When the Italian vessel Nuova Ottavia wrecked on shoals off Currituck Beach just after sunset on Wednesday evening, March 1, 1876, it made no sense to any of the horror-struck witnesses, and the incident still makes no sense. It had been seen earlier about five miles from shore with rough seas and “rather high and […]

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The two most common mistakes in Outer Banks history are arguably referring to the Old Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station as the Pea Island Station, and the history surrounding the Wright brothers. From long debates over whether North Carolina or Ohio could claim the title of being the “Birthplace of Aviation,” to the concept of who […]

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On October 11, 1896, a most remarkable rescue by the most remarkable crew of the U.S. Life-Saving Station No. 17 Pea Island took place, which became a pedestal of honored U.S. Coast Guard achievements. Etheridge’s Early Years When there was suddenly an opening for Keeper of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station, a surprising thing happened. […]

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One Remains Upon a Pedestal of Coast Guard History to This Day. They Happened 122 Years Ago This Month. By James D. “Keeper James” Charlet Two of the most daring and dramatic shipwrecks in American history occurred off of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. They were not only in the same month and year of 1899, […]

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The old Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station is often confused with the historic Pea Island Station, and this is an extremely common – and highly understandable – mistake. What is pictured here is the Old Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station. Since it is located on the northern tip of Pea Island, it is natural to assume that it would […]

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Our National Seashore Neighbor Readers of Island Free Press are certainly familiar with our Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It stretches for 70 miles from Bodie Island to Ocracoke. It was the nation’s very first national seashore, having been established in 1953. Hatteras Island is the main part of this seashore and is happily in the […]

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Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the discovery of the Carroll A. Deering off the shores of Cape Hatteras. Keeper James Charlet recounts the mysterious tale.

This story is being written in deep gratitude to Hatteras Island’s award-winning Island Free Press. I have known this media outlet literally from Day One. I knew its first Editor, the late-great Irene Nolan, when she was the editor of the now defunct Island Breeze. I have not only known the succeeding publisher – Donna […]

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The Henry P. Simmons was one in a trash heap of ships engulfed in the unholy terror of a great Outer Banks Atlantic rage, known afterwards simply as “The October 23, 1889 Storm.” It would involve nearly a dozen ships, two states, multiple Life-Saving Stations, and would endure for nearly a week. Some pf these […]

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The schooner Robert H. Stevenson has almost been lost to the historic records. She was only three years old when she disappeared forever on the infamous Diamond Shoals. Very little makes sense about the wreck and ensuing non-rescue, and there remains a hugely significant amount of a mystery surrounding the whole affair. The Services From […]

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