Art Imitating Life or Life Imitating Art: Reality TV, or at least “reality” for some, the yachts of Bravo’s Successful TV Series, Below Deck.

With all the talk as well as seizing of Russian Oligarchs' superyachts, we are seeing them on our TV sets through the eyes of the Captain, crew, and passengers of the TV Show Below Deck. No, these are not owned by any Russian Oligarchs but are legally owned and run by others for private charters.

Let’s look a little closer at these vessels.

At its inception, the show introduced us to a 164-foot Benetti, with the now-famous Captain Lee at the helm. Cruising around the Caribbean, one of the top destinations for cruisers in general, whose name was changed to Honor for the show – whose real name is in reality, Barents - wowed viewers with her luxury and elegance. With six staterooms, a sun deck, a drinks bar, and a hot tub enjoyed multiple-night charters. Barents was designed by Stefano Natucci and has recently undergone a full refit adding a sleek interior design to the arsenal of water toys, gym, beach club, and indoor and outdoor cinemas. MY (Motor Yacht) Barents charters for just over $170,000 per week.

Ohana
While 154-foot superyacht Ohana appeared in Season 2 under her own name, she was renamed Star Diamond since her sale. Built by Admiral Marine Works in 1998, Star Diamond had a major refit in 2018 and oozes classic superyacht elegance with interior works by Donald Starkey Designs, as well as plenty of deck space. She also cruised around the Caribbean, mainly in the BVI. Ohana charters for around $160,000 per week.

Eros
Season 3 saw the 163-foot Eros make her TV debut as she cruised the waters of The Bahamas with Captain Lee on the bridge. At the time she was officially named Mustang Sally but has since been renamed Stay Salty. With space for 12 guests and 10 crew members, Stay Salty is currently not available for charter, which is a disappointment to those who dreamed of lounging in her outdoor hot tub or enjoying a meal with friends around the alfresco dining table. Designed by Geoff Van Aller, Stay Salty offers a classically elegant interior styling, with rich woods and neutral tones, as well as plenty of deck space…all of which needed meticulous cleaning by her crew in 2015.

Valor
Valor appeared in Season 4, 5, and 7 cruising around the US Virgin Islands, Saint-Martin, and Phuket in Thailand. The 154-foot Dutch shipbuilder Feadship is actually named BG (for her owner, the Canadian entrepreneur Bobby Genovese) and spends her winters in the Caribbean and summers in the Med. With her monogram palette, sky lounge, beautiful outdoor spaces, and that water slide, it is easy to see why Bravo used BG as the setting for so many of its seasons. BG charters for around $154,000 per week.

MY Seanna
MY Seanna has joined Valor in featuring more times than any other Below Deck superyacht, with appearances in three of the nine seasons. When we first met her she was cruising around the islands of French Polynesia under her own name but has since been renamed Starship (although in Season 9 Below Deck she is still using her original name). Throughout her seasons on the show, MY Seanna has cruised to some other destinations including Antigua and St Kitts. With her open-air Jacuzzi, spacious beach club, and array of water toys, it’s no surprise she has been one of the show’s best-loved superyachts. Starship charters from $260,000/week.

Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Below Deck’s astounding popularity has seen spin-off series’ Below Deck Mediterranean, with the much-loved Captain Sandy at the helm, and Below Deck Sailing Yacht, with Captain Glen air simultaneously. With new cruising grounds and a whole new fleet of spectacular charter superyachts, viewers feel this is “must-see TV!”

Of course, for those not able to afford that level of luxury yet and are still seeking a private boat experience, check out H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions at https://h2ocaptain.com if you are looking for an experience that includes seeing wild horses and discovering great shelling on Shackleford Banks or seeing a Lighthouse at Cape Lookout and of course cruising the waterways of The Crystal Coast in the Southern Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA!

Whichever adventure you choose, welcome aboard!

Maritime Work Songs

Although we do not sing for work on any H2O Captain excursion, Sea Shanties were sung in days gone by aboard large merchant sailing vessels by the laborers generally on British and other ships from Europe. The songs or shanties sung at sea starting in the mid 1850ies were to give assistance to synchronize and optimize the labor force.

