Merry Christmas!

Holiday Greetings from Philip Howard and the entire staff of Village Craftsmen!

We wish you the Merriest Christmas filled with love, peace, and good cheer.

This is also the season of the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. May we all live in peace and harmony.

As in the past, we will be taking a short break from posting on this blog in order to enjoy time with family and friends over the holiday season. However, we may post now and then on Facebook, so please continue to follow us there.

Be sure to check back with us on January 9 for more history, news, and stories about Ocracoke Island. And, of course, we wish all of our readers, family, friends, neighbors, and visitors a Happy New Year with all good things in 2017.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is Capt. Rob Temple's poem, "A Pirate's Christmas." You can read it hear: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news122116.htm

Oyster Roast

Ocracoke Working Watermen's 11th Annual Oyster Roast & Shrimp Steam Fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 30, 2016.

If you are on the island for the holidays, be sure to join our Working Watermen for this quintessential coastal event! 

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is Capt. Rob Temple's poem, "A Pirate's Christmas." You can read it hear: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news122116.htm

December Newsletter

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is one of Capt. Rob Temple's holiday poems, "A Pirate's Christmas," recently published in a small booklet, The Rumgagger, with illustrations by Patti Phelps.

Many of our readers will have heard Capt. Rob recite this poem at the Wednesday evening Ocracoke Opry show at Deepwater Theater.

Follow this link to our December Newsletter to read the poem and learn how to purchase one of the Captain's booklets: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news122116.htm.

Amy Howard

Welcome Amy Howard!!

Beginning January 1, Amy Howard assumes the position of Village Craftsmen’s new manager. As many of our readers already know, Jude Brown, our current manager, is retiring at the end of the year, and will be moving to Maryland.

Amy Howard

Amy is a native of Ocracoke Island, and is the daughter of Julie Howard and Philip Howard (owner of Village Craftsmen). Amy graduated from Ocracoke School and Appalachian State University. She has lived in Berlin, Germany, Maryland, Colorado, and California. Two decades ago she returned to settle in her island hometown. Amy is married to David Tweedie (“Fiddler Dave” of the Molasses Creek band), and they have one son, Lachlan.

Amy comes to us from the Ocracoke Preservation Society, where she has served as their museum manager for the last four years. Amy has a wealth of knowledge about Ocracoke history & culture and about her own island ancestry which she traces to William Howard, colonial owner of Ocracoke Island.

Amy is committed to continuing Village Craftsmen’s 46-year tradition of offering fine quality American handcrafts to island residents and visitors. Your favorite artists and craftsmen will be represented, as usual, but also look for some exciting new craft items in the coming year. Be sure to visit our Facebook Page and this blog regularly to keep up-to-date with island culture, history, & stories…and to learn about new items, events, and promotions Amy will be working on during the coming year.

Amy is creative, knowledgeable, dedicated, and committed to bringing her many talents to Village Craftsmen. We are looking forward to an exciting new year!

Although we will be closed from January until mid-March, 2017, be sure to stroll down Howard Street during your next on-season visit to the island, and stop in Village Craftsmen to enjoy our large selection of quality American crafts and to congratulate Amy on her new position. We always look forward to seeing you!

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Jude Brown

Many readers of this blog know Jude Brown. Jude began working at Village Craftsmen in 1993, soon after moving to Ocracoke from the Shenandoah Valley of Virgina.

Jude is a native of Lewiston, New York, attended the University of Buffalo and Shenandoah University, has two grown children, and lives on the island with her husband Frank. Frank owned and operated Natural Selections, the clothing store on School Road, for several years. For the past eleven years Jude has served as Village Craftsmen’s manager. If you have not met her, it is probably because she typically works in the back office, choosing and ordering craft items, paying bills, managing employees, and taking care of various other details of the business. As time permits, she works at the counter helping staff wait on customers.

Jude will be retiring at the end of this year. She and Frank are planning to move to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Jude has been a dedicated and resourceful manager, ensuring that Village Craftsmen continues its long-standing mission of representing the best local, regional, and national craftspeople who provide our gallery with excellent American handcrafts, including pottery, glass, wood, and metal items of the finest quality.

