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  • Home
  • Facility Rentals
  • About
    • The Watercraft Center
    • NC Maritime Museums
      • Beaufort
      • Hatteras
      • Southport
    • Friends of the Museum
    • Beaufort, NC
    • Local Lodging
  • Courses Offered
  • Carolina Maritime Model Society
  • Volunteer
  • Wooden Boat Show
  • Contact
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15 Feb 20181111_130039_resized_1

Posted at 16:59h in by NCMM Staff
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North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort

3 hours ago

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort
On August 1, 2003, the ferry “Croatan” officially joined the NCDOT fleet. This River Class workhorse carries up to 40 vehicles and 300 passengers, connecting Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands. At 180 feet long with a 44-foot beam and a 5 foot and 6 inch draft, “Croatan” is built for tough conditions. The ferry is one of 12 river class ferries. These boats are durable, double ended vessels that don’t need to turn around at the docks, keeping busy routes moving fast. Image: The River Class ferry, “Croatoan.” (Image courtesy NCDOT). ... See MoreSee Less
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North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort

1 day ago

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort
Fish Friday A state record set last year for the spinycheek scorpionfish still holds! Oden Hopkins caught the 4-pound, 6.4 ounce, record scorpionfish off Ocracoke on July 13, 2025. His 20.63-inch fish unofficially ties the existing IGFA World Record spinycheek scorpionfish, which was caught in 2015 off the Virginia coast. The rarely encountered spinycheek scorpion fish should be handled with care as the spines of the fish are venomous and grow up to 16 inches long. Image: Spinycheek scorpionfish. (Image Courtesy NOAA) Image: Certified state record spinycheek scorpionfish and Oden Hopkins, the angler who caught it. (Image Courtesy NCDEQ). ... See MoreSee Less
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North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort

3 days ago

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort
In the age of exploration, sailors in the 1500s and 1600s navigated the world by following lines of latitude, because calculating longitude wasn’t possible until accurate seagoing clocks, called chronometers, were perfected in the 1700s. These devices transformed navigation by letting mariners pinpoint their distance from a known longitude. The creation of the chronometer was a game changer for mariners, but the loss of one could be a game ender. On July 29, 1918, when the chronometer on the schooner “Luna” failed, the vessel ran off course. The ship ran aground about five miles south of the Portsmouth Coast Guard Station. Thanks to the quick action of Coastguardsmen like David Williams who assisted from the Ocracoke Station, all five crew members were safely brought to shore using a breeches buoy. Unfortunately, “Luna” itself was lost. Image: Captain David Williams who assisted with the rescue of the crew from the schooner “Luna.” (Image courtesy Ocracoke Preservation Society and Museum, Ocracoke, NC). Image: Hamilton chronometer made in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1941. (NC Maritime Museum at Beaufort collection). ... See MoreSee Less
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North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort

4 days ago

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort
On July 28, 1908, a sudden waterspout flipped the schooner “Lady Antrim” upside down in the Pamlico River! Amazingly, the captain and crew managed to cling to the overturned hull until a passing ship rescued them. The dramatic event made headlines soon after. What exactly is a waterspout? A waterspout is a spinning column of air and water mist, and it comes in two main types, tornadic and fair weather. Any waterspout can cause damage, as the Lady Antrim learned in 1908, and should always be taken seriously. Image: Waterspout observed from NOAA Ship RONALD H. BROWN. Lt. Jeff Shoupposing with waterspout. (Image courtesy NOAA). ... See MoreSee Less
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North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort

1 week ago

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort
Fish Friday The common thresher shark is one of the ocean’s most striking predators—stretching up to 20 feet long and weighing nearly 1,000 pounds. Its signature feature is an enormous, sickle‑shaped tail, often half the shark’s entire body length. With a brown‑gray back, pale underside, and rows of tiny teeth, this sleek hunter is built for speed. North Carolina is no stranger to these giants. In fact, the state record thresher weighed an incredible 589 pounds, 1 ounce, and was caught off Oak Island in 2023 by Steven Viltoft. Image: Common thresher shark washed up on Atlantic Beach, 2025. (Image courtesy Fort Macon State Park). Images: Steven Viltoft NC State record holding thresher, 2023. (Image courtesy NCDEQ). ... See MoreSee Less
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THE HARVEY W. SMITH WATERCRAFT CENTER

322 Front St.

Beaufort, NC 28516

Hours:

Monday-Saturday • 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday • Noon - 5 p.m.

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