2023

Visit Edenton to present Sounds of Summer on July 22nd

Edenton, N.C. — Visit Edenton, the county’s Tourism Development Authority, is proud to
announce their upcoming waterfront event, “Sounds of Summer,” slated for Saturday, July 22,
from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. In a fresh take on the beloved Music and Water Festival, organizers have
crafted a lively summer spectacle that celebrates Edenton’s coastal heritage and love for good
music. Attendees are encouraged to sail up to the waterfront in their boats or come land-side
with blankets and chairs to lounge on the lawn.

Summer is here with boating season in full force. Boaters in Edenton can bask in the sunshine, fish for a local catch, or cruise to nearby waterside towns. Unlike other places within North Carolina’s crowded intracoastal waterways, boaters in Albemarle Sound, one of North America’s largest freshwater sounds, can experience relative solitude. Locals and visitors can dock and dine at mouthwatering eateries such as The Landing at Mackeys and Edenton Bay Oyster Bar

To keep afloat and enjoy the open water without incident, be sure to follow these 10 important boat safety tips.

1. Wear life jackets: Regardless of the size or type of boat, all passengers should have properly fitting lifejackets that are approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. Life vests are mandated by North Carolina law for anyone under 13 years of age. Many boating fatalities result from drowning among boaters not donning a life jacket. Life jackets can help people stay afloat in choppy waters and prevent hypothermia when unexpected circumstances arise.
2. Stay alert. Drinking and boating are a dangerous combination. Alcohol is a leading cause of boating accidents. Kyle Barkley who serves as the Senior Officer with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission underscores the need to avoid boating while impaired. “Unfortunately, many individuals think because they are on the boat, laws of drinking and operating are different. If an individual is operating a vessel impaired, they are subject to arrest like on the road.”  
3. Avoid navigational hazards. Like driving a car, it is important to remain attentive while steering clear of other boats, kayaks, and paddleboards. Watch out for submerged stumps, trees, rocks, or floating driftwood, especially following a storm or flooding incident. Be aware that some waterways are particularly shallow or have bridges that may become more difficult to traverse in rising waters.
4. Keep an eye to the sky. Monitor the forecast and changing weather conditions. Even a nice day can rapidly unravel as wind and rain arrive. Avoid boating in stormy conditions when the brackish waters can cause a boat to capsize. Return to dock immediately if lightning or high winds unexpectedly arise. Sergeant of Marine Patrol, Brian Long advises, “My Grandfather always told me if you see a dark cloud go in. Good advice.”
5. Maintain communication and have a float plan. Tell someone ashore when you are leaving and when you plan to return home. Boats can register a Maritime Mobile Service Identify (MMSI) number that is connected to radio and GPS in the case of an emergency. That will enable rescue crews to find your boat if in distress. Volunteer firefighter Kim Ringeisen explains, “MMSI numbers are used with DSC (Digital Selective Calling) radios and AIS (Automatic Identification System) units, like a cell phone number.  The best for recreational boating is a handheld or mobile marine radio. Have it set to scan channels 9 and 16, as well as set the weather alert. Although not required in recreational boats under 65.5 feet long, a Very High Frequency (VHF) Marine Radio allows instant communication between your boat and other boats, marinas, bridges, and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). It is the primary means of communication on coastal waters and has many characteristics which make it preferable to a cell phone, CB Radio, or other means of communication. Most VHF Marine Radios also have instant access to NOAA weather forecasts, 24 hours a day.”
6. Invest in a carbon monoxide detector. Engines can emit carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that cannot be seen or smelled but is deadly.
7. Wear sunscreen and bug repellant. Be sure to cover skin thoroughly and reapply sunscreen often to avoid sunburn. Biting insects are commonplace in this region and can interfere with enjoyment. Spray on a natural repellant to keep the pests at bay.
8. Bring plenty of water and emergency supplies onboard. Stay hydrated while boating and drink water even before you feel thirsty to prevent heat exhaustion. Recreational boater Robert Bucciere says “It is best to be prepared for anything. If you end up being out longer than expected it is wise to have extra water, nutritional snacks, and medications.”
9. Avoid propellor strikes by sitting in appropriate boat seating as Barkley explains. “At the bottom of an outboard motor is a rotating, sharp piece of metal that can spin upwards of three thousand revolutions per minute and can cause lacerations and worse. We stop boat after boat every year with boaters ‘bow riding,’ meaning sitting on the fronts of boats with limbs or even entire bodies hanging over the gunwale of the boat. This puts boaters at greater risk of falling overboard and being run over by the boat and struck by the prop, causing serious injury or death. It would somewhat be the equivalent of riding a vehicle on a highway and hanging out the window without a seatbelt on, except if a boat runs you over after falling out, there will be a propeller spinning at three thousand RPMs or more.”
10. Follow the law. Each state has specific rules and laws for boaters. North Carolina boating laws can be found by going here: N.C. Wildlife Boating Laws & Safety

