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Pirates & pelicans Play with the exotic on North Carolina shores Story and photographs by Ingrid Sbacchi Bairstow for the Free Lance-Star T

June 10, 2006 12:50 am

HE PELICAN SURVEYS the waters, circling lower, closer, swooping, and up again, fish in beak. Graceful despite the awkward silhouette, the bird bids an exotic welcome to the southern North Carolina shores, where pelicans breed and live.

North Carolina also boasts another exotic resident--Blackbeard, the most fearsome pirate of all time. For a few years in the early 18th century, the extremely tall, frightening man sought fortune less than a day's journey from Fredericksburg, along the coast and islands of North Carolina.

Visitors intrigued by this pirate and the lure of the pelican's peaceful presence can easily enjoy a short or long trip to the beautiful coastal areas to soak up Blackbeard's legend.

A definite stop should be Beaufort, a small fishing town at the southern end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where there are more Blackbeard attractions, both mythical and factual, than any other place in North Carolina.

In 1996, the shipwreck of Blackbeard's flagship Queen Anne's Revenge was discovered off the coast of Beaufort, and artifacts recovered from the wreck are displayed at the local museum. This discovery reveals more about the life and exploits of Blackbeard than any legend.

Surrounding pirate attractions are quaint towns, miles of sand, and inlets for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and swimming.

A "pirate-theme" vacation with the family may provide answers about the mysterious lives of pirates as well as leave ample time for relaxing on the beach.

Consider a chronological itinerary to the historic towns of Beaufort and Bath, where Blackbeard is said to have lived, and Ocracoke Island, where Blackbeard literally lost his head.

Who was Blackbeard?

Very little is known about the man called Blackbeard. No one knows for sure who he was or where he came from, although most historians believe Blackbeard was probably born in England around the year 1690 and went by the name Edward Teach, or Thatch.

Part of the fun in this type of trip is to piece together the bits of fact and legend and distinguish between the two.

According to history presented by the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, Blackbeard worked hard at establishing a devilish image. There is no evidence that he killed anyone who was not trying to kill him.

So why did he become a pirate? The main theory is that Teach lost his job as a sailor for the British Queen when the War of Spanish Succession ended. At the time, it was common for sailors to turn to piracy.

Experts believe Blackbeard began pirating sometime after 1713 as a crewman on a ship commanded by the pirate Benjamin Hornigold. In 1716 Hornigold, who liked Teach, gave him his own ship. Together they raided and looted, and by mid-1717 were among the most feared pirates of the day.

However, in late 1717, Hornigold decided to accept a pardon from the king. He handed over to Teach a large, 26-gun, richly laden French ship called La Concorde.

Teach, not yet ready for retirement, increased La Concorde's armaments to 40 guns, made it his flagship and renamed it Queen Anne's Revenge.

Blackbeard in Beaufort

If you take Interstate 95 south to State Route 70 in North Carolina, you will eventually arrive in the historic fishing town of Beaufort. The drive will take about five to six hours from Fredericksburg, depending on stops and traffic during the summer.

Settled in 1709, Beaufort is North Carolina's third-oldest town and became an active seaport, inhabited by sailors, pirates, privateers, fisherman, soldiers and planters. Still standing are homes of early sea captains, shippers and merchants, some over 200 years old.

Today, the town is charming, with old streets lined with unique stores, coffee shops, restaurants and lots of fresh fish. Accommodation is primarily bed-and-breakfasts but less expensive chains are located in nearby Morehead City. Because Beaufort has a lot to see for both pirate aficionados and ocean lovers, plan to stay at least one or two nights.

The top attraction in the area is a ghost tour comprised of fact and legends. It will give you perspective on where and how Blackbeard fits in.

Folk tales claim that Blackbeard lived at Hammock House, the oldest house in Beaufort. According to lore, he resided at the house with one of his many wives while one of his ships was being careened. When the ship was put back to sea, he had his wife hanged on one of the live oak trees in the yard. It is said that her screams can still be heard.

If you are looking for more factual information about Blackbeard, head for the North Carolina Maritime Museum, which displays artifacts from the Queen Anne's Revenge.

The museum has plans to create a large display room for all the artifacts not yet recovered, but some artifacts are already on display. They include medical and navigational instruments, pewter platters, cannonballs, wine bottles, a bell, gold flakes and more.

Tours of the museum's repository are held each Friday.

The ship, which archaeologists are 99 percent sure is the Queen Anne's Revenge, has already dispelled the treasure legend, since there is none.

