To attract more container lines, Moore 

 says the port plans to increase the terminal 

 space and the number of container cranes. 



Other port expansions now on the 

 drawing boards include the development of 

 Radio Island at Morehead City with a 2,000- 

 foot dock, 300,000-square-foot warehouse and 

 40 acres of paved, open storage. 



Despite port improvements, 

 technological advances and consolidation 

 of shipping lines, pilots continue to play an 

 important role as safekeepers of harbors. 



"Without pilots, captains would be 

 burdened. There is so much paperwork 

 involved in every port visit, and (captains) go 

 to so many ports around the world that they 

 can't know each river and port," says Kirby. 



"Without pilots, shipping would come to 

 a halt." □ 



Fear Pilot's Association was started. Today, the 

 organization is housed in an old lookout tower 

 that overlooks the mouth of the Cape Fear in 

 Southport. The association is governed by the 

 Board of Commissioners of Navigation of the 

 Cape Fear River, originally set up by the state 

 legislature in 1784. 



During the early part of the 20th century, 

 the Piner family began running the pilot boats 

 around Beaufort Inlet. 



"There was a lot of activity," says Buddy 

 Midgett. 'Tugs and equipment were marginal. 

 Both the pilot boats and tugs were smaller than 

 the ones used now." 



In 1947, the Morehead City Pilots 

 Association was formed. Now, the group is 

 governed by the Morehead City Navigation 

 and Pilotage Commission, set up by the state 

 legislature in 1981. The governor appoints both 

 commissions. 



Over the years, there have been a number 

 of port improvements, including the deepening 

 of the Morehead City channel in 1994. 



"The channel has improved dramatically 

 from years ago when it was shallow and not 

 maintained," adds Buddy Midgett. "Around 

 the Shackleford area is the most difficult part." 



In 2004, the Wilmington channel was 

 deepened from 38 to 42 feet on 26 miles of the 

 Cape Fear River from the ocean to the Port of 

 Wilmington. 



"The completion of the channel to 

 the port has allowed our customers to carry 

 more cargo because of the deeper draft," says 

 Jerry Moore, Port of Wilmington operations 

 director. 



In February, a new container line from 

 North China began weekly service, adding to 

 the South Asia and Korea trade route already 

 served by another line. 



PILOT ARTIFACTS, RESOURCES 



Opportunities abound for folks who want 

 to learn more about river and harbor pilots. 



The North Carolina Maritime Museum at 

 Southport has a variety of photographs, books 

 and artifacts, including a sextant used for celestial 

 navigation, bullhorn and chronometer that was 

 used to measure distance. 



The navigational aids and other artifacts are 

 in the museum's "River Pilots, Rescues and Aids 

 to Navigations" section. 



"Ports & Pilots," a video of Morehead City 

 harbor pilots, by Buddy Midgett's daughter, Linda 

 Midgett, is available for viewing at the Southport 

 museum and the N.C. Maritime Museum 

 in Beaufort. For more information, call the 

 Southport museum, 910/457-0003, the Beaufort 

 museum, 252/728-731 7; or visit the Web: www. 

 ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sedions/maritime/default.htm. 



— A. G. 



COASTWATCH 11 