On Roanoke Island in North Carolina, about an hour’s drive from Edenton, there are two towns. Manteo, on the island’s northeastern waterfront facing Roanoke Sound, is the more popular and populous of the two. Wanchese has fewer people than Manteo, but more land area, comprising most of the island’s southern end that faces Pamlico Sound.

Photo Credit: The Roanoke Island Historical Association for the costumes.

Manteo strives to be English. It has a walkable downtown with shops and restaurants including an authentic British tavern. Across the bay from Manteo beside Festival Island floats a replica of the 16th-century caravel, Elizabeth II, which occasionally visits nearby towns such as Edenton. Manteo’s shops have names that imply wealth and leisure, such as Sister’s Boutique, Teasers Pilates, and Silver Bonsai Gallery. Manteo is the seat of Dare County, with a courthouse, law offices, a campus of the College of the Albemarle, and a Town Common.

Wanchese, on the other hand, has never been incorporated as a town. Although its residents refer to it as a village, it is officially just a “census designated place.” Wanchese has no classy shops and no walkable downtown. Its commerce consists of businesses that wrap around Wanchese Harbor, with names like Doghouse Sportfishing, O’Neal’s Sea Harvest, Bayliss Boatworks, and Wanchese Trawl & Supply. Its only government office is the Marine Industrial Park Authority, although it does have a Volunteer Fire Department and a Community Center.

Wanchese is the home of some 1500 proud and independent residents who will fervently defend their community if challenged. Recently, over a hundred Wanchese residents attended a Dare County Commission meeting to speak against a neighborhood of cluster homes being proposed in Wanchese by a developer. Dozens of signs are now posted around town that say, “Save our village. STOP cluster homes!” Manteo, on the other hand, has cluster homes and condos galore.

Spend a day on Roanoke Island visiting these towns, and you will likely be amazed at how different they are; just as different as the two Native Americans for whom they are named.  Manteo and Wanchese (the men) were from neighboring tribes on the Outer Banks, born into good social standing in their respective villages. The two young men were handsome, strong, and smart, chosen carefully by tribal elders to board Arthur Barlowe’s ship at Roanoke Island in August 1584 and travel to England, arriving about a month later.

To Sir Walter Raleigh, the two Indians would attract attention and interest from English nobility to support future expeditions to North America. To the tribal elders, Manteo and Wanchese would serve as spies to observe the English in their homeland and report on their findings when they returned to America. The scholar and scientist Thomas Harriot worked closely with the two Indians on the voyage back to England to learn and teach their native languages. Harriot and Manteo were quick studies, and their language skills would serve them well in times to come. Wanchese was capable of learning English too, but he resisted speaking it.

Captain Barlowe’s ship spent a few days in Plymouth, England, before taking its passengers up the River Thames to London. Manteo and Wanchese resided with Harriot at Raleigh’s townhome called Durham House, which overlooked the Thames west of the city walls. There, they continued to learn each other’s languages. In October 1584, Sir Walter held a formal reception at Durham House for the two Indians, whom he dressed in English attire to show they could be anglicized. But they were uncomfortable in stuffy English clothing, and Raleigh’s guests could tell. One of them, Count Von Wedel of Germany, later wrote, “Their usual habit was a mantle of rudely tanned animal skins, no shirt, and a pelt before their privy parts.”