In fact, very little gold has been found on board, only bits of gold dust. Because no logbook was ever found, historians do not know the true story of the ship's demise after Blackbeard's famous blockade of Charleston harbor.

Pirates are big business in the coastal town, including special treasure-hunt trips offered for children and adults. A boat transports the "crew" to a deserted island about 15 minutes from Beaufort, accompanied by a "real" pirate. Children receive a treasure map and their own treasure chest to take home.

Adults who want to relax will enjoy one of the many boat cruises offered, both evening and daytime. Some offer authentic pirate-attack displays. On your cruise, you can view wild ponies, dolphins and egrets as well as Fort Macon. The historic fort was constructed at the point where Blackbeard's fleet entered Bogue Sound from the Atlantic Ocean.

It was in these waters that the Queen Anne's Revenge was lost--run aground on a sandbar.

Bath is next on the itinerary, a couple of hours journey north along small country roads (State Route 306) to the Pamlico River. If you want to arrive faster, head back to Route 70, then U.S. 17 and U.S. 264.

Although there are no historic homes or museums dedicated to Blackbeard in Bath, the trip to the town is worth the effort to see the same landscape and waterways where Blackbeard plundered unsuspecting merchant ships.

Accommodation is limited in the town of 650, the oldest in North Carolina, incorporated in 1705. You may prefer to make this a day trip and continue on to Ocracoke, or plan to spend one night in the town's only bed-and-breakfast or drive to nearby Belhaven, where there are opportunities for canoeing, kayaking and fishing.

Blackbeard is said to have arrived in Bath sometime in June 1718, shortly after the blockade in South Carolina and after the Queen Anne's Revenge was lost in Beaufort. He immediately applied for and received a pardon from the governor, Charles Eden, giving the appearance of retiring his pirate career and settling down to become a country gentleman.

Blackbeard is said to have taken up residency in Bath, and married local girl Mary Ormond in a house on Plum Point, also known as Teach's Point. Fortune seekers have dug many holes in the area looking for buried treasure.

Retirement probably did not agree with Blackbeard, who almost immediately went back to his old ways. Not much else is known for sure. Many believe Blackbeard and Eden were in cahoots, Eden looking the other way while Blackbeard continued pirating on the side.

Eden lived near Archbell Point here during his time in Bath and when he became governor in May 1714. He occupied a 400-acre plantation on the west side of Bath Creek.

Folks say a subterranean passage was cut from the cellar of Eden's mansion to the steep bank of the creek so Blackbeard could enter and depart without being seen. The theory was never proven.

Ocracoke: Losing a head

If you want gorgeous beaches during your quest for pirate lore, spend some time at your next destination, Ocracoke Island.

From Bath, it is a short trip to Swann Quarter to board one of the North Carolina ferries to Ocracoke Island. Pelicans accompany the ferry to the harbor and set up residence on the old docks.

The 16-mile island is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which means the entire land is owned by the U.S. National Park Service, except for the village of Ocracoke. It also means its beaches are protected and rated among top 10 in the nation.

On the ferry, which may take up to two hours depending where you board, tourists can relax now on the waters of Ocracoke Inlet. Three hundred years ago, however, it was one of the principal ports of entry along the perilous North Carolina coast. Hundreds of ships passed through the inlet every year, relying on the experienced sailors of Ocracoke to help them navigate the shoals and sandbars.

The village of Ocracoke is a destination in itself, with coffee shops, ice cream stands, bars, fish places and fine dining lining the small roads. Bikes and mopeds are available and seem to have the right of way in town.

The fishing village surrounds Silver Lake Harbor on the southern tip of the island. The village skyline includes Ocracoke Lighthouse, the oldest beacon still operating in North Carolina.

Even though Blackbeard never lived here, he is probably the island's most famous visitor. He spent days along the shallow shores hiding or fixing ships.

As in Bath, there are not many official pirate tourist attractions on Ocracoke, although there is a small Blackbeard exhibit known as Teach's Hole next to one of the oldest hotels, Blackbeard Lodge.

When Blackbeard went back to pirating after his brief retirement in Bath, he is said to have spent a lot of time on Ocracoke's shores--fixing or hiding ships or enjoying his loot.

You can visit Teach's Hole, not to be confused with the exhibit, where he used to anchor. It is a well-known fishing spot.

Alas, Ocracoke is also the place Blackbeard lost his life--and his head. On Nov. 22, 1718, Lt. Robert Maynard, under orders from Gov. Alexander Spotswood of Virginia, killed Blackbeard following a vicious battle on the waters of Ocracoke Inlet.

The king of all pirates was dead and so was the age of piracy. The pelican, statuesque and free, lives on.