Shearwaters

Shearwaters are birds that spend most of their life flying over vast, windy stretches of the ocean. They must have a variety of ways of dealing with the stresses and demands of such an existence, especially when it comes to drinking fresh water. Shearwaters are remarkable in their adaptations. Most species have long narrow wings designed for gliding and soaring. To watch these graceful birds "shearing" the wavetops with their stiff-winged, seemingly effortless flight, is to witness a true natural wonder.

H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions take out many different types of passengers including, film crews (both national and international), photographers, artists, real estate agents with their clients, as well as ornithologists (wildlife biologists who study birds). Of course, the vast majority are visitors to the area who wish to explore our beautiful waterways, and barrier islands, discover GREAT shelling and look for the famous wild horses.

In preparation for writing this blog, I spoke with an ornithologist asking him to contribute to this article specifically 1 or more of his great catalogs of photos. He said, he would enjoy doing that, but, as they live at sea and do not ever come to land, he had, sadly, no photos.

As it turns out Captain Mark of H2O Captain found a shearwater on land! Sadly, this was because the bird was ill and dying. The Captain took a few photos, seen here, to send to the Cape Lookout National Seashore National Park Service. There was no explanation of why this one or others were dying or already had passed.

These beautiful sea-going birds' characteristic tubular nostrils located on top of the bill serve as a means of expelling saline solution from their large salt glands, located internally near the eye sockets. The salt glands allow these birds to drink seawater without any harmful effects since their kidneys cannot produce concentrated urine. The horny structure of the exterior nostrils protects the internal nasal passageway from the irritating salt spray and serves as an opening to their very efficient olfactory organs. Shearwaters have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to find food, burrows, and other birds of their species.

These seabirds have oily, waterproof feathers and a dense undercoat insulating down. Their webbed feet help them swim and are also used to patter upon the ocean surface in search of floating bits of food.

The strong bill has a food-grabbing hook on the end, and the typical dark or dark-and-light plumage helps them blend into a monochromatic landscape.

The shearwaters have a distinctive musky odor arising from their stomach oils, which are used as food for their young, as a defensive weapon (squirted when needed), and as additional waterproofing for their feathers.

If you are out at sea, look for these beautiful and healthy birds!

Photo Courtesy of H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions

The Fish House

The Styron Fish House sits along Taylor's Creek in Beaufort, NC.  It was built in the 1940a by Captain Louis Styron.  This small rustic shack served as the family home until after the birth of his daughter Celia Faye Styron.  Not long after her birth, Mrs. Styron insisted the family move across the street to be further from the water for the safety of their child.  Captain Styron built a new home, and their little rustic shack became the workshop for the fisherman.  Today the quaint little cottage is owned and maintained by the daughter.

On almost all H20 Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions going to Shackleford Banks to see the wild horses and discover great shelling, Sand Dollar Island, as well as going to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, we will pass this iconic symbol of a reminder of times past, when all was much simpler and when Beaufort by the Sea was a fishing town.  Just ask Captain Mark to point it out to you!

Photo by Captain Mark on an adventure travel trip 08JAN2023

“Jaws” No More!

A big reason most people are afraid of sharks is the movie “Jaws.” Before the movie was released 47 years ago, people who went to the beach to swim didn’t really think about sharks, but this movie changed that thinking and the world, and not in a good way for the ocean, according to Dr. David Shiffman at a seminar delivered at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort, NC.

H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions' Master Captain Mark gives tours of the beautiful waterways around The Crystal Coast / The Southern Outer Banks of North Carolina around Shackleford Banks, home to the wild horses and great shelling, as well as to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. There were at least 2 occasions this season where Master Captain Mark has been in the water where a shark has passed him.  One, a nurse shark, approximately 18 inches away, and the other, a hammerhead, approximately 6 feet away. “At neither time were any species in any danger,” says Captain Mark. “And why would they? Both species are fed very well, and neither species is food for the other,” continues Captain Mark.

“On the majority of our excursions, we see the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. They are much easier to spot as they need to come up for air every few minutes. I am quite positive that there are always sharks around, but we generally do not see them as they are not required to come up to the surface to breathe,” declares the Captain.

That said, we can all learn so much more about sharks, and all marine animals, which is why H2O Captain is a Donor to Bonehenge Whale Center, and, a member of the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, NC.

In this seminar at the Museum, Captain Mark heard Dr. David Shiffman and was able to speak one on one with him, regarding sharks. Dr. Shiffman recently wrote yet another book on this fascinating marine animal, entitled, Why Sharks Matter.

This book is different from other books on this subject as his book features detailed descriptions of dozens of different conservation policies and management regulations that can be used to help protect sharks, including a description of what policies work in what situations and how people can help.

There are 536 known species of shark. And, according to Shiffman, “there’s a new species discovered somewhere in the world every two weeks and that’s been true for the last 12 years!”

On a related subject matter, Pepin-Neff released a new study in the journal Biology on how The New York Times is changing its coverage of shark encounters. Data shows that between 32–38% of reported shark “attacks” have no injury at all.

Photos:  Top, Dr. David Shiffman (c) flanked by Dr. Keith Rittmaster (l) Executive Director Bonehenge Whale Center, and Captain Mark (r)
Bottom, Dr. David Shiffman’s inscription to Captain Mark

Collect Wampum

At H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions they already offer a trip entitled, “Money on the Horses.” This voyage takes passengers to Sand Dollar Island to collect…sand dollars, then brings them to Shackleford Island to see the wild horses. A magnificent trip!

However, did you know that in their most popular excursion, called, “BWB Repeat - Boat, Walk, Beach...Repeat OR Wild Horses & Shelling,” you can collect “money” there as well?

The money I speak of was the 1st legal currency in Massachusetts. In this area of coastal North Carolina at the Southern Outer Banks at The Crystal Coast around Beaufort, and Atlantic Beach, located on Shackleford Banks, the Native American Indians from the Iroquois, Sioux, Algonquin, and Pamlico Indians called it wampum and it is still available today!

Captain Mark will personally walk with you on the beach and identify this gem, made by the ocean from the quahog clam, for you to take home in the official shell bag that he gives to you!

What is wampum?
Most simply, wampum are beads made from various white and purple mollusk shells which were and are still used by various Native nations throughout eastern North America for ornamental or ceremonial use.

What did Native Indians use wampum for?
Before contact with white settlers, the Indians used wampum primarily for ceremonial purposes, as a record of an important agreement or treaty, as an object of tribute given by subject tribes, or for gift exchange (q.v.). Its value is derived from its ceremonial importance and the skill involved in making it.

Is wampum money?
Seashell-derived wampum was Massachusetts' first legal currency and continued to be used and respected as currency throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States, even into the nineteenth century.

What is wampum worth?
Today, wampum is once more considered to have a high value but only as an artifact to the right buyer. Though many times the artifacts are given back to the tribe or donated to museums, there are some dealers who have been known to sell a band of 10 or more linked strings for up to $2,200.

Why is wampum so important?
It still symbolizes an agreement of mutual respect and peace between the Native American Indians and European newcomers to North America. The principles were embodied in the belt by virtue of its design: two rows of purple wampum beads on a background of white beads represent a canoe and a European ship.

Where can you find wampum today?
The channeled whelk and the hard clam, also known as the quahog, are rightfully adored by beachcombers for their beautiful white and purple shells, respectively. Found only on the east coast of North America, and more specifically for H2O Captain, we collect them on Shackleford Banks in the Southern Outer Banks of North Carolina, which is a part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Their relative rarity also makes them an attractive find.

Is wampum still used today?
To this day wampum is still used in the ceremony of raising up a new chief and in the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving ceremonies. Many belts are in museums to this day.

The Pamlico and Algonquian Indians who lived along the Pamlico River in what is now Beaufort county, N.C., U.S., when first encountered by Europeans. These sedentary agriculturists were almost destroyed by smallpox in 1696, and in 1710 the 75 survivors lived in a single village.

During the period of first white contact, the Indian tribes inhabiting the area of the present state of North Carolina were of three linguistic stocks — the Iroquoian, Siouan, and Algonkian.

Resources:
Wampum and the Origins of American Money https://a.co/d/a6Uk75n
H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions

Photo:  a collection of Wampum found within 15 minutes on Shackleford Banks, NC on an H2O Captain excursion

Boating Attractions at The Crystal Coast Southern Outer Banks of NC including Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, and Beaufort

The Crystal Coast and specifically Carteret County are literally surrounded by water. From the island hosting the Cape Lookout Lighthouse to Shackleford Banks where 127 wild horses call home as well as millions of beautiful seashells on almost a deserted part of the beach on this island. Not to mention having play time in Bogue Sound.

There are many boating opportunities here. In Salter Path, ½ way between the town of Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach is Island Water Sports where you can rent kayaks, and jet skis, or be taken around on their Banana Boat and have fun on the waters of Bogue Sound.

Moving over to Atlantic Beach is H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions. This company with its USCG licensed Master Captain and their National Park Service Permit takes passengers to see the wild horses and discover great shelling on Shackleford Banks, Sand Dollar Island (at low tide only), as well as visiting the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. However, if you can skipper your own boat, have local knowledge of our waters, and can work with our wind, tides, currents, and waves then Beachside Boat, Bike & Scooter Rentals is for you! Rent your own boat!!

Should you decide to venture off the island of Emerald Isle and drive to Beaufort, make sure you stop at Morehead City’s Impressions Art Gallery & Studio, where you will see fine art of the area’s wild horses and water or Momentum Yoga & Wellness center for some chillin’ moves.

In Beaufort, you will find Captain Ron’s Island Tours. This company leaves the driving up to the Captain and his 1st Mate is free to find the wildlife including the horses on the Rachel Carson Preserve, dolphins, various birds, etc. Should you choose to bring your own libations, there is Cruisin’ Tikis. They provide the ice cubes and cups…you BYOB. Bring your tunes as well to Bluetooth over to their sound system.

Furthermore, to know about the history of boating as well as the seas' largest inhabitants, the NC Maritime Museum and Bonehenge Whale Center are the places to go to on land in Beaufort. The NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores back on Emerald Isle offers a stream to the ocean vantage point of North Carolina’s waterways and has the fish, large and small, to prove it!

Lastly, no matter which excursion(s) you choose you will be enjoying this beautiful area on the water, on land, and its special National Park, The Cape Lookout National Seashore.

Photo Top:  Moma and foal (baby horse), Courtesy of H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions
Photo Bottom:  Inside the Bonehenge Whale Center

Wonderful things to do in Atlantic Beach

Located on the barrier island of Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, with miles of pristine beaches on both the ocean and sound side, this outdoor recreation paradise offers activities such as going to see the wild horses on Shackleford, visiting the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, surfing, fishing, boating, kayaking, and more. From lazy beach days to fun-filled adventures on the water to exciting nights out on the town, it’s easy to see what keeps vacationers coming back year after year.

For long days filled with fun in the sun, there’s no better place for memorable family beach vacations. Discover some of the best things to do in Atlantic Beach, NC during your next visit to North Carolina’s Crystal Coast.

Best Things to Do in Atlantic Beach, NC 

1. Hit the beach.

Situated on a barrier island that is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Bogue Sound, Atlantic Beach offers miles of pristine beaches for vacationers to enjoy a nearly endless list of activities both on and off the sand. The most popular public beach access point is at The Circle at Atlantic Beach, located just across the Atlantic Beach Causeway. Additional public beach access points can be found at Picnic Street Park and in Fort Macon State Park.

2. Stroll the boardwalk.

One of the highlights of The Circle at Atlantic Beach is the Atlantic Beach Boardwalk. Lining the short stretch of boardwalk are numerous beach shops and eateries, along with benches and picnic tables for vacationers to sit, relax and take in the beautiful views. Just off the sand are volleyball courts and a swing set for young children.

3. Visit North Carolina’s most visited state park.

Take a step back in time and explore some of North Carolina’s history with a visit to Fort Macon State Park. Surrounded by a beach that is accessible to the public, this 389-acre park is a perfectly restored Civil War-era fort, first constructed as a defense to thwart the region’s infamous pirate attacks.

Here you can learn about life on the battlefield and how the Civil War took place by the coast. The park is open daily with tours led by knowledgeable park staff. Civil War reenactments are held frequently, offering a unique way for visitors to watch history come to life. The beaches that border the fort on both the ocean and sound side are perfect for leisurely strolls, taking in the incredible views.

4. Enjoy panoramic ocean views from the pier.

A recognizable trademark of Atlantic Beach and a favorite local spot is the Oceanana Fishing Pier. Not only does the pier provide some of the best panoramic ocean views, it’s also one of the best fishing spots along the Crystal Coast. From spots, croakers, flounder and pompano during the summer months to black and red drum during the cooler spring and fall months, anglers have plenty of opportunities to reel in a great catch during any season.

