, gave The Spot bowls when they ran out. And the following week, Robinson returned the favor by lending the Surfin’ Spoon spoons. Robinson also lent supplies to Booty Treats Ice Cream & Shave Ice, another competitor, and the owner of Booty Treats advised her to go to the Restaurant Depot in Virginia Beach for supplies. AccordingtoHilareyBall, owner of Nags Head Pizza Company, the pizza places are all helping each other out, as well. “We had to go pick up pizza boxes from Restaurant Depot in Virginia because there was a pizza box shortage,” she said. “We also picked up some boxes from other local places, which is, like, really neat because a lot of restaurants are helping out other restaurants.” Nags Head Pizza Company loaned supplies to Avenue Waterfront Grille in Manteo and Peace of the Pie
MAGGIE MILES/FREELANCE
Leanne Robinson, owner of The Spot in Nags Head, said there is plenty of business to go around, if everyone helps each other as the pandemic’s economic impacts linger.
in Kill Devil Hills before it closed. Cheese shortages have limited supplies nationally, so Ball’s shop lent cheese to another pizza place and worked with other restaurants to split truckloads of cheese to make sure they all had enough. “So, it’s been really cool seeing all the business own-
ers being like, OK, what can I do for you?” said Ball. According to Joanna Cummings, a server at Bob’s Grill in Kill Devil Hills, her place routinely works with one of its main breakfast competitors, Stack’em High Pancakes, which is located right next door. Amy Ramsey, a former employee at Barrier Island Bagels in
Kitty Hawk, said the shop would swap bacon, yeast, flour and all sorts of supplies with other bagel places, pizza shops and a deli. According to these restaurant owners and employees, it’s standard practice on the Outer Banks, where everyone must weather hurricanes and other extreme situations.
John Marmann, owner of Agave Roja in Corolla, said it’s not uncommon for restaurants to help each other out because things happen and “it’s only us in the trenches.” “I’ve never not helped another competitor out if I could,” he said. “Karma.” Sherri Lynn, former manager at the Jolly Roger Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills recalled a time they were in a bind many years ago. “I remember doing The Seafood Festival one year for the Jolly Roger,” she said. “We ran out of our rolls and Miss Carol Anne [Angelos, owner of the Jolly Roger] ran to all the restaurants and they loaned us all the rolls we needed.” This is the Outer Banks way, they say. “Yeah, I mean it’s slow in the winter and we all just want to see each other succeed, ya know?” said Robinson. “That’s kind of what it’s all about here. That’s what I love about the Outer Banks.”
Ocracoke fig festival forced to go online-only By Jeff Hampton Staff writer
Ocracoke is fig country and midsummer is prime fig season. Nearly every older house on the island has at least one figtreeintheyard.Somelocal figs grow to nearly the size of a pear. Each year, the communityputs ona figfestival. But for the first time, the annual Ocracoke Fig Festival istobeheldvirtuallythisyear, fromAug. 5-15. “If you come to Ocracoke, you’re going to want fresh local seafood and figs,” said Sundae Horn, coordinator of the annual festival, which is sponsored by the Ocracoke PreservationSociety. About 15 varieties of figs are found on the island, each thriving in the sandy soil despite the salty air and clashes with hurricanes. Some of the varietieshavelineagesthatgo backtwocenturies.
