Manns Harbor - Ahoy, mateys! If ye be sailing for Ocracoke or Bath
this year, be prepared to do so under the black flag of the dreaded pirate
Blackbeard. The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has
teamed up with the NCDOT’s Ferry Division to fly the flag in observance of the
300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s death in 1718.
The flag will fly on ferries serving the Hatteras-Ocracoke, Cedar
Island-Ocracoke, and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke ferry routes, as well as the Pamlico
River route between Bayview and Aurora. Both areas have historic ties to the
18th-century scallywag.
“We’re honored to take part in this celebration of an important
piece of North Carolina history,” said Ferry Division Director Harold Thomas.
“It will be a great reminder for our passengers that they’re plying the same
waters that Blackbeard sailed 300 years ago.”
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is leading the
charge in the state’s official observance of the Blackbeard anniversary, and
purchased the flags to install on the ferries. “We are so thrilled that the
Ferry Division agreed to partner with us to commemorate the Blackbeard 300th anniversary this year,” said LeRae Umfleet, chairwoman of the
NCDNCR’s Blackbeard 300 Committee. “We’re not only celebrating Blackbeard and
the golden age of piracy, we’re also celebrating North Carolina’s maritime
history, and the ferries have been a part of that history for 75 years.”
The Blackbeard 300 Committee will be hosting exhibits, educational
opportunities and events throughout 2018. The anniversary will wrap up at
Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree in Ocracoke, Oct. 25-28. Learn more about
Blackbeard and find a complete schedule of events at www.ncdcr.gov/bb300.