Tag Archives: hatteras island shipwrecks

02/12/13

Shipwrecks…UNCOVERED

It’s that time of year again! Days on end of a strong “blow”, as native islanders would call it, tends to expose treasures that have remained hidden from the salty elements for many years. Whether you are in search of miles of phenomenal shelling, a scattering of sea glass, or treasures washed ashore from shipwrecks of yore, the beaches of Hatteras Island are the place to be!

The waters that surround our barrier island are known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic due to the convergence of two strong ocean currents, the Labrador and the Gulf Stream, as well as the treacherous, ever-changing Diamond Shoals. Thousands of ill-fated boats and their crews are said to have been lost near Cape Hatteras. Other factors leading to the grim total of ships lost to sea were the Civil War, German submarine attacks, as well as pirate attacks.

Many shipwrecks have found their home on the sea floor but there are a few that have been laid to rest on our shores. These mysterious pieces of maritime history can occasionally be seen as the sand shifts to uncover these treasures.

Take some time to treasure hunt while you’re here and see if you can locate one or more of the following shipwrecks on Hatteras Island:

Oriental 1862
Located seven miles south of Oregon Inlet campground or 30 miles north of Buxton. Park at Pea Island Comfort Station. Wooden remains are occasionally exposed, as well as a wooden bow which is located on the beach 1 mile north.

G.A. Kohler 1933
Located off of Ramp #27 on the beach.

Altoona 1878
Turn down Lighthouse Road in Buxton. Follow the road 1.7 miles to its end in the gravel parking lot. Walk over the ramp to the beach, then south along the beach 1/2 miles and west 1/4 mile to the bow of the Altoona.

The Pocahontas
Look for the parking area on the east side of NC Hwy 12, just south of the last building on the south end of Salvo, and 4/10 mile south of mile marker 43. The visible part of the wreck can be seen in the surf at high or low tide, but more is visible during low tide.

For more information on maritime history, be sure to visit the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras!

02/17/11

Well-preserved ship remnants found on Hatteras Island

The remnants of a previously unknown shipwreck were uncovered last week on an isolated soundside beach of Hatteras Island. According to an article from The Virginia Pilot, the vessel’s age and origin will have to wait for historians and scientists to be analyzed. To read more about this exciting discovery click here.

For more information on Outer Banks shipwrecks, ghost stories, Cape Hatteras light keepers, and innovators of this stretch of North Carolina coastline visit the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras where you will find maritime history and folklore. With hundreds of shipwrecks off of Buxton’s treacherous Diamond Shoals, the museum explores these dangerous waters, and recounts the tales of the heroes who thrived along North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

02/17/11

Visit the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

One of the must do things on Hatteras Island is a trip to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum which holds some of America’s most important maritime history. The museum preserves Outer Banks maritime history and shipwrecks from the earliest periods of exploration and colonization to the present day.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is a public, non-profit, educational institution and it is part of the North Carolina Maritime Museum System within the State History Museums, Division of Archives and History, Department of Cultural Resources. The museum preserves, researches, exhibits and interprets its collections for the benefit of the general public and specialized audiences. For more information on what you might find and learn at the museum visit www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com.

01/11/10

Torpedo Junction – Shipwrecks of WWI and WWII Presentation to be held at Salvo Volunteer Fire Station

The National Park Service Outer Banks Group Know Your Park citizen science program series continues with a presentation from Joe Hoyt from the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary on Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Salvo Volunteer Fire Station. The program is free and will last approximately 1 hour. Continue reading →

08/14/09

Discovering Shipwrecks on the Outer Banks

While your family explores the beaches during your Hatteras Island vacation, you might stumble across unusual structures sticking out of the sand or peeking out of the Atlantic Ocean. Large, old slabs of wood or chunks of partially submerged metal aren’t just beach debris, but are ancient remnants of shipwrecks, sometimes up to centuries old, that have been buried or deserted on the beach for generations. Continue reading →