Divers had planned to bring up the second-biggest artifact on what is thought to be the Queen Anne’s Revenge however they discovered it was too well-attached to some of the other items in the pile of ballast, according to the project director, Mark Wilde-Ramsing. So they pulled up another anchor instead that is the third-largest artifact and was most likely the anchor for the ship.

The anchor, which is 11 feet, 4 inches long with arms that are 7 feet, 7 inches across, was covered with a mixture of shells, sand and other debris that has been attracted by the leaching wrought iron. Its estimated to weigh approximately 2,500 to 3,000 pounds.
The size of the anchor is typical for a ship the size of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, with the two other anchors probably used in the event of an emergency, like a storm.

Archaeologists were planning to remove the second-largest anchor, which is 13 feet long with arms that are 8 feet across, from where it is located on top of the ballast pile. But found it to be too well-attached, so the divers went in from the side instead retrieving the “everyday anchor”. This means that in the future other dives may require going in from the side of the shipwreck rather than the top.

Divers are continuing to work for four days next week, then they’ll decide how best to move forward. The dive team hopes to recover all the artifacts by the end of 2013.

North Carolina state officials are hoping the anchor as well as the other artifacts will attract tourists. The shipwreck was discovered in 1996, causing world wide attention. The largest exhibit of artifacts from will be on view at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort starting June 11.

The timing of the recovery of the anchor couldn’t be better for North Carolina tourism interest in the shipwreck. The Disney film “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” starring Johnny Depp was just released earlier this month featuring both Blackbeard and the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Local authors Fred R David and Vern J. Bender created this 66 page paperback book.

$14.95 Buy it at: http://Islands-Art.com

People from age 4 to 104 will love this book, for twelve good reasons:

* It provides short stories of the last voyage of ships that sank offshore of Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Oak Island, and Baldhead Island
* It provides actual pictures of ships that sank here, such as the Sherman, the Hebe, the Raritan, the Governor, and the City of Houston
* It provides GPS #’s of many shipwrecks off southeast North Carolina
* It provides color pictures and short descriptions of exotic marine life that inhabit local shipwrecks
* It reveals where local Shark Tooth Beds are located and describes the extinct megalodon that once roamed here * It discusses the local Cypress Tree Forest on the ocean floor
* It provides numerous embedded YouTube video hotlinks to bring to life local shipwrecks and marine life
* It describes how, when, and where to catch spiny and slipper lobster here
* It gives important information for diving local shipwrecks, including depth, visibility, currents, type of artifacts, and marine life
* It describes local shipwreck history, from pirate ships to Civil War blockade runners, to World War II U-boat victims, to the recent Valour sinking * It tells the story of Frying Pan Tower and Frying Pan Lightships
* Help us preserve the history of this area by making this book available to others.

$14.95 Buy it at: http://Islands-Art.com

Buy this book at:

http://Islands-Art.com

• Race for Riches: a history of the origins of piracy
• Greed and Gold: a pirate’s life aboard ship and in battle
• Tools of the Trade: weapons, vessels, and pirate culture
• Rogues and Raiders: profiles of pirates through history
• Other Pirates, Other Times: the past and future of piracy
• A Roster of Infamy: a list of pirates and their vessels

“The illustrations are incredible, from the actual pirates to their ships, battles, maps, tools of the trade and treasures. For every generations’ fascination with pirates and the exotic and exciting life they supposedly led, this book will satisfy that hunger for the actual and imagined part of pirate lore.

Miller Pope is as exceptional a writer as he is an illustrator, writing with the visual in mind, always crafting his words from an illustrators’ perspective and then backing that image up with the very picture the words so masterfully created.”

- Island Living Magazine

The tower also offers a safe haven for boaters and a helipad for use in medical emergencies. “Top-end” users could fly in for a week or weekend and enjoy a private fishing vacation according to Neal.

Neal also hopes to have a cell phone tower erected on the platform. Neal, 51, is a licensed pilot who had flown over the structure but had not yet set foot on it when he made the winning bid.

The tower is a modified 80-foot steel oil drilling platform and was used by the Coast Guard from 1966 until about eight years ago as an aid to navigation. The Coast Guard turned the nautical landmark over to the GSA to be sold when the introduction of GPS and buoys rendered the tower obsolete.