Labor onboard these large ships usually required a coordinated group effort in either a pulling, pushing, hauling, or heaving action including weighing anchor, rowing, and setting sail. The music was a combination of folk songs, minstrel music, and marches.  

The shanty’s “trademark” was a call and response, performed between a soloist and the rest of the laborers in chorus. The leader, called the shantyman, was valued for his “spicy” language, combined with his strong voice. Shanties were sung A cappella and, historically, they were only sung only in work-based environments rather than entertainment-oriented events.  This is what distinguishes shanties from the other kinds of songs and ballads sailors might have sung in pubs and taverns while onshore.

The switch to steam-powered vessels and the use of machines for shipboard tasks, by the end of the 19th century, meant that shanties gradually ceased to serve a practical function. Their use as work songs became negligible in the first half of the 20th century.

Two of the most notable sea shanties that you may know or at least have heard of are: "Blow The Man Down" and "Drunken Sailor.”

Shanty can also be spelled, chanty or chantey.

Photo:  Saturday Night At Sea by George Cruikshank | Wikipedia | Public Domain

Boating Safety Minute

Advice, suggestions, recommendations can be created and transmitted by many sources.  One source heard on 3 radio stations throughout "the season" mid-March through mid-October, in Eastern North Carolina (heard on FM 107.1 • AM 1240 • FM 92.9) is the Boating Safety Minute.  This 60-second spot was created by Captain Mark, the Immediate Past Flotilla Commander at the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and this PSA is presented by the USCG Aux.  Captain Mark is also the writer, producer, voice, and recording engineer of this weekly Public Service Announcement.

You will hear the anticipated water temperature for the week in the Beaufort, Atlantic Beach, Morehead City area, as well as any Local Notice to Mariners in this area, plus Captain Mark's "advice" on many educational topics for the respective week. 

So listen in, or click in to hear what is going on in these waterways in Eastern North Carolina.

Captain Mark is also a guest announcer and preparer of press releases at various times during the year for the Boating Safety Minute for the Eastern Shore of Virginia on WESR 103.3 FM, 105.7 FM, AM 1330, and the Eastern Shore Post.

Should you like Captain Mark to address questions you may have, please email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the Subject Line as Boating Safety Minute.

Just remember, an educated boater is a safe boater!

A Day Out on the Water,
What you should bring

Being the skipper of your boat has its benefits AND its responsibilities.  Whether a professional Master Captain like Captain Mark or a recreational skipper, safety must be prevalent in your preparation and throughout the day until you are back in port.

In a previous Blog, we have already introduced you to filing your Float Plan.  A necessity to let others know when you expect to depart.  Where you expect to go.  When you expect to return.  Exactly who is on board.  Not to mention, the specific identification of your boat with its name/registration number, etc.  With this information the person on land can hand over this plan to the authorities should you are tardy in your return.

Safety Gear you will want on board.  At H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions they publish a list of items passengers may wish to bring with them for the day's adventure.  A Checklist for Your Excursion

You, being the skipper, will want to make sure your boat has:

• PFDs or personal floating devices/life jackets for everyone who is coming aboard sized for adults, children, etc.
• At least 1 throwable floatation device AND a throwable line e.g. kayak throw rope
• Depending on the size of your boat, at least 1 fire extinguisher
• Visual Distress Signals
• Sound signaling device
• Registration, both State paperwork as well as your State Registration Numbers on both sides of your bow
• Insurance for your boat
• Food & Beverages, hydration is the goal here...H2O is your friend
• Sun protection:  lotion, hat, long sleeves, etc.
• Additional lines.  Bow and stern lines, plus extras as you never know
• First Aid Kit
• Anchors, both bow and stern with line, rode, chain
• VHF radio.  Even when cell service/the network is down, your VHF radio will work
• Dry bag/waterproof bag, for extra clothing  and valuables
• Nothing like being up a creek without a paddle, so bring 2 paddles!!  The H2O Captain boat ALWAYS carries 2 easily accessible paddles!!
• and emergency tools...as you never know what may happen out there!

For a FREE Vessel Safety Check, leading to a USCG Decal to display on your boat, call Captain Mark in the Atlantic Beach, Morehead City, Beaufort, NC area.