In late July and early August, locals make fig preserves, fig cakes, fig barbecue sauce, sauteed figs and fig lattes. Inspired by figs, they create paintings, drawings, cartoonsand carvings. It can stir up a small scandal if anybody lets their figs ripen and fall to the ground without making something fromthem. “People just love the figs” said Tommy Hutcherson, owner of the Ocracoke VarietyStore,whichcarriesmany fig products. “I take all I can getbecause Ican sell them.” Hesells200to300casesof fig preserves annually, each with12 Masonjars, hesaid. While Hurricane Dorian’s flooding took out some trees and the coronavirus has prevented the typical in-person festival, crowds are again on the island and clamoring for fig products, Hutcherson said. The most famous recipe
hereis afigcakefirstmadeby homemaker Margaret Garrish more than 50 years ago. She did not have the dates called for in her recipe, so she substituted figs. They were plentiful. The cake became famous ontheislandandbeyond.Itis big, rich and moist. “That cake is wonderful,” said local historian and fig expert Chester Lynn. “They eat it up all over the Outer Banks.” Lynn has given dozens of interviews with magazine andnewspaperwritersabout Ocracoke figs. He has even writtena book. Lynn, a direct descendant of a member of Blackbeard’s crew, said figs and the trees were an intricate part of his life growing up. His family and neighbors ate figs straight from the tree and consumed dishes made from them. Fig trees are typically not
tall, but wide. They have broad leaves that make great shade on a hot summer day and offer cover for animals as well as children playing hide andseek. Lynn played as a child on an old fig tree with limbs so fat they fastened a porch swing from oneofthem. “We would jump up and down on it to shake out the figs,” saidLynn,now63. Lynn grew up not far from Springers Point, where Blackbeard holed up before meeting his death just offshore. People once lived there, but it is now a preserve along the Pamlico Sound. Fig tree roots more than 100 yearsoldgrow there. “They keep spinning up newtrunks,”hesaid. Organizers of this years virtual festival will post photos and recipes on the Ocracoke Fig Festival Facebook page. A festival YouTube channel will feature videosof
STAFF FILE
A variety known as a blue fig grows in Ocracoke.
how to make preserves, fig cake and other dishes. Lynn and others will speak about fighistory andlegacy. The fig cake bake-off will also be held online. Entrants can submit the recipe with photos and recorded testimonials from friends and
family who have eaten it, Hornsaid. “Fig are a very big part of the culture here, especially among older folks,”shesaid. JeffHampton, 252-491-5272, jeff.hampton @pilotonline.com
31
HATTERAS HOT LIST
Specializing in Catering Services for Weddings & Events Fresh Seafood
Steaks
Vegetarian
Kids Menu
Sandwiches Wood Fired Gourmet Pizzas Homemade Desserts Full Service Bar
Outside Dining with Ocean Views
Wright Brothers Were Here MP 4.5 Beach Road, Kitty Hawk 252-261-3171 - blackpelican.com
Oceanfront, Kitty Hawk • NC
Fresh, Fun & Innovative local seafood, meats & vegetables
COURTESY OF ALEX'S SHRIMP SHACK
Alex’s Shrimp Shack in Salvo offers Carolina shrimp, a myriad of shellfish and signature homemade desserts including Key lime pie.
Sweet seafood markets
By Carrie Brothers Correspondent
Sunrise Seafood Market
This sparkling clean market offers fresh local seafood from crabs to tilefish. Owner Mark Martino has been working in the Outer Banks seafood industry since 2012, according to the market’s website, and he is happy to chat. Sunrise also offers seafood dips, crab cakes made from North Carolina crabs and steamer pots. And no trip is complete without a slice of the market’s Key lime pie. ■ Where: 40658 N.C. 12, Avon ■ Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily ■ Info: 252-995-7003; sunriseseafood.net
Austin’s South Island Seafood & Vacuum Packing This seasonal fish market offers cases of fresh, local
seafood and produce, as well as a variety of sauces and marinades to make it a one-stop shop for your dinner needs. Austin’s also offers steamed seafood, fried seafood sandwiches and steamer pots to go. Professional vacuum sealing is available for those who got lucky on a charter boat or while fishing from the shore. ■ Where: 24202 N.C. 12, Rodanthe ■ Hours:11a.m.-7 p.m. daily ■ Info: 252-987-1352; look for Austin’s South Island Seafood & Vacuum Packing on Facebook
Alex’s Shrimp Shack
Though this seafood shop is newly opened, the eponymous Alex McCune isn’t new to the world of selling seafood. He opened Alex’s Shrimp Shack after retiring because he missed the business. The shack offers Carolina shrimp, a myriad of shellfish and signature homemade desserts
including Key lime pie. Also, on offer is a selection of hand-cut rib-eye steak, Andouille sausage for your boil, and hamburger for landlubbers in your group. Alex and crew will also steam your shellfish for you. ■ Where: 27203 Sand St., Salvo ■ Hours: 2-7 p.m. daily ■ Info: 252-987-9000; alexsshrimpshack.com
Risky Business Seafood Co.
