THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9603290228
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: Ronald L. Speer
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Turning the waters of the Outer Banks into a mecca for sailors won't be easy.
But I can't think of a better way to boost interest in the Albemarle than to get sailors to spread the word about the autumn bounties of the Outer Banks.
Sailors love to talk, and they particularly love to talk about the delightful places they've been.
If we could lure a few dozen sailboats to a ``Rendezvous at Roanoke Island,'' treat the crews like admirals, and send them on their way with happy memories, the word would quickly spread from Florida to Maine: ``There's nothing better than a few days in the fall in Manteo.''
So I am all in favor of a proposal by Dare County to try to persuade sailors to slip away from the Intracoastal Waterway and spend a long October weekend at the Manteo waterfront enjoying life on the Outer Banks.
There is no better time than October to relax along our coast, and our offerings would be an easy sell if we can finds ways to get sailors to venture off the waterway.
It won't be easy, however, as I realized last Sunday when the Wind Gypsy ruled the waters around Roanoke Island.
Not because she's fast, or well-sailed, or beautifully rigged.
No, the reason my little 24-footer commanded the sounds was simple: Despite great sailing weather, she was the only sailboat testing the waters during most of our four-hour cruise.
The Outer Banks doesn't draw many sailing visitors, because of a mostly unwarranted reputation as the home of troubled waters, and few residents ply the waters under sail.
That means that convincing sailors that we are worth a side trip will be a challenge, even though old hands know that the Albemarle Sound has plenty of wind and plenty of water for first-rate cruising and racing.
More than 5,000 sailboats cross the sound on their trip north in the spring, and then travel south in the fall.
But few of them venture off the Intracoastal, going across the sound from Coinjock or Elizabeth City to the Alligator River and on to Bell Haven in the fall, and reversing the route in the spring.
Not many of those sails are seen in Manteo, even though the Alligator River is but a few hours away for even the slowest of boats.
I'd recommend that we shoot for a mid-October rendezvous, since many sailors spend Columbus Day weekend in October in Maryland waters visiting the huge Annapolis boat show. They then cruise down the Chesapeake Bay to Portsmouth, Va., and head south.
Many sailors - and their kids - would welcome a break on the beach, the charms of the Outer Banks, the convenience of the Manteo waterfront.
To let sailors know when and where and how to get to Manteo, Dare County could advertise in sailing magazines and at boat shows, and distribute flyers at Annapolis and other popular Intracoastal Waterway stops.
Guides in boats could be stationed in the Albemarle to lead worried sailors through the channels and to the Roanoke Island festivities: oyster roasts, crab and shrimp feeds, water taxis, trips to the beaches, visits to the Wright Brothers display and the Elizabethan Gardens, a parade of sail led by our own Elizabeth II and some of the magnificent power boats built in Wanchese and Manns Harbor. . .
As a sailor who has stopped in a lot of Intracoastal Waterway towns, I am sure that if we can get a few transients to take a chance on Manteo, and make them welcome, they'll be back autumn after autumn, bringing other sailors with them.
If we do it right, ``Rendezvous at Roanoke Island'' could become one of the most popular happenings for sailors on the East Coast. by CNB