A federal General Services Administration spokesman said Neal was the only bidder for the modified 80-foot steel oil drilling platform when it was auctioned off in 2010.

The tower has two floors and 5,000 square feet of living space including five bedrooms, a kitchen, office, storage area, recreation area and toilet facilities.

Prior to beginning life on the tower Mr. Neal admitted to fishing only once in his life but had gained a love of the ocean from many flights taken along the Eastern Seaboard in his small private plane.

Neal currently has the tower accessible and hopes to be “fully functional” by 2012. We are not certain what conditions are at this time but they are taking reservations! Go here to make a reservation inquiry: http://www.fptower.com/inquiry.html

Now the story gets more interesting…Neal has written a book, or rather a software program born on the tower has written an ebook available for Kindle download at Amazon, “Hiding In Anonymity (HIA)”all proceeds are donated to the restoration efforts. Rather than trying to explain I offer this video for your consideration.. or in the words of The Twilight Zone “Submitted for Your Approval”…

Check out their website and facebook page to get a better idea of what’s going on!

http://www.fptower.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frying-Pan-Shoals-Light-Station/121119241261861

Although these booming sounds are regularly reported at places up and down the East Coast, the Seneca Guns seem particularly concentrated right here off the Carolinas.

No satisfactory scientific explanation for the phenomenon has yet to be been found.

The term “Seneca Guns” apparently comes from Seneca Lake in upstate New York, where the sounds are often heard.

In 1850, James Fenimore Cooper (the author of “Last of the Mohicans”) wrote a story, “The Lake Gun,” describing the phenomenon, which seems to have popularized the term. (An alternate explanation, linking “Seneca Guns” to an obscure Civil War battle in Seneca, Ga., seems dubious.)

The sounds are heard in coastal areas; observers insist they are never heard at sea. In 2005 and 2008, residents in Brunswick County reported they were loud enough to rattle windows and shake houses. In December 2001, a Seneca gun event prompted more than 100 calls to New Hanover County authorities. No serious damage, however, has ever been attributed to a Seneca gun.

Some Seneca gun events are attributed to military jets breaking the sound barrier, but the phenomenon has been reported in this area periodically since at least the 1850s, well before the air age. Southport, NC historian Susie Carson insisted that the noises are most common in fall, although reports have been logged at all times of the year.

In 2005, Tyler Clark, chief geologist with the N.C. Geological Survey, guessed that the most likely cause for Seneca guns would be shallow earthquakes occurring offshore. The problem, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, is that many Seneca gun reports cannot be connected to quakes detected by seismographs. Seneca gun-like noises were reported, however, in connection with the Charleston, S.C., earthquake of 1886.

Peter Malin, a seismologist formerly with Duke University, speculates that the “guns” are somehow atmospheric in origin; his experience suggests the vibrations come from above ground level, rather than below. In the summer of 2001, Malin installed a seismograph in a 1,300-foot bore hole near the Fort Fisher State Historic Site, in an effort to detect mini-quakes; the project was never properly funded, though, and Malin was never able to record any results.

The “guns” seem connected to similar phenomena heard in different parts of the world, such as the “Barisal guns” in parts of India and Bangladesh, the “uminari” of Japan and the “mistpouffers” on the coast of the Netherlands and Belgium.

Explanations as exotic as UFOs and the angry ghosts of Indians have been put forward.

The U.S. Geological Survey Web site rules out a few causes: Tidal waves (none reported in connection with Seneca guns), lightning (Seneca guns often occur during clear skies in fair weather), shifts in tectonic plates (the nearest plate boundaries to Southeastern North Carolina are hundreds of miles away, in the mid-Atlantic and Caribbean), loud meteors called bolides (might explain some but not all of the guns), landslides off the continental shelf (none reported during recorded history), sink holes forming (not enough limestone deposits in the area, although plenty of sink holes occur near Boiling Spring Lakes in Brunswick County), cold air meeting warm Gulf Stream air (no explanation for how this could cause booming noises) or pockets of air, trapped underground being released (such seepage rarely makes a sound).

Several people have suggested that the noises may be caused by the release of bubbles of methane; deposits of methane clathrate hydrate are known to occur in the area. Again, however, methane seepage does not usually cause a noise, and it does not come up in large enough quantities to cause explosions.