This family-run seafood market has offered some of the best in local seafood since 1984. Located on Oden’s dock, the display cases are packed with local fish, crab and shellfish. The menu also offers steamed shrimp, homemade crabcakes and other delightful seafood dishes. ■ Where: 57896 N.C. 12 Hatteras ■ Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-7 p.m. Sunday ■ Info: 252-986-2117; riskybusinessseafood.com
• Award Winning Chefs • Local Seafood • House-made Desserts • Sunday Brunch (8am until 2pm) • Brand New Backyard Pet Friendly Seating • Menu Changes Weekly • Vegan/Vegetarian Friendly • Ocean Friendly Establishment
OPEN MONDAY, WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY FOR LUNCH AND DINNER AND SUNDAY BRUNCH! 1469 Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills • www.thesaltboxcafe.com • 252-255-5594
YOUR HEADQUARTERS FOR OBX BOOKS!
103 Sir Walter Raleigh Street
252-473-1056
2019 Best of
shop online 24/7 at manteoreads.com or bookshop.org/shop/downtownbooks
the Beach:
Town of Manteo 2019 Small Business of the Year
Bookstore!
www.OuterBanksKiting.com
Capt. Jay Crawford
USCG Master License (Sail/Tow)
252.305.6839 jay@outerbankskiting.com PO Box 626 Avon, NC 27915
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
Oceanfront & Open Year Round at 11:30 AM
32 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Diver on a quest to find every OBX shipwreck by Jeff Hampton Staff writer
A curious, crusty piece of metal protrudes above the ocean surface off the Corolla shoreline in sight of posh beach homes. It is part of the former USS State of Georgia, a side-paddle steam ship that captured blockade runners for the Union during the Civil War and towed ironclads to battle. It took a direct hit from a Confederate cannonball in the process. Diver Marc Corbett has explored the wreck, described its remains and researched the vessel’s littleknown heroic history. And he’s just getting started. Corbett, 54, is on a quest to find and research every wreck off the coast of the Outer Banks up to 400 feet under the surface and write a book on his findings. He’s dived on 59 of the approximately 90 wrecks he knows of from Corolla to Ocracoke. In the process of his work, Corbett has identified
formerly unknown wrecks like the SS Mountaineer, a wooden hulled steam ship that wrecked off Kitty Hawk in 1852. It was known back in the day as the Wink’s wreck because it sat offshore from the store by that name. There also was the SS Volunteer, an iron hulled steamer that ran aground off Kill Devil Hills in 1873. He recalled how he found something below the surface that looked a lot like the boiler of the SS Oriental, a well-known wreck that has parts sticking above the ocean surface across from the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. But it wasn’t the Oriental. “When you first identify a ship, it’s like a major head rush,” Corbett said. “Until you tell somebody, you’re the only person on Earth that knows about it.” There are plenty of wrecks for Corbett to find. The Outer Banks coast is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, where hundreds of ships have sunk or
beached after losing the battle with hurricanes, shoals, treacherous currents or German U-boats. The State of Georgia, for instance, ran aground in a storm after the war. By then, it had been sold to a private owner and renamed the SS Andrew Johnson. “The tired old war horse had served most of the war,” Corbett wrote about the wreck. “It would probably be tough to find a vessel that did more work during the Civil War.” The key to finding wrecks is research, Corbett said. He digs into documents in the National Archives and the Outer Banks History Center. He scours old newspaper accounts, Civil War records and log books from the U.S. Lifesaving Service. “Marc Corbett is that kind of individual whose research and history is of great value,” said Joe Schwarzer, director of the North Carolina Maritime Museums, including the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. “It is very, very
useful.” Corbett works as a mate on the Lion’s Paw, a boat used by Dive Hatteras, a charter business that takes customers to explore shipwrecks. He has dived on wrecks in water as shallow as 5 feet and as deep as 257 feet. To find ships, Corbett uses a sonar system to scan the bottom in locations where records show they went down. If he sees a large mass in the right spot, it’s worth a dive. “Sometimes you only need a couple of pieces to identify a ship if it’s in the right place,” he said. The best-preserved wrecks are those in deep water. Nearer to shore, the wave action batters the remains and covers them with sand more quickly. The E.M. Clark, a large ship in 250 feet of water, is almost fully intact, lying on its side. The tanker, which is almost two football fields long, was carrying heating oil in 1943 when a German U-boat sunk it off the coast