So enjoy the benefits of boating, once you take the responsibility of having the right safety equipment on board!  For more safety tips CLICK HERE.

Fair Winds and Following Seas

You read the title in the signature of every email Captain Mark sends from H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions as a complimentary close, blessing, and safe journey wish while the wind is at your back to all, "Fair Winds and Following Seas." The below is from the Navy Historical Center with an explanation of its origins.

Origin of: "Fair Winds and Following Seas."
The origin of the quote "Fair Winds and Following Seas" is unknown. It is often said to have been lifted from a poem, phrase, or literary work, but to the best of this researcher's knowledge, it wasn't. Over the last century at least, the two quotes "Fair Winds" and "Following Seas" have evolved, by usage, into a single phrase that is often used as a nautical blessing.

"Fair Winds": The Dictionary of American Regional English defines "Fair Wind" as a "safe journey; good fortune." An early example of the phrase's use is in Herman Melville's Moby Dick, published in 1851, where it says near the end "Let me square the yards, while we may, old man, and make a fair wind of it homeward." In other words, let me square the yards (add on all sail) and make a safe journey home.

"Following Seas": Defined by Bowditch's American Practical Navigator as "A sea in which the waves move in the general direction of the heading." It further defines "Tide" as "the periodic rise and fall of the water resulting from gravitational interactions between the sun, moon, and earth. . . . the accompanying horizontal movement of the water is part of the same phenomenon." In simple terms: the movement of the water, the waves, and the surface correspond with the movement of the tide.

"Fair Winds and Following Seas" is really two quotes originating from different sources. The two quotes are a nautical phrase of good luck--a blessing as it were--as the person, group, or thing it is said to depart on a voyage in life. It is often used at a "beginning" ceremony such as a commissioning ceremony of a ship or people, as well as in retirement, change of command, or farewell ceremonies.

Source: Researched by Samuel Loring Morison.
From: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Image from: USMC

Sharing The Ocean

February 20th was World Whale Day. We discuss this huge world challenge and the role the people of Shackleford Banks played in its 250-year story on every BWB...Repeat Excursion. Populations of the Critically Endangered North Atlantic right whale are estimated to have fallen by 30 individuals since 2019, leaving only around 336 of the animals left in the world. 

This brings into discussion  other questions about  the sea life around us:

Q. Loggerhead turtles' shells provide a habitat for many kinds of organisms. How many animal and plant species have been found living on one loggerhead turtle?
A. From algae to barnacles to nematodes, colonies of small plants and animals make their home on loggerhead turtles' shells. Scientists have recorded as many as 100 species of animals and plants living on a single turtle's shell. That's one way loggerhead turtles help their ecosystem, here's another -  the way they feed on their hard-shelled prey—such as conchs, clams, and urchins as they recycle important nutrients and keep ocean floor sediments in balance.  Visit the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

Q. True or false: whale poop plays a critical role in our global climate and the air we breathe.
A. Whale poop fertilizes our oceans by providing iron and nitrogen to phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants that capture around 40% of global carbon emissions and produce half of the oxygen in our atmosphere. Put another way, that's oxygen for every second breath we take. Wherever whales are found, so are phytoplankton. Protecting whales helps protect the planet.

For those looking to do a deep-dive into whales, visit the Bonehenge Whale Center in Beaufort, NC.  H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions is proud to be in their Donor Hall of Fame for its financial contributions.  Furthermore, the NC Maritime Museum, also in Beaufort, NC features a skeleton overhead of a whale.   Captain Mark is a Friends of the Museum member.

At the end of the day, safe whale watching is up to everyone! 

