“Ocean Pursuit” Shipwreck Removed from Bodie Island
Less than a month after work began to remove the “Ocean Pursuit” shipwreck from the Bodie Island shoreline bordering Oregon Inlet, the vessel has completely disappeared from the local landscape.
On October 25, Cape Dredging, Inc. from Buxton, North Carolina, began the $295,000 project to remove the abandoned vessel from the beach south of Oregon Inlet Campground. Over the past weekend, the contractor finished removing the vessel itself, as well as the heavy equipment required to excavate the vessel from the sand.
Per an update from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the project area will likely be closed for another week, so that the contractor can ensure that all debris has been removed from the beach, and can restore the natural shape of the surrounding shoreline after the excavation.
The former scallop boat, previously named the “Ocean Pursuit,” ran aground at its Oregon Inlet location in early March of 2020. It became abandoned after the National Park Service made unsuccessful attempts to have the owner claim and remove the vessel.
Other than the small construction zone, there are no impacts to recreational beach access in the Bodie Island area.