of Hatteras. All but one of the 41 crew members survived. He has also dived on war ships. “These ships are enormous,” he said. “It’s amazing when you go down there and see big deck guns staring at you.” Metal ships tend to last longer while wood ships deteriorate more quickly and are more easily moved by currents. The Navy used to break up sunken ships by raking over them with a large cable attached to two vessels on either side of it. It was called wire dragging, Corbett said. Most shipwrecks have already been salvaged by locals or by the owners. “I’ve never found anything worth a lot of money,” he said. “Anything of value has already been taken.” Corbett is determined to find the Mirlo, a British tanker that sank off Rodanthe after striking a German mine in August 1918. The crew of the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station rescued
42 of 52 crew members, repeatedly taking their boat into flames on the water. It is considered one of the greatest rescues in Coast Guard history. Descriptions of where it sank cover a large area. Corbett and his partners have searched for it going back and forth for hours over the water. “It’s like mowing the grass,” he said. While the number of wrecks off the Outer Banks is well publicized, few know the history behind them, Corbett said. He added that he feels he’s fighting the clock if the world is ever to know what lay beneath the water a few hundred feet from the tourist-filled beaches. “These wrecks are falling apart, they must be documented,” he said. “One of these days, they will (be) nothing but a rust scour on the bottom.” Jeff Hampton, 252-491-5272, jeff.hampton @pilotonline.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARC CORBETT
The S.S. Andrew Johnson ran aground off the Currituck Outer Banks coast in 1866. Parts of it protrude above the water near Corolla.
CALL LARRY Economic Development Director Larry Lombardi is always just a phone call away and ready to answer your questions, offer advice or connect you to new opportunities. If you’re looking to start, grow or expand a business, there’s no better resource in the region.
(252) 232-6015 | www.ThinkCurrituck.com | Larry@ThinkCurrituck.com
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF
33
READY TO START, GROW OR RELOCATE A BUSINESS IN CURRITUCK COUNTY?
34 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
READER PHOTOS
COURTESY OF ANDREW DEITZ
The Outer Banks is a great place to create new memories and family traditions; often those moments are captured in photos. We reached out to Outer Banks fans through a couple of group pages on Facebook (Outer Banks of North Carolina and OBX, NC) to request images that capture the essence of this barrier island — from family snapshots to fishing photos to wildlife encounters — and boy did we get some great submissions! We’ll share batches of them over the next couple of pages and in future Coasts, as space permits.
Sandy fingers
were babies. A tradition is to make tie-dye T-shirts at Island Dyes. This year, the family stayed in Nags Head and snapped a photo on the beach in their new shirts. Pictured bottom row, from left are the children: Tyler Deitz, Brady Snyder, Tristan Deitz, Kenzie Deitz, Jacob Deitz (very front), Megan Deitz (very front), Reagan Deitz (behind Jacob), Brian Snyder (behind Megan), Jordan Deitz, Skylar Deitz. Back row, from left are the parents: Andrew Deitz, Angie Deitz, Carey Snyder, Stephen Deitz and Jenni Deitz.
Fishing fun
JoAnna Keeter, of Scotland Neck, North Carolina, sent an adorable photo of her and her 1-year-old daughter, Kate Keeter, enjoying a beach day at Oregon Inlet in mid-July.
John Coffey and his family visited Avon from New Carlisle, Ohio, in mid-July and had a great time, he said. Looks like it from this picture of 12-year-old Jackson with his catch of the day from Avon Fishing Pier.
Daybreak, Nags Head
Soundside glow
Karen Warren, of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, captured a sky full of pink puffy clouds at daybreak in South Nags Head. “We are lucky enough to be able to spend a week here each summer,” she said. “Hope to retire here one day!”
