TOP: Vehicles on the Willis ferry from Davis to Core Banks are loaded with fishing gear and 

 ice chests. BOTTOM: Capt. Ronnie Willis is the third generation of his family to transport 

 visitors from Davis across Core Sound to the Cape Lookout National Seashore. 



Over the years, surf fishers — including 

 Babe Ruth and other famous folks — have 

 flocked to Core Banks. 



"It is the best place to fish," says Vee 

 Wolff of Bethania in Forsyth County. "My 

 husband would come here all the time if he 

 could. It is pristine and heaven on earth if you 



like nature, clear water and fishing." 



Toward the end of the barrier island, all 

 25 cabins and the caretakers' quarters are 

 scattered within a mile along an unpaved road 

 between the ocean and marsh. 



The island is one of three comprising the 

 Cape Lookout seashore that stretches more 



than 56 miles — from Beaufort Inlet to 

 Ocracoke Inlet, including Shackleford 

 Banks and North and South Core Banks. 

 Core Banks — a single island from the late 

 1800s until a 1933 hurricane cut an inlet 

 through it — is divided at New Drum Inlet 

 into South Core Banks and North Core 

 Banks. 



"South Core Banks is a washover 

 island," says Lundie Spence, North 

 Carolina Sea Grant education specialist. 

 "It is so narrow that there are no forests. 

 There are lots of sea oats on low dunes and 

 shrub thickets." 



Rustic Catfw 



Inside, the cabins are comfortable but 

 sparsely furnished. Cabin #5 has a screened 

 porch ideal for relaxing and hanging wet 

 suits. The combined living room/kitchen 

 area has unfinished walls along with a gas 

 stove, sink, cabinets, a white plastic table, 

 chairs and a bunk bed. 



The bathroom has a shower. Two 

 bedrooms each have bunk beds. At night, 

 you can pull up the windows in the 

 bedrooms and hear the roar of the ocean 

 waves. 



"My family was from Portsmouth 

 Island," says Eric Roberts of Greenville, 

 who is staying in a two-bedroom cabin. 

 "I like the solitude away from everybody. 

 I have been coming at least once a year for 

 seven or eight years. I fish and sit around. 

 There are no worries of home and no 

 electricity. It is the perfect getaway." 



Nighttime offers an opportunity to 

 view wildlife. One night, a couple of young 

 raccoons sneak around the corner of the 

 cabin and stare with their big, glowing eyes. 



Because of its isolation, the shore is 

 also a great place for stargazing. On a clear 

 night, you can see the blinking lights of the 

 Cape Lookout Lighthouse located several 

 miles down the beach. 



"The beach is great," says Spence. 

 "There are no lights. Every star is so much 

 brighter. Even common constellations are 

 hard to find among all the visible stars." 



8 AUTUMN 2002 



