Your turn to tell a story....

I saw a post this week on Traveltalk.online that inspired a thought. How about everyone out there telling us all how you first came to learn about the Outer Banks, and about your first time here. This could be fun! Looking forward to any responses. Memories from way back, impressions of your first trip here, what keeps you coming back for more. Your turn! Add a comment.

Va.Pilot article about Pirate's Cove fire

Here's a link to a story in the Virginia Pilot.


Pirates Cove boat fire

Boats burn at Pirates Cove Marina

Apparently very early this morning two sportfishers burned to the waterline at Pirate's Cove Marina. Both boats appear to be a total loss, and some damage was noted to the smaller vessel in the slip to the east of the burned vessels. I inquired of a Pirate's Cove employee tending the site as to the names of the boats, and the names I was given were "Zone 4", which is a 1988 model, 47 foot Davis Yachts, and "Mikaria". Not sure of the spelling on the last. The fire must've been very hot as several of the closest fire departments were called to attend. At the time I was there the pilings were still smoldering! The condos to the north of the vessels were unharmed except for massive smoke. Many hands were busy with water hoses washing off the sides of the buildings. I heard no cause for the fire. Containment efforts were underway of the diesel fuel and debris floating in the water. The NC Emergency Management Crime and Safety Dept. had personnel on the scene.

It must've been really cold...

It must've been really cold up north last weekend, because I got LOTS of rental reservations. For me at least, it is turning out to be a super good season. I've got more reservations confirmed and paid than ALL the weeks we had rented last year. I was curious as to when you folks up there in the frozen north typically make your reservations? When it's really cold and snowing outside does it prompt you to think of the Outer Banks and the warm summer?

Oregon Inlet

While we out for lunch yesterday at Darrell's in Manteo, the restaurant was filled with locals and the bits and snatches of conversations we heard were quite interesting. Many were local fisherman, both commercial fisherman who sell to restaurants and wholesalers, and charter boat captains, who depend on tourist business for their living. Most of what we heard was that the Inlet is filling up very fast, and apparently no efforts are being made right now to dredge it. The common complaint was that all this massive effort to protect property on the S. Nags Head beaches by dumping sand on those beaches over the last few weeks, has directly impacted the Inlet, because now all that sand is no longer on the beach, but washed south into Oregon Inlet. Apparently also the Park Service is bulking at allowing dredge pipes on its property to transport the sand back onto the beach where it's needed. In the recent commissioner's meeting during the public comment section, Mikey Daniels appeared to represent the fisherman to ask the commissioners' help in resolving the issues concerning the Inlet.

I haven't been into the Inlet in a boat in several years, since fishing is not my thing. I am interested in hearing any comments from anyone out there reading this who does have first hand knowledge of the condition of the inlet from "the wet side". Also any information on efforts to get the dredging back on track.

Commissioners pass resolution for easements

At this past meeting of the Dare County Board of Commissioners held on February 7, the board passed a "resolution authorizing the institution of condemnation proceedings for the acquistion of perpetual beach nourishment easements...". There are 554 property owners in the first phase of the project, and of those, all but 31 have voluntarily already signed the easement. This resolution is the first step in legally acquiring the remaining easements so that the project can proceed -- once someone finds the money! The project calls for a dune to be constructed on the easement, which is the portion of land seaward of a newly devised "green line" on a map constructed by surveyors for this project. The new dune is to be 13 feet high, 50 feet wide toe to toe, and also the project provides for 200 feet of "beach" to be constructed seaward of the dune to help absorb wave action. The easement provides the right for the construction of the dune and also the future rights of the public to enjoy that beach. The first phase of the project provides for the dune construction and renourishment in an area from Isabella St in S. Nags Head north to Hawks Nest in Nags Head, and also from Sanderlin St. (approx. MP8) in Kill Devil Hills north to about MP 4 in Kitty Hawk. Information provided also states the project's actual start has been delayed until January 2006.

Wind is quieter, Spring has sprung

It is much quieter at least over here on Roanoke Island. There is only a husky 3 knot breeze from the west, and it is 57 degrees today at 2 pm. A couple of nights in a row you could HEAR the ocean roaring even over here on the Island. Even though the wind had toned down the swells were still rolling in pounding against the coast. It is amazing to stand back and marvel at the awesome power of Mother Nature.

Sorry about the double post below. The servers were telling me it did not post the first one, when it really did! Computers sometimes have a mind of their own.