The Safety Discussion: A Pre-Departure Marine Safety Brief for Your Boat intended for all Skippers

BEFORE your family and friends show up, file a float plan, then:

First, show your guests how to board your vessel as well as what they can and cannot hold onto while boarding. Second, tell them where they should proceed once boarded. Third, guests may have personal belongings, show them how to open whichever hatches or staterooms you wish them to place their luggage. Forth, a bullet point approximate timing and destination(s) of your trip, at least for your first day.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.  Whether you wish to see the wild horses or discover great shelling on Shackleford Banks, or just go out for a short cruise on your waterways, if you are the skipper of your boat and you are having guests aboard, whether for a sunny afternoon, overnight, or a long trip away from port, you must familiarize those guests with your boat, its features, location of safety devices, how to use the marine toilet (if applicable), how to use your VHF radio, basic boat operation, man overboard challenges and what to do including “spotters,” how to engage your life raft, again if applicable, etc.

Safety hazard: slip and trip. Water and feet oftentimes do not play well together as any deck, even with ribbed fiberglass and the best boat shoes, can be slippery. Even in an emergency, don’t run, otherwise, you may be creating another emergency.

A clean boat is a happy boat! It’s always trash pickup day on a boat. Let your guests know where to place their trash, whether plastic, metal, or paper.

As the suggestions above, as well as the below H2O Captain Safety Instruction and Orientation, are already overwhelming, especially to first-time boat guests, when it comes to docking and/or anchoring, the skipper should give instructions just prior to those maneuvers so retention will be high while also assigning tasks to some guests. Even a rookie on the water will most likely be able to put out a fender or two to assist you in docking!

Furthermore, as there is a lot to take in and not everyone may understand, please encourage your guests to ask questions as there are no foolish questions! Upon your return to the dock that afternoon or after a few weeks/months away, it is always a good idea to have a group debrief on what went right, and what will go right the next time!

In the interim, enjoy Mother Nature at her best…on the water!

The H2O Captain SAFETY INSTRUCTION and ORIENTATION
Safety Orientation
Prior to getting underway, Captain Mark will ensure public announcements are provided to passengers that address the following topics:
♦ Stowage location of the vessel’s PFDs/life preservers;
♦ Proper method of donning and adjusting life preservers carried aboard the vessel;
♦ The type and location of the various lifesaving devices carried on the vessel;
♦ Location and how to use the VHF radio.

Passenger Counts
Captain Mark will keep a count of all passengers received & delivered from day to day.

Emergency Instructions
Captain Mark will ensure that passengers will be told where the personal flotation devices/life preservers, throw rope, Type IV throwable, fire extinguishers, bailing bucket, 1st Aid Kit, floating locator electronic SOS beacon, navigation aid, and handheld VHF radio with its build-in GPS giving the vessel’s latitude and longitude as well as DSC button, and “blue card” with additional emergency procedures are located. PLUS:
♦ All storage area/hatches, and doors to be closed to prevent taking water aboard;
♦ Bilges kept dry to prevent loss of stability
♦ Passengers seated and evenly distributed;
♦ All passengers encouraged to wear PFDs during rough seas or inlet crossings;
♦ International distress call and call to the Coast Guard over the H2O Captain hand-held VHF (channel 16) radio made if assistance is needed and is constantly monitored.

Measures to be considered in the event of a man overboard
♦ Type IV PFD (behind helm) and/or kayak throw rope (mounted on the port side of the console) thrown as close to person-in-the-water (PIW) as possible;
♦ Lookout posted to keep PIW in sight.
♦ Strong swimmer or Captain Mark, wearing a life preserver and tending line standing by to enter the water to assist in recovery, if necessary;
♦ Coast Guard and all nearby vessels notified by VHF (channel 16) or DSC button;
♦ Search continued until after VHF (channel 16) consultation with the Coast Guard (if possible).

Measures to be considered in the event of a fire at sea
♦ Cut off the air supply to the fire by closing hatches, door, etc.
♦ Portable fire extinguishers (the H2O Boat carries two B-1’s located inside console door just left of center on the bottom) discharged at the base of the flames of flammable liquid or grease fires, or water applied to fires of combustible solids.
♦ If fire is in machinery spaces, shut off fuel supply by turning off ignition key.
♦ Vessel maneuvered to minimize the effect of wind on the fire.
♦ Coast Guard and all vessels in the vicinity notified by VHF (channel 16) of the fire, and location of the vessel.
♦ Passengers moved away from the fire, with all hopefully wearing life preservers.

