Portsmouth Island, NC pictures

Morris Marina runs a ferry from Atlantic, NC over to Portsmouth Island, about a 40 minute ride.  The ferry crew is friendly and efficient...Mark sized up the vehicles waiting for the 3pm Thursday afternoon ferry, conferring with Rick on the logistics of putting the four vehicles on.  Our truck/camper is extra wide, and will only fit in the center.  There is a Toyota, pulling a trailer loaded with kayaks, and two other trucks.  I do not see any way to fit all these vehicles on that small ferry, but they make it happen.  Mark, in an effort to help me back Worth's truck onto the ferry, broke the driver's side mirror off the mounting bracket.  Now, I'm backing an unfamiliar vehicle totally in the blind!  He's a good guide, and once I'm loaded, there is so little room between the trucks I have to open the window and climb out, stepping on the truck hood to get over.

There is an osprey nest just off the marina cove, and the pair of adults are sitting on four eggs.  Rick drove the ferry close enough for me to catch this picture.

After we arrive on the island, Stuart and I kick off our shoes for the next four days, and set about letting the air pressure down on the truck tires.  Worth said they'd look like they'd come off the rims, and he was right!  We dropped the pressure from 65 pounds to about 25 pounds.  We locked the hubs, changed to four-wheel drive, and headed south.

The ferry comes in at Long Point Village, about 10 miles from the southern end.  We cross over the dune and see nothing but sand, sea and birds.  After driving just two miles, we stopped to visit with two men fishing.  Dave and Bill, nice guys, told us they'd been on the island for 10 days.  We visited a little, and drove south, to find a place where we could spend the night.  The picture above is our camp...  Worth has added a "back porch" of gridded metal, just large enough for a chair and the charcoal grill.  We enjoy a couple of adult beverages, and cook a chicken on the grill for our first sunset party.
Friday was just gorgeous!  We slept well, the ocean breeze blowing through the camper, no humans in sight.  We drove on to the south end, where the island is much wider, and the wildlife is more plentiful.  On the way south, we were directed to cross over the dunes, and drive on the road on the backside of the island.  We were detouring around a shore bird nesting area.  There are several miles of bird nesting areas and turtle nests that are closed to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic this time of year.  Students from NCSU and a VA college are managing and studying the areas, along the with Wildlife people and the National Park Service.  Stuart and I picked up a few shells, watched the birds, and headed north.  We drove on past Long Point Village, and noted that the sand was much softer in this part of the island.  After another two mile detour and more soft sand, I voted for a stop.  I think we were at milepost 10, just south of a nesting area.  We spent the rest of the afternoon and the night there.  Lovely spot to fish, shell, walk, read.  A rain shower passed by, leaving the sky colorful.

Saturday morning we drove on north, taking another detour to the back of the island, heading for Portsmouth Village.  The island is very wide at the north end, mostly salt flats that flood with even the slightest high tide.  It's dry today, as we drive across the flats.  We have "suited up", with long pants and long sleeves, sprayed our clothes with insect repellent, in anticipation of the horseflies and other large biting insects.  I was a little anxious driving through the maritime forest, slipping the Big Truck through wax myrtles and red cedars without leaving parts of the truck or camper behind.  No problem! 

This is the little sign at the beach side of the village.  I think most visitors come by boat from Ocracoke Island, just a short trip across the inlet.  The National Park Service has done a great job of restoring a few of the old houses and the old Life Saving Station.

Next post, more pics....