Have you ever wanted to be a pirate? Or romanticized about plying the 7 seas flying the Skull & Crossbones on your own pirate sloop in the 18th century? TV makes it look like so much fun. From Eroll Flynn to Johnny Depp, who wouldn't want to be a pirate. But alas, matey's, as an avid history buff, after researching what a pirates life was really like back in the day, Disney's "yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me" has a bit less appeal to this former sailing enthusiast than it used to..........
Day 1 - Friday, May 6 - 326 miles
Storm
"Rain, rain go away
Little Bobby wants to play
Rain, rain, go away
Come back another day
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| Alway's stop for lunch at your own mini-mart |
It didn't work. Most days a 30% rain chance means you will probably get rained on for a short time, especially over a long distance. Hmmm.........
I was getting spit on by the time I reached Hwy 11. There were bursts of sun now and then, but they were getting farther and fewer between. All in all a beautiful ride in the morning. Left my house at 9:30 AM with a fully loaded ST, ready for a 3 day tour. The ride was really nice - just a few bouts of really light rain, and mostly minimal traffic for a Friday. Stopped for lunch in Chester, SC before continuing on to Lancaster. Then the weather gods started getting cranky.
(sing to the tune of Gilligans Island)
"The weather started getting rough
The big ST was tossed
If not for the courage of the fearless rider
The Honda would be lost,
The Honda would be lost!!
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| I commandeered the whole pavilion. Hey, I was dry this night! |
The rain came down steady, but moderately. The farther east I rode, the darker the skies became. A funny and bright spot in all this, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, I came upon a store called Dudley DoRights General Store! Remember him? The Canadian Mountie who was right's champion? Very cool. But unfortunately, no pics, as I did not want to stop in this rain. So I pressed on. Seventy miles out from N. Myrtle Beach, the rain just kept getting thicker. The skies were almost black, but thankfully, no lightning, and surprisingly, visibility really wasn't compromised. Turning north onto Hwy 17 and into North Carolina, I arrived at the Sunset Beach KOA at 5:45, rain still coming down. I pulled into my campsite and sought cover under the kitchen pavilion, waiting for the rain to stop, or at least let up enough to get my tent up. After 45 minutes I said "screw it", and went about setting up my tent in the pavilion. Ah, the versatility of free standing tents. Setup, dry up, dry out. Tomorrow calls for better weather. It must, for tomorrow I go in search of a pirates laire.......
Day 2 - May 7 - 158 miles
The rain finally stopped sometime during the night. I awoke to a very foggy morning, but could see ol' Sol trying to burn his way through the muck. Picked up my tent (I love this thing!), moved it to my assigned tentsite, and prepared for my tour over a cup of espresso and a hearty breakfast. By 10 AM, temps had warmed up and the sunshine was breaking through. I geared up, fired up the beaST, and headed east towards Sunset Beach. The plan was to follow the Cape Fear River north to Wilmington, visiting the little beach communities along the way. Sunset Beach, a beautiful little beach town, Ocean Isles Beach, ditto, then on to Holden Beach, where I promptly got lost. Sort of. You see, the roads along this coastline don't run north/south, east/west like the roads in the SC Lowcountry. No, these roads actually have curves and turns and dead ends to throw off your sense of direction. But oh, the beauty that surrounds you! This area of coastal NC is a real hidden treasure between the vacation hot spots of Myrtle Beach and The Outer banks. And I was having a blast exploring these back roads without having a clue of where I was going. Eventually, I popped out on Hwy 211 and headed east to Southport, an absolutely beautiful little town on the banks of the Cape Fear River, the stomping grounds and end of the line for her most infamous non-resident, pirate extrordinnaire, Stede Bonnet.
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| KOA - Sunset Beach |
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| KOA-Sunset beach A relaxing home base |
A Gentleman Pirate and the Battle of Cape Fear
The Golden Age of Pirates in the New World thrived from about 1660 to 1720. Many famous and infamous characters roamed the Caribbean, seeking gold, silver and other plunder to enrich themselves. The names "Black Bart" Roberts, "Calico Jack" Rackham, Captain Kidd and Henry Morgan struck fear into many a seaman's soul. As the age began drawing to a close, a few men became household names in their own right. One of these men was Stede Bonnet.