How Gallant's Point and Gallant's Channel Got Their Names

On the majority of H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions, Captain Mark takes his passengers through all of Gallant’s Channel and past Gallant’s Point.  There is a lot of history in this area and we bring some of that history to you in our Blog series which features points of interest on H2O Captain adventure tours.  Captain Mark wants to personally thank Mary Warshaw for her compilation of this history as we have reprinted her words and research with permission.

1709 Map by John Lawson

John Galland and his sister Penelope were the stepchildren of Governor Charles Eden. (Originally the name was most likely spelled Golland.)

John, born about 1698, and his sister Penelope, born about 1695, were the children of John Galland (abt. 1677-1704) and Penelope Belchier (?) (abt. 1677-1716).

In 1705, after the death of John and Penelope’s father, their mother Penelope Belchier Galland married Charles Eden, who became the second governor of colonial Carolina in 1713.

Penelope Galland Eden died 4 January 1716. About 1719, Governor Eden built “Eden House” on Salmon Creek near Chowan River and the “Town on Queen Anne’s Creek.” Charles died of yellow fever in 1722; shortly afterward, the town was renamed Edenton in his honor. At this time, John Galland would have been about 24 and his sister Penelope about 27, then married to William Maule.

John’s sister Penelope Galland (1695-1750) married four times.

1.    Penelope married William Maule about 1710. Maule was Surveyor-General of Bertie County, planter, politician, and military leader during the Tuscarora War and Cary’s Rebellion. He died in 1726.

2.    Penelope married John Lovick about 1726. Lovick served as a member of Gov. Eden’s Council and, in 1722, inherited much of Eden’s estate including “Eden House.” Lovick died in 1733, leaving Penelope as one of the wealthiest women in the colony.

3.    Penelope married George Phenny about 1734. Phenney was "Surveyor General of His Majesties Customs Southern District on the Continent of America." From 1721 to 1727, Phenney was Governor of the Bahamas. He died in 1737.

4.    Penelope married Gov. Gabriel Johnston about 1740; they lived at “Eden House.” Gabriel Johnston became the longest-serving governor in state history, 1734 to 1752. Penelope died in 1750 at “Eden House.”

Moseley Map - 1737

About 1726, Penelope’s brother John Galland, then about 28 years old, received a patent for acreage in Core Sound signed by brother-in-law John Lovick. Galland became clerk of court for Carteret County in 1727; he continued in that position until December 1729 and died in 1730. Part of Galland’s acreage north of Beaufort became known as Galland’s Neck, Gallant’s Point, or Gallant’s Creek.

DOCUMENTATION

1857 Gallant's Point

Sep 1727: THIS DAY JOHN GALLAND PRODUCED A COMMISSION FOR CLERK OF THIS COURT WHICH WAS ACCEPTED OF AND THE COURT ADJOURNED TO THE HOUSE OF MR JOHN SHACKLEFORD AT FOUR O CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.  THE COURT MET ACCORDING TO ADJOURNMENT AND IS NOW SETT.

Jun 1729: IT IS ORDERED THAT MR JOHN GALLAND, CLERK OF OUR COURT FIND US A DINNER ALWAYS THE FIRST COURT DAY AND HAVE THE AMERSMENT FOR HIS TROUBLE.

Aside from his normal duties as Clerk and acknowledging adjournments or various deeds, there is no mention of John Galland Esq. after Dec 1729.  Therefore John Galland died 1730, since the last official act he performed was…

Dec 1729: RICHARD RUSTULL, JOSEPH BELL AND JOHN GALLAND ESQS IN OPEN COURT ACKNOWLEDGED A DEED FOR A LOT IN BEAUFORT TOWN NO 2 IN THE NEW TOWN, UNTO WILLIAM OWINS AND ORDERED TO BE REGISTERED. There was no spring quarter session for 1730.  John Simpson became the succeeding Clerk of Court.

Jun 1730: JOHN SIMPSON CAME INTO OPEN COURT AND PRODUCED A COMMISSION FOR CLERK OF THIS COURT FROM JOHN LOVICK ESQ, SECRETARY. HE TOOK THE OATH ENJOYNED BY LAW FOR QUALIFICATION OF PUBLICK OFFICERS BEFORE ENOCH WARD ESQ.

