After 20 years, Day at the Docks still honors the watermen who brought Hatteras back to life after Isabel… WITH SLIDESHOW

Photos by Don Bowers

The 20th annual Day at the Docks (DATD) celebration on Saturday, September 14, opened and closed with tributes to the working watermen and women who helped Hatteras Village come back to life after Hurricane Isabel tore through the island in 2003, cutting a new inlet that separated Hatteras from the rest of the world.

Lynne Foster welcomed the crowd at the launch of the day’s festivities, telling the story of how the community got back on its feet with no power, no water, and no road to leave the village.

“When Hurricane Isabel came roaring in, in 2003, Hatteras Village had never before or since experienced such devastation,” said Foster. “After checking on family, friends, and neighbors, folks got to work [and] the watermen led the way… In a very short time, amazing things started to happen.”

Charter fishermen, commercial fishermen, the U.S. Coast Guard, and even the N.C. Ferry Division joined forces to clean up the mess of debris on the ground, and shuttle in desperately-needed supplies from the outside world.

Children attended the Buxton schools by boat instead of bus, and temporarily out-of-work watermen started helping friends and neighbors with salvaging what was left of their homes and businesses.

“They showed up at the destroyed docks uninvited and started to make them usable. Yes, the docks were necessary for them getting back to work, but they also knew that the entire village depended on their viability,” said Foster. “They started ripping out waterlogged carpets and sheetrock in homes and commercial buildings. Nasty work, but necessary for recovery. And that was just the beginning.

“All of our watermen strove to get normalcy back,” said Foster. “We decided we needed to honor them, all of them, and thus, Day at the Docks [was born.]”

The modern two-day Day at the Docks Festival is a far cry from the one-day event that launched the annual tradition back in 2004, and despite bouts of rain showers throughout the day, hundreds flocked to the docks on Saturday to mingle and explore the various vendors, activities, and attractions.

The Youth Fishing Tournament, which is always one of the most popular and lively events of the day, attracted 118 young anglers who stormed the Hatteras Harbor Marina’s waterfront to reel in a treasure trove of prizes.

“Huge shout out to Capt. Sue Garrett and her crew for spearheading the Youth Fishing Tournament,” stated DATD organizers.

Donations of bait, time, and the coveted prizes were generously provided by a crowd of local businesses, including Village Marina, Miss Hatteras, Hatteras Marlin Club, Gambler Sportfishing, Jeffrey’s Seafood, Teach’s Lair Marina, Lee Robinson General Store, Frisco Rod & Gun, Red Drum Tackle Shop, Red Drum Food Mart, Scotch Bonnet Fudge & Gifts, Frank & Fran’s, and Happy Belly Ice Cream, (just to name a few.)

The Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation’s annual Chowder Cook-off was another popular event, with festival attendees deciding the eventual winner of the heated contest among seven Hatteras Island restaurants. First place in the mouth-watering contest went to Kat’s Deli of Hatteras Village, while Breakwater Restaurant scored second place, and Dinky’s Waterfront Restaurant earned a third-place win.

There were a number of noteworthy headlines and events at the 2024 DATD, including (and especially) the annual Seafood Throwdown competition. This year’s head-to-head match was between Chef Tyler Naughton and sous Josh Klug of Toucana Grill in Hatteras Village, and Chef Brandyn Powers and sous Blake Taft of The Froggy Dog in Avon.

2024’s seafood star ingredient was pompano, and judges Lynne Foster, Sarah Hallis of the N.C. Coastal Federation, and John Griffin, Executive Director of the Chicamacomico Historical Association, had their work cut out for them as they cleaned their plates.

In the Seafood Throwdown, a total of 35 points are given for originality, presentation, flavor, and relevance to this year’s theme of “seafood and sauce.” In a very rare first, (and without the judges comparing notes), the competition ended in a tie between both restaurants, with the winners’ plaque shared – for the time being – between The Froggy Dog and Toucana Grill.

Throughout the day, attendees browsed through different exhibits at the Education Tent, explored vendors and children’s activities, and tried to escape the rain that threatened, (but failed), to put a damper on the festivities.

The skies cleared by the evening’s boat parade and Blessing of the Fleet, which was led by Rev. Charles Moseley, who had originally moved to Hatteras Village with his wife Peggy just a few months before Isabel hit.

Now retired, Rev. Moseley was the minister at the Hatteras United Methodist Church, and was an instrumental presence in the days, weeks, and years following the historic 2003 storm.

“Ernie [Foster] last night made a comment, and I said, ‘That’s the perfect way to sum up our experience that we had those 21 years ago,’” said Rev. Moseley during the Blessing. “He was quoting Charles Dickens – ‘It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.’

“It was some of the worst times that this village had experienced in over a generation,” said Rev. Moseley. “[But] it brought out the very best out of the people of this village, and the people of this whole island.

“When the worst came, the water people – the captains, the ferry boat people, the Coast Guard, the working watermen, the recreational fishermen – all came together. There was no money to be made – they were cut off. Highway 12 was no more, and the only way in and out was by boat,” he said.

“Without them, this village would not be here today. This village has been here for many, many generations, and God willing, it will be here for many more.”

The winners of the 2024 Concrete Marlin Competition are as follows:

• 1st Place Team: Johnny Fairbanks and John Canning
• 2nd Place Team: Wheeler Ballance and Pete Wann

• 1st Place: Eryn Ratliff and Jeidy Garcia-Velazquez
• 2nd Place: Ella Snead and Taylor Hickman

• 1st Place: Stella Powell and Emma Oden
• 2nd Place: Ryan Oden and Sylene Midgett

The winners of the 2024 Annual Youth Fishing Tournament are as follows: