SEA STATE HOME-GROWN INDUSTRY GOES GLOBAL On a maritime night watch, the vastness of the sea sets in. It’s hard to tell where the hemisphere of stars meets the inky depths of the heaving ocean. There is only the boat and its crew on which to rely. The demands of the sea remain unchanged; it may be tran-quil one day and rage the next, and the seafarer must always be prepared and confident in his craft. Its Outer Banks thrust like a bow into the currents of the Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina has long been home to boatmen, eking out a living from the sea’s harvest, the winds and waves shaping and influencing the boats built to carry them to sea and home again. Those early boat builders crafted out of necessity — relying on boats for their livelihood. These boats were built to face the worst conditions, as the waters off the coast are known for good reason as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. That reputation for strength and quality has paid off as the state’s boat build-ing has grown from a backyard necessity into a $500 million to $600 million industry. Buoyed by craftsmen from the state’s furniture industry and a supply chain developed over decades, yachts built here, from motor yachts and sport fishing boats to cruising sail and cat boats, are now known as some of the best in the world. The state’s yacht builders serve a global clientele with price tags as high as $11 million to $12 million. B y J u l e s N o r w o o d 35 www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
Wrightsville Beach Magazine May 2015
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