Ever wanted to stay the night in a lighthouse/tower off of the NC Coast? Well you can! A software engineer from Oklahoma, Richard Neal, purchased the Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower, located just off of Southport in 2010 and has taken on the immense project of restoring the tower. His intent is to offer overnight stays to charter fishing expeditions and divers who frequent Frying Pan Shoals. Neal is taking donations and is using the help of volunteers to make the restorations.
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. It is being used as a bed and breakfast and they are taking reservations! Go here to make a reservation inquiry: https://www.fptower.com/inquiry.html
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.
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.
Check out their website and facebook page to get a better idea of what’s going on!
https://www.fptower.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frying-Pan-Shoals-Light-Station/121119241261861