We will miss Jude as she and Frank set off for new adventures. As the new year begins, Village Craftsmen, a vibrant and robust craft gallery, is poised to offer more of the best of American handcrafts in the coming year.

Amy Howard, Ocracoke native and presently Administrator of the Ocracoke Preservation Society’s Museum, will be assuming the position of Manager of Village Craftsmen beginning January 1, 2017.

Look for more information about Amy tomorrow.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm. 

Microgrid

David Mickey has written an excellent article in the Ocracoke Observer about Ocracoke Island's new microgrid.

As David explains, the microgrid, a collection of 10 4,000 pound Tesla batteries and several solar panels installed at the Tideland EMC property on Odd Fellows Lane, is the first microgrid laboratory for North Carolina's electric cooperatives. Because coastal communities present very challenging issues for electric providers, the small, isolated village of Ocracoke was chosen for this initial experiment.

Solar roof panels at Tideland EMC, Photo by Heidi Smith

Although the batteries could not support the entire village in the event of a power outage, they "could assist the [island's emergency] generator during start up to overcome the initial demand placed on the generator which often exceeds capacity."

In conjunction with the new microgrid, Tideland EMC has made available to residents a number of Ecobee smart thermostats that allow the electric cooperative to manage energy usage during periods of high demand. 

Tideland EMC, Photo by David Mickey

You can read David Mickey's full article here: https://ocracokeobserver.com/2016/12/12/ocracoke-is-first-in-the-state-for-a-microgrid/.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm. 

Native American Charnel Houses

At the time of first contact with Europeans, the Algonkians of coastal North Carolina had distinctive burial practices. Ossuaries, or mass graves containing large numbers of individuals, have been excavated on Hatteras Island and at other coastal locations. Prior to burial, the dead were stored in pole and mat structures called charnel houses. To date, no ossuaries or charnel houses have been discovered on Ocracoke Island.

John White, artist and mapmaker, who in 1585 sailed with Richard Grenville to present-day North Carolina in an attempt to establish a military colony on Roanoke Island, made this watercolor in 1585/1586. 

The text above the drawing reads, "The Tombe of their Cherounes or cheife personages, their flesh clene taken of from the bones saue | the skynn and heare of theire heads, wch flesh is dried and enfolded in matts laide at theire | feete. their bones also being made dry, ar couered wth deare skynns not altering | their forme or proportion. With theire Kywash, which is an | Image of woode keeping the deade. "

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Winter on the Island

Visitors to Ocracoke often ask what it is like to live on Ocracoke in the off-season. Of course, it is much quieter than in the summer, so many of us have more time to enjoy family, friends, and neighbors. Winter can be an opportunity to try new recipes, pursue a favorite hobby or pastime, learn a new skill, catch up on reading, do some traveling, make needed repairs, or just relax for a time.

Snow & Ice, 2011

Summer folks also want to know about the weather in the winter. I always tell visitors that typical temperatures range from 40° to 60° although I have known the low to be in the single digits (see statistic for 1985, below). It was in the low 30s over the weekend; and see photo above re. ice & snow in 2011. I have known the high to be in the high 70s (not many days ago we had temps in the mid-70s). I recently discovered these statistics from www.intellicast.com:

•  Average Ocracoke temperatures (December - March)
•  low....40° (January)
•  high...60° (March)
•  Low temperature (January, 1985)...6°
•  High temperature (March, 1907)...82° 

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Driving to Ocracoke

Ocracoke residents and visitors to the island understand the importance of the North Carolina ferry system. In the past I have written about Frazier Peele's private ferry operation across Hatteras Inlet in the 1950s (to read two of those posts click here and here).

Recently I discovered the following photos at the Ocracoke Preservation Society museum. They document visitors bringing their car to Ocracoke in the 1930s.