Long strolls down the pier to take in the miles-long view is just as popular activity on the pier as fishing. 

5. Explore the coastal waterways by boat.

Boating is a great way to get out on the water and explore the natural wonders of the coast. Explore the day sightseeing along the coast. Spend a day exploring the Cape Lookout National Seashore and take photos of the wild Shackleford horses that roam the barrier islands.

There are several marinas located in Atlantic Beach including, Anchorage Marina and Fort Macon Marina. With ample parking and multiple boat ramps, you’ll be boating through the waterways within minutes.

6. Eat like a local.

One of the best parts of a beach vacation is the fresh seafood dinners that go along with it. Amos Mosquito specializes in serving modern American seafood dishes with a Southern flair. Situated on the sound side of Atlantic Beach, the restaurant boasts picturesque views of Bogue Sound from its quaint bayou-style setting.

From crab cakes, grilled shrimp and sushi rolls to comfort foods like meatloaf and fried boneless pork chops, enjoy an array of tasty dishes cooked with the freshest, seasonal ingredients. And for a dessert you won’t soon forget, try the tableside ‘campfire’ where you can enjoy make-your-own s’mores!

7. See what’s on tap.

Crystal Coast Brewing Company is a family-owned craft brewery in Atlantic Beach, NC. Brewed in Eastern North Carolina and made with many local ingredients, Crystal Coast Brewing has been providing visitors to the Crystal Coast with great tasting craft beer since 2017.

The Atlantic Beach Taproom is located just blocks from the beach and offers 17 amazing craft beers on tap, as well as wine, cider on tap and sodas. The whole family can enjoy hours of fun in the game area playing shuffleboard, giant Jenga, video games, corn hole and more. The Atlantic Beach Taproom offers plenty of space both indoors and out, making it the perfect spot for patrons to hang out with friends and family.

8. Venture through the maritime forest.

Looking to get up close with nature on the Crystal Coast? The Hoop Pole Creek Nature Trail is a 1-mile round-trip hike through the maritime forest that leads to views of a salt marsh and the estuary where Hoop Pool Creek flows into Bogue Sound. Hoop Pole Creek Preserve is listed as a natural heritage area and is protected by the NC Coastal Federation.

The trail is a mix of boardwalk, paved trail and hard ground, making it the perfect hike for people with small children, as well as those with mobility issues. The area is a refuge for fish, wildlife and plants. Hikers have the opportunity to see a variety of songbirds, wading birds and birds of prey, in addition to deer, raccoons, turtles and more.

It’s a great place to immerse yourself in the awesome natural landscapes that make up North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. The Hoop Pole Creek Nature Trail can be accessed from the parking lot of the Food Lion in the Atlantic Station Shopping Center.

9. Boat, Walk, Beach…Repeat.

While this may not sound like your standard beach activity, it’s actually one of the most popular and truly “Instagrammable” ecology tours offered by H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions.

The BWB Repeat tour is the trifecta of excursions. Travel along the scenic waterways beside Shackleford Banks where Captain Mark will take you on a guided land tour to see the wild Shackleford Banker horses, looking for shells on the beaches along the way, and then stop for a dip in the calm sound waters to cool off as you make your way back to the boat. You’ll then be taken through the north end of the Middle Marshes of the Rachel Carson Preserve, then up Taylors Creek along the historic Beaufort waterfront.

H2O Captain offers a variety of unique and memorable eco-tours that can be fully customized to include activities that your family will enjoy the most. During your next stay on the Crystal Coast, an excursion with Captain Mark is a must!

10. Explore fun things to do nearby Atlantic Beach, NC.

One of the Crystal Coast’s most popular family attractions is just a short drive away, the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. Take the kids on an aquatic journey to learn more about marine animals and their habitats. See Blackbeard’s infamous ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Touch a stingray. It’s great fun for the whole family!

The information above was written by Emerald Isle Realty

An Island We’re Excited About: Shackleford Banks, an island in Carteret County, Crystal Coast, Southern Outer Banks, near Atlantic Beach and Beaufort, NC

Where is Shackleford Banks?
Located at the southern-most barrier island in Cape Lookout National Seashore, just west of Cape Lookout which is the most southern area of the Outer Banks, and just east of Atlantic Beach, NC.