Aerial photos page on my website

I added a new page of aerial photos to my website of shots taken today of the erosion and other things Outer Banks. Check it out at:


Aerial Photos of Outer Banks Feb 6, 2005

Aerial Photos of S. Nags Head page on website

I added a new page of aerial photos to my website tonight. Check it out at:


Aerial Photos of Outer Banks Feb. 6, 2005

Aerial South Nags Head shots

Took a little jaunt up and down the beach in 16 Juliet (our plane) today to check out the beach erosion views from up there. Boy the first impression when you see all that surf is wow! What big waves and for so far out! The by now famous house KuKoos Nest is featured in a couple of these shots. Other shots are from further north along other areas in S. Nags Head.

Seagull Drive and KuKoos Nest- it's still hangin' in there!



A wider view of the area:



An area a little further north:



A close up I found interesting. Look at how these brisk north, northeast winds of the last few weeks have blown the sand over the walkway to this house. And there's good news! Not ALL of that expensive Currituck clay hauled to the beach truck by truck has washed away. These few piles appear untouched by this week's storm! Of course they WERE half a mile from the watersedge last week-- just kidding!

Surfside Drive (RIP) S. Nags Head

Surfside Drive is completely gone now. I must admit that I don't know for sure if the town of Nags Head rebuilt it in any form, solid or sand. But I believe there had been some access provided along the beach front for those homes which used to be on the westside of Surfside. When these pics were taken on Feb. 5, there is no more room for a road of any sort. I guess if you are a renter in the area, you better make sure you purchase your beach driving permit!

This is looking north:



This is looking south along the beachfront south of Surfside:

Movie clips from S. Nags Head

I uploaded a couple of short movie clips of the overwash at South Nags Head. These are definitely only for broadband watchers. They do take a couple of minutes to download. Enjoy!


South Nags Head Movie Clips

More South Nags Head damage...

Went back today to see what happened overnight. Yesterday where there was an entire dune and a newly built board walkway over it, today there was nothing! The KuKoos Nest of yesterday is probably not long for this world unless this relentless pounding stops soon. It sports a new "condemned" sign posted by the town of Nags Head since it's septic system is now in the sea. I remember going to this spot the week after Isabel and this house was being painted and I remember thinking that it was a waste of good money, unless the then owners were trying to unload it quickly on some unsuspecting victim. I have lived here too long to consider anything south of Whalebone Junction desirable.

Today at the KuKoos Nest: Look at yesterday's pics and you will see the once standing board walkway in the foreground.



And the view is even more profound on the other side of Nest, as this is the rubble of that board walk, or some other one. Watch your step!



This is the way Seagull Drive looks today. Yesterday there was a meager attempt to stave off further erosion with a hastily built mini berm and a newly installed sandfence. Check yesterday's pics against this one.

More of the erosion in South Nags Head

A few more pics of the South Nags Head area follow. These were taken today at just after high tide. It does seem that most of the expensive and expansive berm hauled in from Currituck county now resides on the ocean floor, definitely not on the beach.
Wouldn't you just love to rent this house? It's called Kooky's Nest!



This is the new face of Seagull Drive around MP 21 at the south end of Nags Head.



This is the "seagull" guarding his namesake, Seagull Drive, in S. Nags Head.



And this is known as Camelot! Camelot Drive, S. Nags Head. Idyllic, isn't it?

Signs of beach erosion

I rode down to South Nags Head today to see what devastation the ocean had wrought. It always seems wierd to me in a way that we over here on Roanoke Island hardly know there is any destructive weather occurring on the beach but once over there it seems the entire slight sliver of the Outer Banks will be swallowed up by all that power. What became most amusing were the signs posted to warn one of the impending doom. Couldn't you figure it out on your own?





Ah duh? and there's more:

Friday afternoon...

and it is very cold here on the Outer Banks. I've spent too much of my day looking at webcams throughout Florida and the Caribbean. It's driving me crazy. I think some of you out there dream about the Outer Banks when you are not here, wishing you could be here no matter the season. I think if you were actually here in the midst of winter in a nor'easter you would probably think twice about wishing you were here, but I understand the sentiment. So what do we do at a time like this when you really can't just get up and go to your favorite place? You surround yourself with memorabilia of the places you love and try your damnest to simulate the experience. For me it's island music and neon pink glowing flamingoes, and tropical drinks, and beach pix on the computer screen. How about you? Comments are easy to make here. Just click the "comments" button at the bottom of the column and scroll down til you see the "Post a comment". You can post as anonymous if you want. I don't mind. Or join as a member and get a screen name.

