Commercial fishing in North Carolina

Catching up: Larry and I sailed out of Stage Harbor (although a week of storms and shifting sands meant that we were delayed several hours sitting on a sandbar at the entrance), sailed through Vinyard Sound in the wee hours, and took shelter in the Old Harbor on Block Island to wait out a night of high wind. Then we proceeded through another night to New York Bay where we pulled into a marina on the south-east side of Staten Island for another night of wind. In the morning of 10/23 Larry headed home and Lucy and I sailed south with a strong, chilly, off-shore wind, heading toward Norfolk. By morning of 11/25 the wind fell to nearly nothing and I pulled into the fuel dock at Cobb's Marina in Norfolk, Cynthia waiting there to help tie up, then take Lucy for a well-deserved shore walk while I filled the tank. A few minutes later we departed to sail around the Outer Banks to Cape Lookout, fishing as we went. Cynthia caught three fish before we pulled into Lookout Bight at about 3am the second night and dropped anchor. We planned to stick around here for a week, then leave the boat in a marina for two weeks while we fly back to work and family on the 5th and 6th. That pretty much brings us up to date....

We were making our way back here Tuesday after a mostly fishless 3-hour sail, when we noticed the storied wild horses of Shackleford Bank, beasts we had never seen, were on the beach. We sailed in close and slowed for a good look and, as we snapped a few pics, a fellow motored in close, hailed us, and asked if we were moving along as he was going to be pulling a net ashore shortly. We assured him we were moving and headed up the beach and found a spot to anchor, then rowed ashore to give Lucy some beach time and photograph the horses.

We saw another group of horses back along the beach and walked farther, then saw the fishermen working away, one guiding the net around a wheel, another checking the fish and debris stuck in the net, another in a boat using the engine to pull the net around the wheel.

We struck up a conversation and the boss started telling us which fish were which, dock prices of various species, and tossing us various fish. He gave us two Spot Fish, three Sea Trout ($3/lb), a Weakfish, and all the Bluefish we could carry ($0.10/lb). We helped carry old anchors and debris to shore after he untangled them from the net. Twice huge whelk shells came to shore, neither alive nor empty: each contained a seriously disgruntled octopus. I do not believe Lucy made them any more happy...but I scooped this one back into the shell and tossed each out as far as I could.

As the final segment of the 1/4 mile long net came closer to shore and the fish became crowded, the BIG fish became visible. Loads of rays, one with a wingspan of 4' or 5'... And a half dozen king mackerel, nice 5' fish that each probably weighed 50 to 70 lbs. The fellows estimated that the load might be 20,000 lbs, too much for the half-dozen boats they had... and figured they would be out until after midnight.

Well, dark clouds were rolling in and the sun had set, so we said goodbye and thanks and headed back, walking a mile along the beach, then out across the flooded sand flats into the rising tide, then rowing to the boat.

Back home, I suggested Cynthia work on dinner while I remained on-deck and cleaned and filleted the mess of fish, both of us slapping mosquitoes, a true bane of this region. Dinner was deep-fried Red Drum and a nice big salad, then more mosquito slapping (probably killed a hundred) and off to bed.

Fantastic day!