Loading Car onto Barge

Towing Car on Barge

The people in the photos have not been identified, but they surely were resourceful. Not only were there no ferries to Ocracoke in the 1930s, but there were also no paved roads on the island. As you can imagine, only adventurous folks came to Ocracoke back then.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Cormorants

It is common to see long lines of Double-Crested Cormorants out on Pamlico Sound or over the ocean this time of year. In the early mornings or late afternoons they can be seen flying low over the water in a fluid V formation, either heading out to feed, or returning to low sandy islands for the night.

Photo by Saperaud~commonswiki

In the last few days, hundreds...no thousands...of these black birds have been congregating in large groups every few miles along the ocean beach.

The large number of cormorants in eastern North Carolina has created issues for fishermen and others concerned with water quality. To read more, click here: http://www.thewashingtondailynews.comi/2015/01/26/cormorants-an-ongoing-problem-for-n-c-waterways/

More information about the Double-Crested Cormorant is available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-crested_cormorant.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm. 

Waterfowl Hunting

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is about Gary Bragg (1881-1954), waterfowl hunting, and decoy carving. I recently obtained a few photographs of one of Ocracoke's current hunting guides, Monroe Gaskill, and thought many of our readers would like to see them.

Here is Monroe in his skiff, heading out to his duck blind:

This is Monroe's blind, a small frame structure covered with limbs and brush erected in the Sound, in which the duck and goose hunters hide:

And this is Monroe, out in the shallow water, setting his decoys for the next hunting party:

(All photos by Bill Monticone.)

If you are interested in waterfowl hunting with Monroe, you can contact him at (252) 928-5751 or (252) 216-5284. But don't look for a web site. Monroe's expertise is duck hunting, not web design!!

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.  

Kite Riding

The weather last week was super...and provided just the right opportunity for creative play. Thatcher Mines, who is spending several months on Ocracoke this winter with his family, went to the dump and salvaged various bicycle parts and other components to adapt a skateboard and construct a "kite trike" with his children. Here are several photos of them "kite-riding" down the winter beach.

 

You can see more photos and two videos of their project here.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

House Tour Photos

This past Saturday OPS hosted an Ocracoke Christmas House Tour. Although only two house were on the tour, both are contributing structures in the Ocracoke Historic District, and there was considerable interest in seeing the interiors.

Blue Harbor, built in 1913 and renovated last year, was originally the home of Leonard and Aretta Williams.

Photo Courtesy Ocracoke Current

The Captain Bill Thomas & Eliza Gaskill Thomas house (more recently called the Barksdale Cottage) was built in 1899. Very little has changed in the last 117 years.

Philip Howard Photo

Click here for more information about the houses: http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/144329.

And click here for photos of the interiors of the houses: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Village-Craftsmen/185596684826166 (Village Craftsmen's Facebook Page).

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm. 

Hurricane Matthew Notices

Ocracoke islanders do not have home mail delivery, so we make regular trips to the Post Office. The bulletin board in the lobby always includes notices of items for sale, addresses of neighbors in the hospital, public announcements, and so forth. The other day I noticed these two cards, a consequence of Hurricane Matthew. Just another reminder of where we live.

In case you are having trouble reading the notices, this is what they say:

"Boardwalk/Dock in marsh by my house. If you claim it or want it call Pat."

"Floated Away on Oyster Creek    2 - Cedar Adirondack Rockers   1- 2' X 4' X 1' high exterior wood cocktail table  Found - 3 Large Planter Pots  Please call:"

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: ht:tp://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Whales

Beginning in late November, folks out walking our beach are occasionally rewarded with whale sightings. I have talked with several people who have seen whales off shore lately. One afternoon my companions and I saw a pod of whales quite a distance away. The spray from their blowholes and their backs briefly breaking the surface were unmistakable signs of whales. But they were too far away for photos. Just this past weekend another pd of whales was sighted just south of the airstrip.

This photo was taken several years ago. A right whale (I think that's what it was) was just beyond the breakers. I walked along with it for about a mile. 

Whales were hunted along the Outer Banks many years ago. For more information click here.  And, if you are walking on the beach this winter, be sure to cast your eyes out to sea. You might be one of the lucky ones who see these magnificent creatures.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Landlord's Invitation

On Tuesday's blog post I included a link to my Ocracoke Newsletter about Sam Jones. In the Newsletter I mentioned the "Landlord's Invitation" which Sam had printed at the top of his stationery.

