BEAUFORT, N.C. — There is a sense of history that surrounds traditional watercraft, making them an attraction in themselves.
But sometimes it’s just about enjoying life on the water.
That’s the sentiment behind the annual Fall in-the-Water Meet, hosted by the Traditional Small Craft Association (TSCA), Friends of the Museum Chapter. The casual meet, which is open to the public, will be held at the Gallants Channel docks on Oct. 12 from 1 to 5:30 p.m. All small boats are welcome, and the N.C. Maritime Museum’s fleet of spritsail skiffs will be at the site with volunteers offering free boat rides from 1 to 4 p.m.
“This is a great event on the Gallants Channel waterfront,” Brent Creelman, director of operations for the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum, said. “It offers a great opportunity to try out a variety of boats.”
Boats can be launched at a public access next to Town Creek Marina. Small, hand carried boats like canoes and kayaks can go in off the floating docks or over the grass at Gallants, located at 172 West Beaufort Road, Beaufort.
“We want to encourage people to come prepared to play, share and learn,” Creelman said.
The day wraps up with the traditional pig-pickin’ dinner served from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Plates are a $10 donation to the Friends of the Museum. Proceeds help support the operations of the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum and the North Carolina Maritime Museum.
For more information, visit www.maritimefriends.com or call 252-728-2762.
About the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort
The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort reflects coastal life and interprets lighthouses and lifesaving stations, the seafood industry, motorboats, and more. Studies in marine life, science, and ecology are available for all ages. The Beaufort museum is the repository for artifacts from Blackbeard’s wrecked flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, among them cannons, grenades, belt buckles and beads. The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center teaches boatbuilding for all ages.
The North Carolina Maritime Museum, located at 315 Front Street in Beaufort, is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is open to the public with free admission. Donations are always appreciated. For more information about the museum, call 252-504-7740 or visit www.ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.
The North Carolina Maritime Museum system is comprised of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. All three museums are part of the Division of State History Museums in the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The system website is www.ncmaritimemuseums.com.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, call 919-807-7300 or visit ncdcr.gov.
Submitted by: Cyndi Brown, Public Information Officer, N. C. Maritime Museums