The Carteret Court abstracts above were compiled by Rebecca Willis Sanders.

………………………………………………………….........................................

May 1731 – Minutes of the North Carolina Governor’s Council (Colonial and State Records): The Deposition of Mr Richard Russell being first sworn on the Holly Evangelist saith that some time agoe Mr John Galland Brother in Law to Mr Lovick Brought a blank Pattent down to Core sound (as he remembers) without mention of number of acres inserted and a reciept inserted on the back of said Pattent signed by Mr Lovick and the Deponant not approving to have ye sd Pattent filled up but at ye Secretarys office he sent ye same up to ye said office & had the patent perfected.

And further this Deponant saith not

        RICHARD RUSSELL

………………………………………………………........................................

In September 1731, Richard Rustull Sr. sold the lot #13 in Beaufort to Mary Galland for £3. Mary was most likely the widow of John Galland.

Rich:d Rustull of Carteret Precinct, Bath County in consideration of £3 current money sells to Mary Galland, a lot of ½ acre in the “town of Port Beaufort” No. 10 [sic], formerly belonging to John Shaw and made over to the grantor. (Original deed (book D pp.95-96): Dated 22 Mar 1730/1, registered Sep 1731) This deed contains a clause that she must build a habitable house on the 20’ by 15’ lot within two years. Witnessed by Jo. Bell and Jm:s Winright. Acknowledged before Jm:s Winright.

………………………………………….........................................................

Carteret Court minutes 1731 (Rebecca Willis Sanders' abstract): RICHARD RUSTULL ESQ CAME INTO OPEN COURT AND ACKNOWLEDGED A DEED FOR A LOTT IN BEAUFORT TOWN NUMBER 13 TO MARY GALLAND AND ORDERED TO BE REGISTERED

…………………………………………........................................................

Letter from Robert Williams to the NC Council of Safety, 14 Sept 1776 (Colonial and State Records)

...........I think I heard that Gallands Neck was valued being abt 270 Acres at about £270, surely it would not sell for 1/3 of the money exclusive of 3 or 4 Acres the Salt work stands upon, if any more works are made there 10 or 12 Acres would be sufficient for the Country but guess better places may be had hereafter, Although I had Sufficient reason to fix there at the time I began as Tenders with great reason were hourly Expected.

We have cut all the pines that we could find as at foot of the acct, few would have squared 8 Inch at 20 feet long, nor one of them maul into rails, the land for many years past had been constantly Pillaged by the town People. There is a bit of tolerable land where a Plantation formerly was but the chiefest part is only low grassy piney Land with tolerable Clay bottom and no ways preferable to piney land of the kind in Common; only for this disadvantage that it has no trees for turpentine, or rails, nor a knot of lightwood left unpillaged.

 ..................................................................................................................

John Galland died at about thirty-two years of age. For the last four years of his life, he owned acreage in Beaufort and was Clerk of Court for Carteret County.

Contemporary Map - Gallant's Point

Our Coast’s history: The early days of Bogue Banks / Part 3 of 3
Excerpts from an article by David Cecelski, reprinted with permission

An H2O Captain excursion is an experience. We get to see the Atlantic Ocean, the wild horses of Shackleford Banks, discover great shelling on Sand Dollar Island or on Shack, or on The Cape. See a lighthouse and the Beaufort and Morehead City waterfronts, USCG Station Ft. Macon, not to mention the Rachel Carson Preserve.

If that already wasn’t a WOW, if you go on our exclusive excursion, “Lunch in Swansboro and the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway),” we will travel approximately 25 miles one way, the complete length of Bogue Banks along the ICW.

**********

Now and then, the sea provided very different kinds of gifts. In her memoir, Alice Guthrie Smith recalled, for instance, how wind and waves knocked a load of lumber off a schooner during the great hurricane of 1885.

The lumber washed up on Bogue Banks and after the storm, she wrote, “everybody that needed lumber went over to the beach and pulled up all they wanted. Dad saved enough to start him a small house to the Rice Path.”