Just know that in the decades of Seneca Guns reports no one has ever been hurt and there have been no damage of any kind reported as a result of this phenomenon

Favorite Beach Photos – By Ken Buckner

Hardcover coffee table edition with 128 high quality 8″x10″ pages with 100 full color photographs.

Stroll sandy shores by the sea or the beaches of a lovely lake and see sunrises, sunsets and wildlife just as nationally renowned local nature photographer and artist, Ken Buckner viewed them through his camera.

This is Ken’s journey and you are invited to join him through these pages. Most of the photos were taken near his home in the South Brunswick Islands of North Carolina.

“I explore beauty with my camera. The photos show the journey” – Ken Buckner

The book includes the occasional “story behind the picture.” Ken wants the reader to feel some of the excitement he experienced capturing these special moments in time.

Buy The Book – $35.00

Click here to buy this book at the Islands-Art.com website!

Islands Art features Giclée Prints by nationally renowned local nature photographer and artist, Ken Buckner, the books of Miller Pope (founder of The Winds Resort and Sea Trail Golf Resort), mystery novelist Tom Rieber and renowned local Romance Novelists Jacqueline DeGroot and Peggy Grich.

Excerpt from “Favorite Beach Photos” – By Ken Buckner: “Consistently my most popular nature photo year after year, this image was made on the west end of Ocean Isle Beach, N. C. The inviting path to the sea, lined with sea oats and soft dunes reminds the viewer of a pleasant excellence they’ve had or would like to have. I didn’t know at the time that storms (especially hurricanes) can alter barrier islands drastically. They can move or eliminate all the things that are captured in this serene view and that is exactly what happened here. “Dunes Path” became the first photo to make me realize the value of recording transitory beauty. I was fortunate to find this spot and record it for all to enjoy, I loved the golden sea oats, blue shadows, pink sand and the tiny bird tracks going up the small dune in the forground, I built the design around the cactus shapes and still enjoy the sense of depth in the picture from the closest sand grains to the ocean’s distant horizon fine. The photograph portrays a moment of beauty that was and may again be seen in similar form along the ocean’s ever changing shore.”

Buy The High Quality Giclée Print

Click here to buy a high quality Giclée Print at the Islands-Art.com website!

Islands Art features Giclée Prints by nationally renowned local nature photographer and artist, Ken Buckner, the books of Miller Pope (founder of The Winds Resort and Sea Trail Golf Resort), mystery novelist Tom Rieber and renowned local Romance Novelists Jacqueline DeGroot and Peggy Grich.

————————————————————-
Excerpt from “Favorite Beach Photos” – By Ken Buckner: “Holden Beach, North Carolina is home to some of the largest Ghost Crabs that I’ve ever seen. Late one afternoon this creature and I seemed to be the only visitors on an east end beach and we spent about two hours together. I noticed that the crab was not only unafraid of me, he (or she) turned to face me as I moved around it in fascination, It occurred to me that I could control the light of the setting sun on the crab without touching it by simply changing my position. Thinking that an eye level approach might be interesting, I got down on my stomach in the sand and used a short telephoto lens to take a really good took. The crab seemed as interested in me as I was in it, perhaps seeing its own reflection in the lens. An encounter like this with what seems an alien visitor with its pod eyes above its head is one of the reasons I enjoy nature so much. The golden light of sunset became everything a photographer could hope for. The photograph provides a look at a creature that is normally shy and reminds me of the communication we had and the sunset we shared that special afternoon at the beach.”

Buy The High Quality Giclée Print

Click here to buy a high quality Giclée Print at the Islands-Art.com website!

Islands Art features Giclée Prints by nationally renowned local nature photographer and artist, Ken Buckner, the books of Miller Pope (founder of The Winds Resort and Sea Trail Golf Resort), mystery novelist Tom Rieber and renowned local Romance Novelists Jacqueline DeGroot and Peggy Grich.

Nick Thomas is a little bit of all of us; believable, lovable, tough when need be and sensitive. He is a man who got a second chance at life after hitting bottom and turned his life around.

And life was good, that is until one fateful day the walls of his life came crashing down and he finds himself framed and wanted for the murder of his estranged ex-wife.

Buy It Here! $14.95

Nick has no choice but to go underground and try and find the real killer before the police find him.

Pick up your autographed copy and join Tom’s loyal fans. You won’t be disappointed!

Confessions of a Madman

A life lived through the years of the greatest change in human history, a tale of the Camelot period among the canyons of Madison Ave. and the publishing world in New York and Boston through the eyes of an illustrator.