This might be easier to read: “Here’s to Pa’ nds Pen Das’ OCI alh OURin ha! RMLes, Smirt ha ND Fun le TFRIE nd’s HIPRE ign B eju ST an DKIN –dan Devils PEAK of N’ one.”

An anonymous reader left this comment on my blog post: "I have been waiting for Mr. Jones' Landlord's Invitation to be discussed and explained."

Maybe one of our other readers can shed light on this Invitation. If we don't get a response by later in the day I will explain it in a comment. 

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Holiday Cheer

Off-season visitors to Ocracoke are often surprised at the many activities here, especially in November and December. Below are events scheduled between now and Christmas. This list does not include various music and open house events at selected island businesses. Please check the Ocracoke Current and the Ocracoke Observer for more information.

If you are on the island in December, you are invited to attend all of the events.

• December 3.....OPS Historic Houses Tour, 3 pm
• December 4.....Library Cookie Swap, 2 pm
• December 6.....Community Tree Lighting & Wassail Party, 4 pm at OPS
• December 10....Community Christmas Concert, 7 pm
• December 11....Assembly of God Christmas Program, 7 pm
• December 15....Ocracoke School Holiday Program, 7 pm
• December 17....Community Christmas Potluck at the Oyster Co., 6 pm
• December 21....Christmas Caroling, 5 pm
• December 24....Christmas Eve Service, Ocracoke Methodist Church, 7 pm

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

A Riddle

My friend Al Scarborough stopped by several days ago to pose a riddle for me based on an observation he'd just made.

"Philip," he said, "can you tell me a feature that is built into every modern automobile but is seldom used? However Ocracoke islanders, and even many visitors, use this feature routinely?"

Can you guess the answer to the riddle? If you think you know,  please leave a comment.

If no one solves the riddle by the end of the day I will post a clue in the comments section.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm. 

Sam Jones Story

Visitors to Ocracoke often notice two especially imposing buildings on the island, The Castle Bed & Breakfast, and Berkley Manor Event Venue.

The Castle Bed & Breakfast

Berkley Manor
Brian Carter Photo, Courtesy Ocracoke Observer

These large iconic structures with towers, dormers, and cedar shingles were built by Sam Jones in the 1950s. You can read more about him here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012111.htm.

Below is a short personal story about Sam written by Julie Howard.

"Stories of Sam Jones have been part of Ocracoke's history for more than half a century.

"The self-made millionaire from Swan Quarter, who began as janitor for a Norfolk VA foundry and eventually owned the entire company, spent much time on the island, his first wife's birthplace.

"So when I moved to Ocracoke in 1972, I heard many stories about Sam Jones-- his foibles and eccentricities, his unpredictability, and his great generosity to the island and its residents, especially to the Methodist church and the local fire department. 

Sam Jones, Photo Courtesy Outer Banks History Center

"Everyone has a favorite, and sometimes personal, Sam Jones tale. Here is mine.

"During the 1970's I served as organist for the Ocracoke United Methodist church. Sam had donated our electronic organ, and he usually attended Sunday services when he was in town. I was accustomed to seeing him, his private pilot, and other guests in the front pews.

"One Thursday night, right in the middle of our weekly choir practice, the back doors of the sanctuary flew open, and in marched Sam and his pilot, each carrying a stack of large boxes. They proceeded down the aisle and handed out the boxes: first to the choir director, then to me, and finally one to each member of the choir. Not much was said, that I recall, but the message was clear:  Thanks for your service to this church.

"When we all recovered from this surprise appearance, we opened our boxes to discover beautiful dresses, apparently individually chosen for us by Sam.  Mine was lovely and silky, navy and white...and it fit perfectly. That amazed me, as I was a rather small person and often bought clothes in the teen department.

"One interesting detail of the gift was that the price tags had been left on the dresses. I don't remember knowing other prices, but my dress had originally been marked $120, then reduced by half for a sale price. Even at $60, the gift of ten dresses to our little church choir made a lasting impression on me. I believe Sam made an impression on everyone with whom he crossed paths."

