THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 1996 TAG: 9603190307
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Thousands of boats traveling the Intracoastal Waterway each year pass within miles of Dare County ports and marinas - but to the chagrin of local business owners, most just keep going.
George H. Wood, a Kill Devil Hills environmental planner, told the Dare County Board of Commissioners at Monday's meeting that a marketing effort is needed to convince travelers that navigation of local waters is safe.
``There's a generally received notion that Dare County and the waterways in this area are treacherous,'' Wood said.
Wood, president of Environmental Professionals Inc., recently completed a study to determine whether the economic benefits of luring boaters off the sailors' version of the superhighway warrants a marketing effort.
``We're sitting on an unpolished jewel, if you will,'' Commission Chairman R.V ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. said.
The cost of the $15,000 Dare County Transient Boating Study was shared by the North Carolina Division of Water Resources; the Albemarle Resource, Conservation and Development Council; and the county.
The Intracoastal Waterway is traveled most heavily in fall and spring, usually by the same boaters, going north in April, May and June, and going south in September, October and November.
Wood said travelers going south typically cruise from Norfolk through the Currituck Sound to Coinjock, or through the Dismal Swamp to Elizabeth City, then cross the Albemarle Sound to the Alligator River and go on to Belhaven.
But it would only add about two days to their trip, Wood said, to take a hard left on the Albemarle and head east toward Roanoke Island.
``Dare County's got a lot of really interesting things,'' Wood said. ``The question was what would it take to entice them here. We are a friendly community; we just have to make sure that gets across to them.''
When asked, many of the boaters at marinas in Coinjock, Charleston, Elizabeth City, Beaufort and Belhaven said Dare County has a reputation for shallow waters, dangerous currents and strong winds, Wood said.
That reputation means few of the approximately 5,375 boaters who pass by each spring and fall are likely to detour into Dare County. Confusing or missing channel markers add to their concerns, he added.
One boating chart, Wood said, inadvertently suggested Shallowbag Bay in Manteo was too shallow for boats. And, he added, Oregon Inlet ``doesn't seem like an attractive alternative.''
In addition to adding channel markers at regular intervals, Wood said, the waterways would have to be dredged frequently.
But the the waters here are safe, he said. If the county decides to conduct a marketing campaign to encourage boaters to detour to Dare County, boaters' perception of troubled waters must be changed.
``Are these waters dangerous here? No. And it's probably more challenging than going down the `ditch','' Wood said. ``One of the alluring things is there's very good sailing to be had here - and we offer a break in the monotony of going down the path.''
Other conclusions the study reached:
Other ports garner $3 million to $4 million a year in benefits.
Facilities in Manteo and Hatteras are ``generally adequate.''
Charts must be updated to show accurate channel depths and alignments.
Additional markers must be placed in the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds.
Copies of the report will be given to local officials and tourism bureaus to consider the advantages of doing the marketing analysis.
In other business Monday, the board was treated to the first public viewing of a 12-minute video about the Roanoke Island Corridor. Narrated by Roanoke Island homeowner Andy Griffith, the video contrasts a state Department of Transportation video taken in 1973 of the corridor with the view today.
The Roanoke Island Corridor operates under the authority of the Roanoke Island Commission. Since it was established in 1982, more than 1,000 trees have been planted along the seven-mile stretch of roadway running along highways 64, 264 and 400 through Manteo and Roanoke Island. The corridor commission also authorizes erection of road signs and billboards, cutting of trees and shrubs and the addition of utilities within 50 feet of the road. About 100 property owners are affected by the regulation, according to the video.
The video will be presented during a public session on the corridor at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island March 27 between 4 and 8 p.m. by CNB