After we left Morehead City, we sailed down the Neuse River, across Pamlico Sound, onward towards Ocracoke. We knew we were back in NC when we saw the shrimp boats.
The National Park Service as an office there and offers discounted dockage, complete with water and electricity. We and another sailboat were the only 2 cruising sailboats there and we both tied up at the dock. That’s the lighthouse behind us, on the far side of the inlet.
Ocracoke has a lot of history, including #1, being where Blackbeard was killed. There is a LOT of pirate related stuff there. Also, during the 1940’s a English patrol boat was sunk by a German submarine not far off the shore. Four bodies washed up and were buried at Ocracoke. To this day, every Mother’s Day, the British send a troop of guys over to have a proper ceremony. During the war, the English commissioned private trawlers to the service, giving them a few men, a 4” cannon, a machine gun and some depth charges to defend themselves and our coast. During 1942, apparently one allied ship per day was lost to German U Boats.
Besides the beach and inner harbor (only 1/3 mile wide)
there are quiet shady streets in Ocracoke. This is Howard Street, one of the oldest, cool on a warm spring day. Houses are reportedly built with wood salvaged from the many shipwrecks on this coast.
And wisteria …. Haven’t seen it for a while.
We walked to the lighthouse, but it’s not open for visitors. It’s the second oldest functioning lighthouse in the US. Remember those Fresnell lenses? This one has a 4th order lense.
Luke’s been on the boat too long….. 
Unfortunately, the economic situation has hit even small Ocracoke. This is a sad sign.
We left at dawn on Saturday, April 25, and are in transit towards Elizabeth City. We spent the night at an anchorage along the ICW tonight and are in Elizabeth City today, Sunday. It's hot --- 94 ---must be summer in the south.
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