History lesson! History lesson! 'The Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet was probably born in 1668 on Barbados, a major English colony at the time. His family was apparently fairly well-off, as his father owned over 400 acres of land, which Stede inherited after his father died in 1694. In 1709, Bonnet married a Mary Allamby, and within eight years, had a family of three sons and a daughter. By 1717 however, Bonnet yearned for something more in his life. It seemed that married life was not all he had hoped for. Some personal records show that it turned out his wife was a bit of a nag, which eventually drove him to find adventure and excitement away from Barbados. In 1718, Bonnet made the decision to try his hand at being a pirate, purchased a ship, and promptly christened her Revenge.
Bonnet's decision to become a pirate is something of an anomaly. You see, he had no training in sailing or navigation whatsoever, a bit of a disadvantage, yes? He relied on his crew to sail and navigate the Revenge. He was also described as something of a dandy, wearing fine gentleman's clothes on the quarterdeck. Lastly, pirates usually capture a ship, then fit it as a pirates vessel. Bonnet paid cash money for the Revenge.
In September of 1717, after barely surviving a battle with a Spanish man-of-war, Bonnet and the Revenge put into Nassau in the Bahamas to refit, re-provision and take on new crew. It was here that Bonnet met Edward Teach, the infamous Blackbeard. He made the fateful decision to join forces with the more famous pirate, and almost immediately Bonnet's crew gravitated to the charismatic, ruthless, more experienced Blackbeard. Bonnet essentially became a "guest" on his own vessel, now under the command of the vicious Blackbeard.
Incensed, Bonnet eventually reclaimed his ship and picked up some crewmen that Blackbeard had marooned nearby. In the process he adopted the alias "Captain Thomas", and changed his ship's name to the Royal James. He sailed north to Delware Bay, plundering eleven ships along the way, before coming about and sailing south to the Cape Fear River in North Caroilina. Bald Head Island at the mouth of the Cape Fear was a pirate stronghold at the time. Every pirate worth his salt could evade the British Navy here because of the treacherous waters at the mouth of the Cape Fear.
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| Southport Riverwalk: Cape Fear River To the left is Battery Island In the middle is Bald Head Island: Famous pirate stronghold |
Word got out to South Carolina governor Robert Johnson that "Captain Thomas" was moored in the Cape Fear. He sent Col. William Rhett with two British Navy sloops to hunt down and capture Bonnet and crew. They arrived at the mouth of the Cape Fear in the evening of Sept. 26. The next morning, Bonnet spotted the British ships, promptly raised the Skull and Crossbones and made the ill-fated decision to sail towards the British to engage them. Cannon fire started almost immediately. For the next six hours, these two enemies fired cannon at each other. Outnumbered 3 to 1, Bonnet and the remaining 34 men of his crew eventually were captured, and transported to Charleston, SC, arriving on October 3. While captured, Bonnet and two of his officers escaped, but were promptly re-captured. His trial took place on November 10, and Bonnet conducted his own defense. He was found guilty on two counts of piracy, and sentenced to be hanged.He was executed in Charleston on November 17.
Southport
I love this place. If you are looking for a laid back, romantic getaway with your main squeeze, this would fit the bill nicely. A beautiful, quaint little river town that invites you to just stroll and bring the blood pressure down. Don't expect things "to do" here. It's not that kind of place. Go down the road to Myrtle Beach for that. Beautiful old homes, B&B's, nice restaurants, and coffee houses make for a leisurely day on the town. Riverwalk is beautiful. and historical markers tell of the rich and sordid history of this town. As a matter of fact, I spotted a book written by a local historian and resident titled "Before we were Quaint: The Illegal and Illicit History of Southport." Would have purchased it, but the store was closed.
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| Moore's Market A beautiful old home Now a cafe - great food & java |
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| Shaded Avenue along Riverwalk |
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| Southport Beach on the Cape Fear |
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| They take their pirates seriously in Southport |
As luck would have it, my camera batteries died within two clicks of the shutter, and not a single AA battery was to be found in town. Can you believe it? OK. Plan B. Back on the ST, stop at a quickmart 5 miles out of town, buy batts and motor up to Wilmington, NC. Will return to Southport late this afternoon.
