Boat Building, Pirates, Lighthouses — Some Events Coming to Maritime Museum

NC Maritime Museums
By Hook or By Crook

March 17, 11 a.m.

Ranked amongst the fiercest pirates from the “Golden age of Piracy,” Anne Bonny and Mary Read’s stories are ones that daytime TV series wish they could write. Join Associate Museum Curator Christine Brin for a free, informal lecture that shares their scandalous stories. Due to topics including adultery, the program may not be appropriate for younger children. Registration is not required for the in-person program. Or watch online via the museum’s Facebook page or Zoom. Sign up for Zoom at ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.

Lofting a Boat

March 19-20, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Learn how to “loft,” the process of taking information from a boat plan and drawing it out in full scale in preparation for creating templates to build a boat. This is one of the first steps in many boatbuilding projects. For the purposes of this class, the student will draw a six-foot boat. Course fee is $110 ($99 for Friends of the Museum). Course size is limited, and advance registration is required. For more information or to register, go to ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com or call 252-504-7758.

Screw-pile Lighthouses of North Carolina

March 24, 11 a.m.

The lighthouses along North Carolina’s ocean beaches are famous around the nation, probably none more so than the Cape Hatteras lighthouse at Buxton. But these towers weren’t the only structures that helped mariners navigate our waters during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Join Associate Museum Curator Benjamin Wunderly March 24 at 11 a.m. in the museum auditorium for an overview of these screw-pile lighthouses that dotted our internal waters and what life was like for the keepers who maintained them. Registration is not required for the in-person program. Or watch online via the museum’s Facebook page or Zoom. Sign up for Zoom at ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.

Carolina Maritime Model Society Meeting

March 26, 2 p.m.

The Carolina Maritime Model Society exists to promote the production of high-quality ship models and encourage members and the public to participate in a craft that is as old as shipbuilding itself. Meetings, which are open to the public, are held in the museum auditorium.

Half-Model Class

March 26-27, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Learn how to read a set of plans and use the basic woodworking tools most commonly found in a boatbuilder’s tool kit to shape a lift half-model of a North Carolina Shad Boat during a two-day course, held April 10 and 11 at the North Carolina Maritime Museum’s Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center. The models are built following a step-by-step procedure and are then taken home to apply a finish. Course fee is $120 ($108 for Friends of the Museum). Course size is limited, and advance registration is required. For more information or to register, go to ncmaritimemuseum.com or call 252-504-7758.

Historic River Fisheries: The Neuse River

March 30, 11 a.m.

Join Curator of Maritime History David Bennet March 30 at 11 a.m. in the museum auditorium as he examines the historic fisheries of the lower Neuse River. At one time, the Neuse River was filled with fishing boats and nets, while New Bern had one of the largest fish markets in the state. This free, informal talk explores the commercial fishing industry in the region during the 19th and 20th centuries. Registration is not required for the in-person program. Or watch online via the museum’s Facebook page or Zoom. Sign up for Zoom at ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.

NC Maritime Museums Beaufort logo

Submitted by Cyndi Brown, Public Information Officer