Ocracoke, NC

We had been wanting to visit Ocracoke on our previous cruises but the weather never cooperated. This time, the winds and seas looked better and even though some rain was forecasted we decided to go for it. So on Wed., May 16 we set off across Pamlico Sound for Ocracoke, located on the outer banks of North Carolina.  We had overcast skies with a little rain at the outset and very little boat traffic. The wind was out of the south and the waves were on our beam but it wasn’t too uncomfortable.

We arrived at the docks at Cape Hattaras National Seashore where we were able to use our senior citizen national  parks lifetime pass to get a 50% discount off our dockage. Our discounted rate was only $24 for both dockage and electrical. What a deal!

First thing we did was stroll along the waterfront to find the first watering hole where we had fresh fish and the guys had their obligatory craft beer.

Jonny and I brought our bikes and Rob rented one and we started to explore the town. 

First stop was the Ocracoke Lighthouse which still functions but is now automated like so many others these days. 

We followed this with a walk through a beautiful nature preserve that had been donated by a family who owned a large tract of land along the coast. It was also noteworthy because it was adjacent to the area that Blackbeard, the famous pirate, called home. 

From there we explored a couple of small historic cemeteries including one dedicated to British sailors on loan to the US Navy who were killed by a UBoat along with some Americans during WWII.

Ocracoke can only be reached by boat or ferry. There are a lot of newer beach-style homes, hotels and condos and it is fairly touristy, sort of like Cape Cod. The ferry brings over a lot of cars and between the cars and golf carts, the streets can become pretty busy. Apparently, in the old days, the major form of transportation was bicycles.

Later in the afternoon Jon and Rob rode their bikes out to Hattaras National Seashore where there was crashing surf due to the threatening storms.  Rob went swimming taking care with the rip tides.

 On the way back to the boat it started to sprinkle enough to force them to take cover in the local brew pub. When they returned, Lynn was battening down the hatches as the long awaited rain began to fall.

That evening we ate a hearty dinner of flank steak, Brussels sprouts and potatoes. Georgio made us nervous by becoming more curious about exploring the boat, even venturing out to the dock on his own before he was discovered and dragged inside!