Family tie-dye
The Deitz family — from Staunton and Manassas, Virginia, and Freehold, New Jersey, respectively — has been vacationing on the Outer Banks every summer since their now teenagers and college students
Kristen Collins sent in a photo that her husband took of their children playing in the sound in Kitty Hawk in early July.
COURTESY OF KRISTEN COLLINS
Beachy morning
Christi Lewis of Mathews, Virginia, sent in a classic early morning beach shot taken in South Nags Head.
Lighting the way
Tammy Scarfo captured the Bodie Island Lighthouse bathed in a golden sunset glow in early July.
To submit Email your photo to victoria.bourne@pilotonline.com. Be sure to send it in its original size (the larger the better), note who’s in the photo (first and last names) and tell us a little something about it (ex. when and where it was shot).
35 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
COURTESY OF KAREN WARREN
Order Online Or By Phone e For Curbside Pickup!
COURTESY OF JOANNA KEETER
Buxton Village Books
• Floss • Totes • Needles • Cross Stitch • And And mo more re
We’re OPEN!
Gift Certificates Available!
Open 7 days.
252.715.2244
Su Surfside Plaza, Mi Mile Post 13 Shop online at Nags Head, NC 27959 www.yarnandmoreinc.com
The Bird Store
The Outer Banks Wildlife Art Gallery We carry over 75 artists, and specialize in Outer Banks wildlife! Pelicans, shorebirds, herons, ducks, songbirds and wildlife carvings, seashore paintings and prints, lighthouse art, gifts, cards, and all styles of decoys - antique and decorative. Our 34th year!
252.480.2951
WWW.THEBIRDSTOREOBX.COM THEBIRDSTOREOBX@GMAIL.COM
MP 8.5 ON HWY 158 BYPASS (1/2 MILE SOUTH OF WRIGHT MEMORIAL) KILL DEVIL HILLS
National B Bestt Sellers,,
Local Books and a whole lot more!! 47918 Hwy12, Buxton • 252.995.4240 • buxtonvillagebooks.com • We ship!
36 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
COURTESY OF JOHN COFFEY
COURTESY OF TAMMY SCARFO
COURTESY OF CHRISTI LEWIS
37
there are Treasures to Behold
Just Outside the OBX On highway 158 just south of the VA/NC state line, you’ll find an award-winning winery, Sanctuary Vineyards, offering both tours and tasting, and NC’s first craft brewery, The Weeping Radish, offering unique farm-to-fork fair to those who know good food. Come see why your vacation begins on the road to Corolla.
Call 877.287.7488 for more information, driving directions or a free visitors guide
Corolla • Carova • The Mainland
Visit us online at VisitCurrituck.com
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
On the Road to Corolla
38 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Welcome to the Coast’s coloring page! No matter what your age, coloring is a great way to relax and unwind. Use whatever color palette you like to make this beach scene your very own.
39 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, August 7, 2020
Get Out of the Sand and into Great Wide Open Golf
The Courses are Calling The Currituck Outer Banks and Mainland are home to six awe-inspiring out-of-the-way golf courses, giving golfers the option to experience more than one course in a day, testing old pros and newcomers alike with variety of play. Come see what those in the know are calling Currituck’s best kept secret for yourself.
Call 877.287.7488 for more information, driving directions or a free golf guide
Corolla • Carova • The Mainland
Visit us online at VisitCurrituck.com
40 Friday, August 7, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
jew elry
h rn® simply southe
OVER 40 DESIGNS LARGEST COLLECTION IN USA
We donate 10% of pro from select designs tofits Outer Banks Turtle organi zations
10% of proceeds go to dog shelters she
Coastal Lifestyle Outfitters COROLLA 812 Ocean Trail Hw 12 across from Hwy Food Lion Center 252.453.9116
Summer s Promotione Storewid
DUCK 1180 Duck Road Lower Hwy 12 on the Soundside 252.261.4828
Open Daily 9 am - 9 pm WWW.FARMERSDAUGHTEROBX.NET
NAGS HEAD 6803 S. Croatan Hwy. Milepost 16 Highway 158 252.441.3977
HATTERAS 58848 Marina Way Ferry Docks in Hatteras Landing 252.986.9970