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Caribsea Wreck

In past posts I have written about the U-Boat attack on the Caribsea, a 251' freighter that was sunk off the Outer Banks on March 11, 1942. Ocracoke native, James Baughm Gaskill, was killed in that attack. 

Today the Caribsea lies in 85 feet of water east of the Cape Lookout Shoals. According to Roderick M. Farb in his book, Shipwrecks, Diving the Graveyard of the Atlantic, "the site of the wreck is 12.5 miles from the Knuckle Buoy on a heading of 31 degrees."

Although much of the ship's hull is gone (the Navy depth-charged the wreck during WWII to prevent German U-Boats from hiding nearby) divers are still rewarded with views of the bow, the forward hold, and her two anchors, as well as a large windlass, and the engine & boilers.

Farb writes that the wreckage harbors sponges, urchins, mollusks, crustaceans, various species of fish, and an occasional shark or manta ray.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.  

Rev. Tilley

I found this on the Friends of Portsmouth Island Facebook page: 

"The churches on the island [Portsmouth Island] never had full-time ministers. A pastor came from Ocracoke once a month..... Sending the minister from island to island was not simple as an article from a 1948 issue of the 'Ocracoke Beacon' reveals:

'The Rev. C.J. Tilley, Minister of the United Methodist Church, Ocracoke, narrowly escaped death by drowning early Wednesday morning when he stepped from the Ocracoke mailboat into the skiff to take him to Portsmouth. According to Roy Eubanks, of Beaufort, who was returning from his hunting lodge on Portsmouth to Beaufort, Mr. Tilley stepped from the mailboat, which was bound for Atlantic into the skiff before the skiff had come to a stop. He stepped on an oar, the end of which flew up and hit Mr. Eubanks on the chin and then he fell into the water which is approximately twenty feet deep at the point where the mailboat leaves mail and passengers for Portsmouth. The minister, wearing heavy clothes went under once, but was fished out the second time he came to the surface and was pulled aboard by hunters on the mailboat. He was then taken on to Portsmouth in the skiff.

'In 1930, Rev. Tilley returned to Portsmouth for a reunion celebration and recalled his first trip to Portsmouth. "I fell overboard on the way over. I tell my Baptist friends it was a complete immersion, Bible and all."'"

(Text from "Portsmouth Island Outer Banks Treasure" by Frances A. Eubanks and Lynn S. Salsi, copyright 2004)

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

The entire staff of Village Craftsmen join me in wishing all of our readers a Very Happy Thanksgiving filled with family, friendship, and fine cuisine!

If you are on the island be sure to come out tomorrow night for Ocracoke Alive's annual fundraising concert at the Community Center.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm. 

Nags Head

A persistent legend on the Outer Banks is that the town of Nags Head obtained its name from the activity of "wreckers" (unscrupulous bankers who would lure sailing vessels close to shore by tying lanterns around horses' heads or necks, thus suggesting a safe anchorage; when the ship wrecked it would be plundered).

This is surely an "urban legend." Roger Payne, in his book, Place Names of the Outer Banks, writes, "There is no historical evidence to support this story, and hanging a smoking lantern around a horse's neck is not a task easily accomplished."

On this subject, Wikipedia makes reference to the work of John Viele, retired U. S. Navy officer and author of a history of wrecking in the Florida Keys (The Florida Keys: The Wreckers. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc., 2001). Viele states that the use of "false lights" to lure ships close to shore simply would not work.

According to Wikipedia: "[Viele] points out that mariners interpret a light as indicating land, and so avoid them if they cannot identify them. Moreover, oil lanterns cannot be seen very far over water at night, unless they are large, fitted with mirrors or lenses, and mounted at a great height (i.e., in a lighthouse). In hundreds of admiralty court cases heard in Key West, Florida, no captain of a wrecked ship ever charged that he had been led astray by a false light.^"

Payne writes that "The most plausible explanation of the origin of the name is that an Englishman who had moved to the Albemarle area of North Carolina purchased a sizeable tract of land in 1832 in this area. Since it reminded him of an area in England named Nags Head he named his purchase Nags Head."