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| Fort Johnston officers Quarters Southport |
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| Southport Riverwalk |
WWII Revisited
The plan in Wilmington was to visit the WWII Battleship USS North Carolina, permanently moored on the Cape Fear, then head to downtown Wilmington's Riverwalk for coffee and people watching. Never made it to Riverwalk. Why? Because touring the USS North Carolina was so fascinating, it took me over 2.5 hours, by which time I needed to head back to Southport.
Whether or not you are a history buff, the USS North carolina is a must see when visiting Wilmington. The period of the 1930's to 1950's in US history fascinates me. The US moving from an agrarian society to an industrialized one was sparked at this time by WWII. The Great War did inspire huge technological and mechanical engineering advances for the day. The USS North Carolina was one of those engineering marvels.
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| Battleship USS North Carolina |
Seeing how the men lived 6 decks below topside, on the high seas and in combat gave me the willies! But how fascinating and captivating it was. Forget those John Wayne Hollywood WWII movies, this is the real deal and shows how those servicemen really lived on board a US battleship. Do see this thing if in the area. Below are some pics from both above and below decks:
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| On the bow looking aft |
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| Small fighter planes were catapulted into flight. This was not a aircraft carrier |
Here are some pics from below deck:
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| Gangways like this permeate the ship |
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| Electronics Room: Look at this switch board, one of dozens in this one room alone! |
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Enlisted men's bunks. These were set up throughout the ship |
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| Inside one of the gun turrets. Projectiles are in blue. |
Wilmington
The USS North Carolina is moored directly across river from downtown Wilmington's River Walk. Wish I had time to go. Here's some pics from the aft deck of the Carolina of downtown Wilmington:
Do see this thing. I finally tore myself away and headed back to Southport. Stopped at a local coffee house for a cappucino and snack, then took a leisurely stroll around town while snapping pics. By now the sun was setting. Time to gear up and head back to the KOA. What a great tour of the Cape Fear area. This is definitely on my come back to list. Visit here. You will not be disappointed.
Day 3 - Sunday, May 8 - 281 Miles
The Long Non-winding Road
Today dawned............raining. Well, just spitting and drizzling, but wet just the same. OK. I could see bright skies to the west, and the weather report was still calling for sunny and in the 80's. Cooked breakfast with the requisite espresso, packed up the ST, and rolled out of camp at 8:15. Today the plan was to skirt the NC/SC state line in NC on HWY 904 for about 70 miles before dipping down into South Carolina.
What a beautiful road through scenic NC farmland. Sunday morning, 8:15 AM, Mothers Day, and I was the only motorized vehicle on the road. It was heaven. In Marietta, NC, it was time to pull to port (left for you landlubbers), and catch Hwy 9 in SC, the long, non-winding road, towards home. A bit of route tweaking once past Chester, SC, and this route actually cut 45 miles from the return trip. Doesn't sound like much, but when Monkey Butt starts creeping in, every mile counts. A much more pleasant ride than Friday, as the sun was shining and every mile passing beneath my Bridgestones was bringing me closer to my wonderful wife and two canine quadripeds.
Quarterdeck
The Cape Fear area of North Carolina is a lost world between the mega commercial vacation hot spots of Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks. The beach communities of Sunset Beach, Ocean Isles and Holden Beach are beautiful, great places for a laid back beach vacation. Southport is a pirates treasure on the Cape Fear River. Full of history, another great venue for a quiet, romantic getaway. Downtown Wilmington's Riverwalk will have to wait for another time. A great reason for a return trip. The Battleship USS North Carolina is a must see both in terms of the ship itself, and the story of what the state of NC, it's residents and especially school children did to rescue their state's namesake from the scrap heap. Visit here if you get the opportunity - just beware the long, non-winding road.
Captain's Log: Cape Fear Tour
3 days
765 total miles
255 miles average/day
Scenic: coastal forests; beaches
Historical: nautical; pirates
Roads: good; straight to sweeping; sportbikers will be bored
Lodging:
1. KOA Sunset Beach: quiet; away from roadway; 5 miles to beach
2. Southport: quaint B&B's
3. Wilmington: all the chain motels you want