I am always surprised, when I visit the old homes on Salter Path or on Ocracoke or some other island village, how often people tell me that this room’s floor or this chest of drawers or this table came off a shipwreck years ago.

It always feels as if there is no limit to the way that the islanders were bound to and shaped by the ways of the sea.

A girl or a young woman sitting in the doorway of her family’s cabin on Bogue Sound, Salter Path, 1935-40. Photo: Charles A. Farrell, courtesy State Archives of North Carolina

Now and then, I get a glimpse in “Judgment Land” at something that I rarely hear talked about: the fear that the island’s women felt for their safety and the safety of their daughters when their husbands were away fishing and hunting or when their husbands had died and left them on their own.

Kay Stephens tells the story, for instance, of a night during the Civil War when three men from the mainland forced their way into the home of Francis and Horatio Frost and raped two of their daughters. At the time, Horatio and their only son were gigging flounder on Bogue Sound.
In another part of the book, Lillian Golden recalled the fear that she and her widowed mother felt at their home in Salter Path when she was a girl.

“The neighborhood wasn’t thickly settled, and you didn’t think of calling nobody … I was scared to go to sleep nights. We were in the woods. The other young’uns had a father with them, you see.
Like so many other young women of the time, Lillian did not wear make-up and rarely wore jewelry in the hope that she could avoid men’s attentions.

Young women visiting in the doorway of a cottage in Salter Path, 1935-40. Photo: Charles A. Farrell, courtesy, State Archives of North Carolina

I found Lillian Golden’s recollections of her widowed mother especially entrancing when I reread “Judgment Land” the other day.

Her mother, Mary Francis Smith, took her husband’s death very hard. He was scarcely 30 years old when he died after a long illness in 1901. Beset by grief, Laura Francis was visited by nightmares for years.

Lillian told Kay Stephens that, in order to comfort her mother, she slept with her, nuzzled against her back, from the time that she was a little girl until she was married in 1918.

Yet for all that, Mary Francis managed to provide for herself and her children.
”She clammed and caught soft-shell crabs in the spring and summer. She took in sewing, sometimes staying up late into the night to finish a dress that was wanted the next day. In the fall and winter, she and her children would cut wood and sell it by the cord …
“She would cut the leaves off the yaupon (bushes) and sell them to a factory on Harkers Island. (Harkers Island is 18 miles east of Salter Path.) There the leaves were cured and put into sacks and sold under the brand name `Carolina Tea.’

“In 1905 after her aunt Mahalia Ann Guthrie was no longer able to serve as the village midwife, Laura Francis began her long career delivering the babies not only in Salter Path but elsewhere on the banks.”  She was a little bit of everything: fisherwoman, seamstress, woodcutter, herbalist, midwife, and mother, as well as, for a time, the village’s postmistress.

To get by, Mary Francis saved and reused every little thing, kept two big gardens and spun her own thread, and made her family’s clothes. Her neighbors shared and together they made do and got by.
My friend Karen Willis Amspacher is the director and guiding spirit at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island. Many of her ancestors came from Shackleford Banks, the island I mentioned earlier that is just to the east of Bogue Banks.

More than once, when we have been discussing how hard it was to survive on those islands back in the day, Karen has just shaken her head and told me, “Those were some tough folks, David. That’s all I can say. Those were some tough folks.”

A mother and her children on their front porch, Salter Path, 1935-40. Photo: Charles A. Farrell, courtesy, State Archives of North Carolina

Coastal Review is featuring the work of North Carolina historian David Cecelski, who writes about the history, culture, and politics of the North Carolina coast. Cecelski shares on his website essays and lectures he has written about the state’s coast as well as brings readers along on his search for the lost stories of our coastal past in the museums, libraries, and archives he visits in the U.S. and across the globe.

About David Cecelski
Historian David Cecelski shares his time between Durham and his family's homeplace in Carteret County. He has written several award-winning books and hundreds of articles about history, culture, and politics on the North Carolina coast. His writing focuses on telling stories from his little corner of the world that illuminate American history more broadly. Dr. Cecelski was recently the co-recipient of the N.C. Literary and Historical Association’s Crittenten Award for lifetime achievement.

Reprinted with permission from www.CoastalReview.org,