Payne's explanation does seem plausible, but I have been unable to locate any place in England named Nags Head that might remotely resemble the Outer Banks. For example, one Nags Head in England is a 2,224 ft / 678 m mountain peak. Can any of our readers shed any light on this subject?

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Vittoria Energy

On Sunday afternoon I joined my daughter Amy at the Preservation Society Museum to chat with three young men who are on a sailing adventure. Nathan, Bond, and Karl, representatives of Vittoria Energy, a 501(c)(3) organization, are sailing from Washington, DC, to Cuba on a 1985 31' Hunter sloop refitted as a renewable-powered sailing ship.

The Vittoria

According to their web site, "Exploring the world and how we power it, Vittoria Energy Expedition educates travel-inspired audiences about current renewable energy innovations that not only fuel, but empower lives. We work at the intersection of technology, business, and policy, to inform the public discussion around energy decisions at home and in our communities."

The Vittoria is, of course, a sailboat, so wind is their primary source of energy. However, they have removed the vessel's auxiliary diesel engine and replaced it with a 25 HP electric motor.

The motor and other electric devices on board are powered by five solar panels and eight 260 Ah batteries operating in a 48 volt system.

Nathan, Bond, Karl, and other members of their organization had some previous sailing experience, but they had little technical knowledge in electronics. They had to learn from experience.

The Vittoria will be leaving Ocracoke as soon as they have fair winds. We wish them well on their journey to Cuba...and on their journey to promote clean, renewable energy for our communities.

For more information, please visit their web site: vittoriaenergy.org. 

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

November Newsletter

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reprint of a 1938 article about coastal waterfowl hunting and carving wooden decoys. The article features Ocracoke native Gary Bragg (1881-1954), one of the island's best known hunting guides.

You can read the Newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm.

Live Oaking

Some years ago cousin Blanche told me that eighteenth and nineteenth century ship builders sometimes came to Ocracoke offering considerable sums of money to buy live oaks. As John Bartram, Botanist to His Majesty for the Floridas, wrote in 1766, "The live oak (so called from being an evergreen) is tougher, and of a better grain than the English oak, and is highly esteemed for shipbuilding."

  
















In her excellent book, Live Oaking, Southern Timber for Tall Ships, Virginia Steele Wood writes, "Precisely when live oak was first used in constructing sailing vessels along the American coast is unknown, but eventually it became so important for the building of tall ships that expeditions sailed southward for the sole purpose of cutting and carrying off the timber to northern shipyards; it fulfilled their requirements for a variety of shapes and permitted them to avoid the weakening effect of crossgrain cuts. With its great tensile strength and resistance to rot, even when exposed to constant wetting and drying, it was ideally durable for wooden ships."

Ocracoke has had the good fortune of not having all of its live oaks cut down for ship building. At least six large trees (three on Howard Street, two at Springer's Point, and one at Old Hammock) are large enough (eight feet in girth) to be members of the Live Oak Society. Click here to view the registry that includes the Ocracoke trees. 

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is about earthquakes that have affected Ocracoke and the Outer Banks. You can read the newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092116.htm.   

OPS Awards

A large crowd gathered at the Community Center Tuesday evening for Ocracoke Preservation Society's Fall Membership meeting. After enjoying delicious potluck dishes, a brief business meeting was held and two annual presentations were awarded. 

Members enjoying their meals

In one of the first orders of business President Toth acknowledged the outstanding work done by Amy Howard, OPS's Administrator. Amy will be leaving this position at the end of the year to begin managing the Village Craftsmen (more about this in a future post). 

Ruth & Amy

 

















Will Purvis and Jamie McGaskill of Wilmington, NC, were presented with the 2016 Save an Old House Award for preserving and maintaining the Emma and Simon O'Neal house on Lighthouse Road. Built circa 1900, this house is a contributing structure in the Ocracoke Historic District. It is a typical “story and a jump” house with turned porch posts, original exterior corbelled chimney, and two-over-two sashes.

