Wrightsville Beach, NC

The body of water pictured here is part of Masonboro Sound.  My home during my grammar and high school years was about ten miles south of this point in the town of Carolina Beach.  I spent many hours on this sound puttering around in a small boat with outboard motor.  The boat was destroyed by Hurricane Hazel in October 1954, less than a month following my return from Korea

Carolina Beach Yacht Basin

This shows the southern terminus of Masonboro Sound.  My home was in that narrow strip of land between ocean and sound, and it was swept away many years ago.  This area was devastated by several major hurricanes, beginning with Hazel in 1954, and Carolina Beach has never fully recovered from their impact.

Geography has a lot to do with it.  The three North Carolina capes, Cape Fear, Cape Lookout, and Cape Hatteras, jut far out into the Atlantic and are prey to northbound storms.  Carolina Beach is only a few miles north of Cape Fear.  Every sailor knows the reputation of Cape Hatteras.  Capes Fear and Lookout are also known for their fierce winds and dangerous shoals.

Nevertheless, the North Carolina beaches are grand for vacations. Perhaps I’ll see you there next summer.