Manteo and Wanchese spent nine months in England, including an audience with the Queen, according to some historians. They were taken around the city and stayed occasionally with Raleigh’s friends, in Sir Walter’s interest to drum up more support for his next venture. Raleigh’s efforts were obviously successful. His next expedition to America would start with no less than seven ships and 600 men, at least half of whom were soldiers. At sea they would be commanded by Sir Richard Grenville, an experienced naval officer. On land, they would be led by Ralph Lane, a military man whom Raleigh had appointed governor of his next colony.

Manteo and Wanchese, having met Raleigh’s publicity needs during their nine months in England, would return to America on that expedition, ready to report to their elders. But Manteo and Wanchese saw England through totally different eyes. Manteo saw people of power and status, wielding weapons vastly superior to those of his Algonquian peers. He saw a Great Queen who was protected by thousands of loyal subjects. He was attracted to and felt protected by the powerful English people.

In contrast to Manteo’s impressions, Wanchese saw poverty-stricken families living in squalor on London’s streets, ignored or abused by their own people of higher status. Such harsh treatment of commoners by the English nobility stood in marked contrast to the benevolence that Algonquian leaders showed for all their subjects, including the poor and the infirm.

Wanchese suspected the English had motives more sinister than just trading food and wares with his people. When Wanchese saw Raleigh’s seven ships being fitted with cannon and hundreds of English warriors boarding those ships with guns, he was sure that his suspicions had been realized. From then on, Wanchese never let down his guard in the presence of the English, and he forewarned all his friends accordingly.

Manteo, on the other hand, served the English faithfully as a valued guide and translator, probably for the rest of his life. Both Manteo and Wanchese filled pivotal roles during the next few years of England’s attempts to colonize America, which will be covered in the next installment or two of Chowan River Ramblings.

As I close this column, I ask you readers: Do you notice any similarities between the Indian Manteo and the Town of Manteo, both of whom seem to emulate the English? And likewise, do you see any similarities between the proud, unincorporated Village of Wanchese and the Indian Wanchese, a staunch and independent warrior who became suspicious of English authority and remained so for the rest of his life? I sure do.

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Wandering around upstairs in the Barker House among the displays on Edenton’s famous writer Inglis Fletcher, I began to inexplicably feel the presence of this formidable woman. From the photographs of her you might surmise that this was a prim and proper Victorian lady, long gone. And you’d be half right. She was refined and cultured, but also feisty with a surprising, inexorable sense of humor. Why should you know and care about Inglis Fletcher? There are myriad reasons, but foremost is that she had a tremendous role in making Edenton what it is today, and she continues to influence and sojourn among us.

Mrs. Fletcher was not an Edentonian by birth. According to her memoir, Pay, Pack and Follow(Henry Holt and Company, 1959), she was born in Illinois and raised in the Midwest (which somehow made her a “Yankee”). She and her husband John (Jack) a mining engineer, moved from San Francisco to Edenton in 1944 to be close to the source of the subject matter of her writing. She also had kin and connections here and in Tyrell County. She recalled how San Francisco society people thought they’d gone absolutely mad for moving to Edenton! But she loved it immediately and fiercely.

I can’t believe it’s been almost 15 years since I moved from a small town in North Eastern Pennsylvania to a small town in North Eastern North Carolina called Edenton. Fresh out of college and the first time making a life outside of PA. I found Edenton on the map and knew I was going to live here before even visiting. I promised myself a year before my nomadic spirit carried me elsewhere and 15 years later I’m still here.

Let me tell you why- It is steeped in tradition and rich history, occupied by kind and diverse community, possesses people that truly take pride in and care for where they live, boasts stunning views and cultural panache, and most of all houses an array of people from all over the country that are drawn to its spirit and beauty. It’s reminiscent of Gene Kelley’s Brigadoon with an atmosphere that would make Andy Griffith proud.