O'Neal House, 2009

The award recognized Purvis's and McGaskill's efforts to rehabilitate the house and save the architectural features that allowed it to be originally identified for placement in the Historic District. This project joins several others as a model for ongoing preservation efforts.  

O'Neal House, 2015

 











Next, President Ruth Toth presented the annual Cultural Heritage Award to island native Martin Garrish for his role in preserving Ocracoke's vibrant music tradition.

Ruth & Martin

Martin was born on the island in 1951 and has been a driving force in Ocracoke's music scene since he was a teenager. He is a master of many different genres including acoustic, electric, country, rock, folk, and jazz. I chatted with him during dinner, and he amazed me with the depth and breadth of his knowledge of music. He has been described as having an encyclopedic grasp of mid to late 20th century music, but Martin assured me his expertise doesn't go much beyond 1985! He pointed out that he was never much interested in fishing, hunting, or boats, but music fascinated him from the time he was four years old. 

Martin, congratulated by Tom Pahl

Martin has played with various local groups -- the Cousins, the Rockers, the Graveyard Band, and Martin & Friends. In presenting his award, John Golden called Martin the Doc Watson of the Outer Banks. Martin seldom leaves the island so he has not achieved national or even much regional fame, but those who hear him play on the island know he is one of music's greats. Be sure to look for Martin's gigs and CDs whenever you are on the island. 

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is about earthquakes that have affected Ocracoke and the Outer Banks. You can read the newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092116.htm.

Dare Wright

Dare Wright (1914 – 2001) was a children's author, model and photographer. She was born in Canada, but spent most of her childhood in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1957 her first children's book, The Lonely Doll, was published. It became an immediate success, making "The New York Times Best Seller" list for children's books.

Wright's second book, Holiday for Edith and the Bears, was published in 1958. 

Holiday for Edith and the Bears tells the charming story of Edith and the bears "on a holiday on a sea island. There were so many wonderful things to do and see." All of the photographs were made on Dare Wright's beloved Ocracoke Island.

Dare Wright had 17 additional children's books published between 1959 and 1981. Ten of her children's books, including The Lonely Doll and Holiday for Edith and the Bears, are still in print. Her only book for adults, Ocracoke in the Fifties, was published posthumously.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is about earthquakes that have affected Ocracoke and the Outer Banks. You can read the newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092116.htm.  

1000 Floors

Sunday, as I climbed the ramp after my daily walk on the beach, I stopped to chat with one of my neighbors. She shared the following story about her experience on the beach recently.

The weather on the island these past few weeks has been spectacular...pleasant temperatures, bright skies, and warm ocean water...and hardly anyone else on the beach once you get some distance from the walk-over ramps. There was no one as far as she could see, so the neighbor decided to strip down, lay her watch, wallet, glasses, Fitbit wristband, and mobile phone on her clothes, and jump into the ocean.

After a refreshing swim she stepped out of the water to retrieve her clothes. She was surprised to discover that her $150.00 Fitbit was missing. She was convinced that one of the many fiddler crabs had snatched it and carried it into its burrow. But after fruitlessly digging around in the sand for more than 30 minutes she finally resigned herself to not being able to retrieve her expensive wristband.   

Two days later she received a message on her computer from Fitbit. The device's transmitted information confirmed extraordinary achievement in a short amount of time. She was congratulated on earning a Skydiver Badge.  "By climbing 1000 floors, you're as high as you'd be if you were skydiving," the message enthused.

Of course....the Fitbit thief was a seagull, not a fiddler crab!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is about earthquakes that have affected Ocracoke and the Outer Banks. You can read the newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092116.htm.

Latino Festival

This weekend's Latino de Ocracoke Festival was a runaway success. A large crowd turned out to enjoy colorful costumes, savor delicious food, listen to lively music, purchase traditional crafts, learn how to prepare tortillas and guacamole, and to mingle with friends and neighbors.

Below are a few photos I toke on Saturday.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is about earthquakes that have affected Ocracoke and the Outer Banks. You can read the newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092116.htm.