Celebrating the Vesta at Sunset Beach
Posted On Thursday, January 9, 2014
One of the little-known facts surrounding the island of Sunset Beach is that a former boat that ran ashore during the Civil War is now buried under the pier. This Saturday actually represents the 150th anniversary of the Vesta running aground at what was then called Bald Beach.
The boat was a Confererate blockade runner trying to get by the US Navy boats covering the Cape Fear River closer to Wilmington. It ran aground 150 years ago when it ran out of fuel supply. A companion boat the Ranger, went aground the same day a few miles north on what is now Holden Beach.
The Vesta's hull was an attraction on the island for years until it finally was buried in the early 1970's by the accreting sand that our island has enjoyed for years. The current pier initially built around the hull to help with the fishing.
You can read more about the Vesta in this archived newspaper story from the Wilmington Star-News. And on your next vacation with Sunset Properties, stop by the Old Bridge Preservation Society to see an exhibit on the boat that they will host through 2014.