A story that spans eighty years beginning in the Appalachian hills of Tennessee and evolving into the fast-paced world of art and advertising on Madison Avenue. Follow along and experience life in the upper strata of New York City society during the days when the Martini lunch ruled.

“From Madison Avenue to Island Sands” is one of those rare, thoroughly entertaining autobiographies that works because, unlike many autobiographies, it isn’t about a celebrity or a politician, but about a regular guy who has lived life to the fullest and then some.

In some respects, it’s a tale of two islands: Manhattan and a little place off the coast of North Carolina called Ocean Isle.” Lynn Jessup – The Wilmington Star News

Tales of the Silver Coast

A Secret History Of Brunswick County – From the earliest days of European exploration to the golf courses and beach resorts in this fascinating and fast-growing region, Brunswick County has attracted settlers, invaders, and visitors of all descriptions.

“Miller has done an exceptional job keeping the tone light while still being informative. Each story is only two to three pages long, with illustrations liberally spread throughout, making it perfect for children. Young and old will love the story of the Barefoot Felon, where a captain uses a simple trick to save his ship from pirates.”

- Brunswick Alive! Magazine

Miller Pope’s Book Of Pirates

From Captain Kidd to Blackbeard to the pirates of the orient . . . From bloody battles to walking the plank- from blunderbusses to cutlasses, With nearly 150 original illustrations, this volume is sure to please and inform pirate fans of all ages.

• Race for Riches: a history of the origins of piracy
• Greed and Gold: a pirate’s life aboard ship and in battle
• Tools of the Trade: weapons, vessels, and pirate culture
• Rogues and Raiders: profiles of pirates through history
• Other Pirates, Other Times: the past and future of piracy
• A Roster of Infamy: a list of pirates and their vessels

“The illustrations are incredible, from the actual pirates to their ships, battles, maps, tools of the trade and treasures. For every generations’ fascination with pirates and the exotic and exciting life they supposedly led, this book will satisfy that hunger for the actual and imagined part of pirate lore.
Miller Pope is as exceptional a writer as he is an illustrator, writing with the visual in mind, always crafting his words from an illustrators’ perspective and then backing that image up with the very picture the words so masterfully created.”

- Island Living Magazine

Drawing BC-Before Computers

This hot off the press book describes and illustrates the techniques of illustration during the mid-century days before the reign of color television and computers when great short story magazines ruled.

In these pages artists may find inspiration and those who remember the simpler times of the decades following the second World War will find nostalgia for a bygone time.

Younger people who were born into the world of color television and computers may discover in these pages a glimpse into the past.

Drawing techniques of Illustration’s Golden Age. Miller Pope relates the techniques and mediums used by some of the finest illustrators before the rise of computers in the world of publishing.

“Before moving to Ocean Isle Beach, Miller Pope (”Tales of the Silver Coast,” “Miller Pope’s Book of Pirates”) was a top illustrator in New York publishing, working for advertising agencies in the “Mad Men” era and creating artwork for The Saturday Evening Post, Reader’s Digest and other publications, as well as a number of textbooks.

He recalls those days in “Drawing B.C.” as in Before Computers (Island Press, $16.95 paperback). Pope demonstrates techniques that he and other commercial artists used in predigital days to get eye catching effects that conveyed the message. (Helpful hint: “Less is More.”).

Younger artists can learn a trick or two; the rest of us will be transported into a color-filled retro-world.”

- Ben Steelman The Wilmington Star News, Wilmington, NC

Buy them at MillerPope.com

Books by local Author, Illustrator – Miller Pope! Buy them at MillerPope.com

I recently took an afternoon off and revisited this incredible place – I hadn’t been there in years and forgot what I was missing.

First of all the location alone is amazing – wooden walkways wind amongst ruins of the pre-Revolutionary town which lie side by side with the remains of a Civil War era Confederate fortification originally called Fort St. Philip’s (later renamed Fort Anderson).

All of this is located along a virtually undeveloped area along the Cape Fear River offering some of the most beautiful views of the river seen through ancient live Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. A great place to spend the day and have a picnic on the grounds.

I don’t know if there is anywhere where more history is packed into such a small area!
The town of Brunswick was settled by merchants coming from Barbados by way of Goose Creek SC in 1726 by Maurice Moore (who’s descendants later built Orton Plantation next to the town).