Oh and PS... I've just decided I WANT an infinity edge pool!

Current beach nourishment project on OB

I went out yesterday to check out the current beach nourishment happenings on the beach at Nags Head. It was very cold and windy, so the shots are from the truck-pardon the quality. The "sand" is being hauled in by the dumptruck load from a borrow pit in upper Currituck. It is really mostly clay, definitely not pretty white sand, as it does not come from a beach! I have read the rationale is to use the heavier clay based material to keep it there longer. Good luck! The trucks transit thru the parking area of the little cottages south of Jeanette's Pier and back out onto the beach over a clay packed road. They dump their load there and this bulldozer pushes it up into this temporary mountain. Then 4 wheel drive vehicles come to the mountain and get loaded up then transit down the beach to the current working area and deposit their load next in line. The method seems to include being a "dune" area about 15 feet high and about that wide, then sloping in out to the existing beach, or what's left of it.
We are in for some heavy winds this weekend and next as well. I guess time will tell if this stop gap measure has any meaning. Personally I don't care for it. Although it does provide some bit of protection for those structures in danger of upending into the sea, it IS ugly, and nasty. I don't really think I'd want to spend my vacation hiking over such a dune to the tiny little natural beach that may or may not be there on the other side. It remains to be seen if the visting public will vote with their pocketbooks and move to another area for rentals after seeing this mess this summer.

And while we are on "values" of land...

A few days ago we had the occasion to meet some friends for dinner in Nags Head, and we were discussing the Outer Banks and the appreciation in property values. My husband was telling our friends of the time his granddaddy was offered the chance to buy a tract of land that extended sea to sea starting about at the north Kitty Hawk town line and going to about the Wright Memorial. The price was $400. Granddaddy Will actually had the money, but just could not bring himself to sink his very hard earned dollars into such an inhospitable piece of deserted, bleak sand. Nobody wanted it. It was just a burden to have to pay the taxes on it. So he declined the offer. Hindsight! Granddaddy Will would be turning over in his grave if he could see the tax bill on that much land today!

Couple of new web cams

I found a couple of new web cams while surfing around this a.m. Of course, my favorites all involve Caribbean and Bahamian views, but these two might be of interest to those of you hungry for the Outer Banks. The first is down at Cape Hatteras somewhere.

Cape Hatteras surf cam
This second one is labeled Nags Head, but is in reality in Kill Devil Hills, NC, at the Ramada Inn, around MP 9.5.

Nags Head surf cam

Dare County re-evaluation

Well, all property owners in Dare County should by now have received their re-evaluation notices. Now that the shouts and cries and sharp epitaphs of disbelief have died down, we can get about truly analyzing how this affects each of us. In our personal portfolio of real estate holdings in Dare County, we saw a wide variety of upswings, ranging from a low of about 2 times to a high of over 8 times the previous valuation. The lows were on the improved properties with rental homes on them. The highs were on the larger tracts of unimproved land. In general vacant lots in already platted subdivisions went up about 6 times. The county has published its "revenue neutral" rate at 22 cents, meaning that if the commissioners adopt a 2005 tax rate of no more than 22 cents the overall county budget will receive no more money than last year. However, no one has yet mentioned the other components of the tax bill that could have a far bigger impact on the bottom line of the tax paid. Those are the rates paid for fire districts and sanitation in the unincorporated areas and the municipal rates for those pieces located in a town. No mention has been made publically that I have seen as to proposed rates on these items. For instance last year, we paid 7 cents and 16 cents respectively for fire and sanitation. Unless these rates drop down to 2.8 and 6.4 cents the average taxpayer will pay more. I sincerely doubt that the commissioners will adopt a rate of less than a whole cent number, so we probably can expect to pay 3 and 7 cents, which will increase taxes. Also for the municipalities which I am familiar with, those being Southern Shores (previously at 20 cents) and Kitty Hawk (previously at 38 cents) those budgets will be set individually by each town, and their rates remain to be seen. It should be interesting to see if this is used as an opportunity to increase revenue anyway, and blame it on the "whole cent" thing.
Personally we will definitely pay more tax next year, because the pieces we own rose more than the 2.47 average. I suppose one should be glad that a solid outperforming investment was made. One thing is for sure, there are many more millionaires in Dare County now, at least on paper. They were here all along, but now they know it.