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WBM
The Oasis
Fresh water is a rare commodity on an
uninhabited barrier island. The Plumber
knew how to get it.
Generations of men had camped at the
base of the big dune. A vicious hurricane in
the ’90s had washed away the old camp, pil-ing
three feet of sand on top and destroying
the infrastructure. It marked the end of an
era for the old timers, who never camped
there again.
The Plumber had known and camped
with some of those men. Now he introduced
the camp to the next generation who would
build it back. He was a link to the old camp,
and a bridge to those about to replace it.
But first they needed water.
Mother Nature had reclaimed the place.
He brought in his crew and after the arduous
work of hacking their way in and making a
clearing in the tangled brush, they began
their work.
The men took turns pounding the drive
cap and coupling the pipes together until
the well point penetrated the water lens
less than a dozen feet below. They mounted
a pitcher pump on the threaded top pipe
and rotated duty working the handle until
they had pumped enough water to blow
out a hollow around the point. Now primed,
a few pumps of the handle would yield a
five-gallon bucket of fresh water.
The water was the color of weak tea due
to the tannic acid in the soil from the sur-rounding
maritime vegetation, but it was
potable. It was a fine camp amenity, and if
they kept the leathers fresh, they had water.
The old well had been destroyed by a
hurricane. The Plumber did not know it at the
time, but over 20 years later, his handiwork
would be destroyed not by another hurricane,
but by men.
Opposite: The majestic dune on Hutaff
Island from the scout for “The Island
That Won’t Be Tamed” by Simon Gonzalez,
May 2017 Wrightsville Beach Magazine.
Gonzalez is seen walking the ridge with
Randy Williams and Pat Bradford. Right:
Looking south, north and west across the
marsh from the top of the dune.
WBM FILE PHOTO WBM FILE PHOTO WBM FILE PHOTO