The port became a bustling shipping area for exporting tar, pitch, and turpentine. These products, derived from the resin of the longleaf pine, were known collectively as naval stores. This “sticky gold” was essential for building and maintaining the great wooden sailing ships of the Royal Navy and the merchant fleet that sailed the oceans between Europe, its American colonies, and the islands of the Caribbean.

In 1748 the town was attacked by Spanish invaders who were eventually driven off by 80 brave men many of which were African slaves.

In 1765 (eight years before the Boston Tea Party!) the residents challenged the Crown’s authority to distribute hated tax stamps halting the collection of the tax along the Cape Fear.

Brunswick was the seat of two Royal Governors until Brunswick’s decline which resulted from several factors, including the growth of Wilmington and the relocation of the royal governor to New Bern in 1770.

Few people remained in Brunswick in the spring of 1776 when British redcoats were put ashore from the Royal Navy ship Cruizer. Some reports indicate that much of the town was burned during this raid. By the end of the Revolutionary War families and merchants had moved to other locations, and the ruins and land became part of Orton Plantation in 1842. After being was razed by British troops in 1776 Brunswick was never rebuilt.

Painting Courtesy of Miller Pope from his book: "Tales of the Silver Coast".

Then, during the Civil War, Ft. Anderson was constructed atop the old village site. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort. This serene riverside setting, colonial and Civil War history, and colorful exhibits will be long remembered by visitors.

In 1861 the Confederate States of America decided to build a large fort at the site as part of the river defense of Wilmington. The Cape Fear was an essential route for supplies moving by rail from Wilmington to Petersburg and Richmond for General Lee’s army.

The Confederate army used manual labor to construct the large sand fortification originally called Fort St. Philip’s. There were two batteries, each with five cannons overlooking the shipping channel and providing protection to blockade runners.

In February 1865, following the fall of Fort Fisher at the mouth of the river, Union forces repositioned to attack Fort Anderson. Federals attacked from the land and river. After three days of fighting, the Confederates evacuated the fort at night. Union gunboats started firing at first light, unaware Federal soldiers were breaching the walls of the fort. The infantry frantically waved sheets and blankets to stop the deadly fire from their own forces. There was a one-day fight north of the site at Town Creek before the Federals occupied Wilmington on George Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1865.

The Site Today

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, archaeologists uncovered foundations from Brunswick’s earliest days.

The most visible structure is the hulk of St. Philip’s Anglican Church with its surviving walls dating back to 1754.

Another interesting foundation is Russellborough, an old sea captain’s house that was used by royal governors Tryon and Dobbs.

The visitor center houses several displays that cover the time periods of both the old town and the fort.

In the lobby is a colorful mural created by Claude Howell and Catherine Hendricksen depicting a scene from a Spanish attack on the town in 1748.

Also the original large color painting of the Confederate soldiers shown above by Miller Pope (founder/owner of The Winds Resort Beach Club!). This painting is from his book Tales of the Silver Coast – A Secret History of NC’s Brunswick County.

All of Miller Pope’s books are available at his website http://MillerPope.com

A cannon on display was recovered from the river in 1986 and is believed to be from the Spanish ship Fortuna, which blew up in the river as the townspeople regained control of the port.

The remains of homes, businesses, and other buildings bear witness to the story of Brunswick. Along with artifacts from the Civil War and the imposing mounds of Fort Anderson, this site offers a unique look at two fascinating periods of American history.

“For there are deeds that should not pass away,
And names that must not wither.”
- plaque in St. Philip’s Church

Brunswick Town? 8884 St. Philip’s Rd. SE?, Winnabow, NC 28479? Phone: (910) 371-6613? Email: brunswick@ncdcr.gov
Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Closed Sunday.

With these six medals added to those won over the past six years the total awarded the winery comes to the 219 awards! Silver Coast Winery received bronze medals for its 2006 American Oak Chardonnay, 2005 Seyval Blanc and 2002 Merlot and silver medals for its Premium Oak Chardonnay, 2005 Reserve Merlot and 2004 Treasure.

Silver Coast Winery Winter hours (January & February) for tours and tastings are offered from noon to 5pm Wed – Sunday. For more info visit the winery’s site at: silvercoastwinery.com or call 910.287.2800

For more about the site read our archived story here!