Many thanks to Claiborne Young for contributing to our website. If you would like more information about his Cruising Guide Series, or wish to order any of his works, click here. |
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Many thanks to Claiborne Young for contributing to our website. If you would like more information about his Cruising Guide Series, or wish to order any of his works, click here. |
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The primary channel serving Harkers Island flows from east to west across Back Sound south of the island. A smaller cut referred to above runs south from flashing daybeacon #55 to a tiny harbor of refuge. This latter channel is used almost exclusively by local fishing craft and affords few opportunities for cruising vessels. Harkers Island's harbor of refuge is located on the island's western shores east of unlighted daybeacon #1. This cramped basin holds 5-foot depths, and its shores are lined with a few fixed wooden piers. These docks are usually occupied by local fishing craft. This harbor should probably be bypassed unless you are in great need of shelter. The main Harkers Island cut can be entered via the channel running from The Straits to Taylor Creek; via the north-to-south Core Sound channel; or via the Barden Inlet channel, which runs north from Cape Lookout Bight. None of these passages is simple, and the possibility of finding the bottom during your approach to Harkers Island is very real indeed. Harkers Island's southerly shoreline boasts some facilities catering to pleasure craft. However, all these facilities were affected by the 1996 twin hurricanes, Bertha and Fran. Though reconstruction should be well under way by the spring of 1997, it would be best to call ahead and check on current conditions before counting on spending a night at Harkers. It should also be noted that the channels south of Harkers Island continue to shoal from year to year. I first researched the various Harkers waterways in the early 1980s, and they weren't a navigational walk in the park even then. Now, shoaling along the channel's edge has rendered the navigational problems even more acute. It is no small feat to travel from east to west on the main channel without stirring sand. All the island's marinas have shallow entrances at low water, and great care must be taken to stay off the bottom. Boats drawing more than 3 feet will do well to wait for high tide before attempting to enter any of the small harbors along the southern shore. The westernmost facility on the island, Harkers Island Fishing Center, is located northeast of flashing daybeacon #3. During my last visit to this facility, in December 1996, only one dock was still standing after the twin hurricanes' wrath. It is to be hoped that more of the piers will be back in operation by the time this guide finds its way into your hands. Visiting mariners should also know that the marina's entrance channel has some low-tide depths of 3 feet or less. But during high water, several good-sized local power craft regularly make use of the cut. Low-water depths at the docks are 3 feet or less. Transients are accepted for overnight dockage at fixed wooden piers with water and 30-amp power connections. Both gasoline and diesel fuel are available. The marina has an on-site tackle and variety store. Two small-scale grocery stores are within a block of the center's docks. A restaurant, The Captains Choice, is also only a quick step away. As its name implies, Harkers Island Fishing Center is primarily concerned with sportfishing craft, but cruising boaters can make use of its facilities from time to time. Just watch out for those water depths. Harkers Island's other major marina, Calico Jack's, borders the banks northeast of flashing daybeacon #1 not far from Shell Point. This marina also suffered cruelly from the twin hurricanes, but plans called for the docks to be rebuilt by the spring of 1997. Calico Jack's has a marginally deeper entrance channel than Harkers Island Fishing Center, but you must still carefully follow an unmarked channel to stay off the bottom. Inside the concrete breakwater-enclosed harbor, some slips exhibit low-tide depths of only 3 feet. Large craft should call ahead to check on the availability of deepwater slips before planning to dock here. Transient dockage is available at fixed wooden slips. Each berth has water and 30-amp power connections. Gasoline and diesel fuel are available. Mechanical repairs can be arranged through independent contractors. There is a small ship's, tackle, and variety store on the grounds. Calico Jack's features an adjoining motel with a swimming pool. Wild Will's Restaurant, just across the street, seems to be very popular with the local crowd; there are few better endorsements. All in all, this marina is a rather small-scale operation with a definite emphasis on power craft. Harkers Island is another major boat-building center. Everywhere you turn on the island, you can see wooden craft of all sizes in various stages of construction. If you have the time, a stroll along the island's main road is definitely worthwhile. If your cruising brings you to Harkers Island the first weekend in December, be sure to check out the Core Sound Decoy Festival. In just a few short years, this late-fall celebration has grown into a major event. It features the work of decoy carvers and a variety of other local craftsmen, not to mention more than a little good seafood. Give it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed. For more information, call 919-728-1500 or 919-728-4644. Harkers Island History Harkers Island was originally known as Craney Island. The name was changed when Ebenezer Harker acquired the land in 1730. A long-inhabited piece of real estate, the island was once the home of the Coree Indians, for which Core Sound was named. These Indians were apparently quite fond of oysters. For many years, a huge mound of oyster shells left by the Corees could be seen on the eastern tip of the island. Most have now been removed to serve as roadbed material. Many citizens from the Shackleford Banks whaling community of Diamond City moved to Harkers Island after their village was hit by a hurricane in 1899. These skilled whalers brought an intimate knowledge of boats and seamanship with them, and their "sea-sense" lives on to this day in the Harkers Island boatbuilders. Harkers Island Legends Ancient Palestine may have had its Samson, but Harkers Island had its Gillikin. Decatur Gillikin, the subject of many legends, lived on Harkers Island around the turn of the century. He reportedly possessed incredible strength. One day, the story goes, Decatur was hauling logs by oxcart. He discovered that, to get around a fence blocking his path, it was necessary to make a mile-long detour. Not being fond of delays, he picked up each ox in turn and set it neatly on the opposite side of the fence. Decatur was involved in many fights. Legend has it that he never lost a single one. One story claims that he signed on as a sailor on a British ship. He had not been aboard long before he whipped the ship's champion, which so aroused the nationalistic pride of the crew that he had to fight them all. Before the day was out, Decatur supposedly beat 15 men. Today, the Gillikin family is still much in evidence on the island. In fact, I spent many of my early years living aboard a Harkers Island craft built by one of Decatur's many descendants. |
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[Harkers Island]
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