The Great Swash

Wind, waves, tide, time, and humans are constantly shaping and re-shaping the Outer Banks. The Great Swash (35°09'21'N 75°51'30"W) is the name given to an area on Ocracoke (see screenshot below) that half a century ago was rarely dry, almost continually awash with tide.

Not surprisingly, the Great Swash is the site of Old Hatteras Inlet. Today, however, that area has been stabilized by the construction of a barrier dune between NC Highway 12 and the Atlantic Ocean. The casual visitor would not recognize this as an area that was at one time marsh and wetlands.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Capt. Horatio Williams and his schooner, the Paragon. You can read the story here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112115.htm.