How do I get to Shackleford Banks?
Shackleford Banks is only accessible by boat. Most tourists who wish to reach the island travel there by ferry. However, many visitors and adventure travelers prefer to have a guided tour, not only on the water but on the island itself. With its many trails leading from the protected waters north of the island to the other side where the Atlantic Ocean laps at the shores of Shackleford, many discoveries and memories can be created. For example, looking for wild horses or discovering great shelling without the competitive crowds of a ferry. Make sure you are traveling with an authorized permittee of the National Park Service to provide safe, and legal excursions to Shackleford Banks. *

Can you swim to Shackleford Banks?
Unless your name is Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps, the answer is NO!

What is Shackleford Banks known for?
Shelling and viewing its Wild Horses
The Shackleford Banks is known for some of the best shelling North Carolina has to offer. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the North Carolina State Shell, the Scotch Bonnet, and the always coveted Sand Dollars. The Atlantic-facing beaches have the best shells.

Can you see Cape Lookout from Shackleford Banks?
From the eastern half of the island looking from the ocean beach, YES.

How large is Shackleford?
About 8.5 miles long and is uninhabited by humans.
Shackleford Banks once had permanent residents. The now-abandoned settlement of Diamond City was located on the Banks, but the last occupants had relocated by 1902. Until 1933, Shackleford Banks was connected to the Core Banks. Barden Inlet was opened by the 1933 Outer Banks Hurricane, separating the Shackleford Banks from South Core Banks.

How wide is Shackleford Banks?
Short of a mile wide
This is one of the few places in the eastern United States where wild horses can still be seen. Shackleford Banks is approximately 8.5 miles long and averages less than a mile wide. It contains many habitats, unique to barrier islands, which support the horses.

Who was Shackleford Banks named after?
The island is named after John Shackleford who acquired the island in the early 1700s. Over the next hundred years or so, parcels of the island were willed to children, some parcels were sold and the population on the banks began to grow through the 1800s.

Photos above by Captain Mark of H2O Captain

* H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions is an authorized permittee of the U.S. National Park Service allowing the company to take passengers to both Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout. https://h2ocaptain.com/tours

Earth Day

Earth Day is this Friday, April 22, 2022. Should we be calling it “Earth Day,” or might it be more accurate to call it “Save the human race, animals, insects, plants, water Day”? After all, the planet will continue to be here. It’s life that will cease to exist. Humans are killing the environment we live in across the Earth.

Two-thirds of the Earth is covered in water. At H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions this is our life, our job, and our being. What can we all do to help our planet and our Seven Seas?
- Collect plastic at your local beaches and recycle.
- Plant a tree.
- Support Our Pollinators.
- Use Wildflowers and Native Plants.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in all areas.
- Stop using pesticides and chemicals, both commercially and personally as this runs off into our streams, rivers, bays & sounds, and into our oceans.
- Conserve energy at home.
- Become a vegan saving animals, fowl, and fish.
- Commercially and personally, don’t overfish.
- Reduce paper waste and junk mail.
- Recycle your electronics.
- Give your car a break.
- Turn off the tap.
- Replace your bulbs.
- Bring your own bags to the store, as plastic bags can end up in our oceans killing sea turtles, sharks, and other animals.

Think about the day, every day!

The Lighthouse is closed but the Lightkeeper's House is Open!

2022…another year when the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, located at the most southern point in the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina will be closed to the public for climbing.  However, the Lightkeeper’s House, located directly in front of the Lighthouse, is open.

That home however was not the original Lightkeeper’s House.  Interestingly, the Lighthouse as we know it today also was not the original Cape Lookout Lighthouse!

The First Lightkeeper's Quarters was built in 1812.  This Keeper's Quarters was built at the same time as the first Cape Lookout Lighthouse. The house was to be 24 feet square and 1.5 stories tall. Each of the three rooms had a fireplace that fed into the chimney in the center of the house. The exterior was made of pine and covered with pine or cedar shingles. In 1869, this house received extensive repairs.

A kitchen was to be built at least 6 feet away from the house and connected with a covered walkway. The proposal request indicated that this kitchen should be 14'x16' and one story tall. A well was also part of this request.

It is unknown how long these structures remained standing. Photographic records indicate that the Keeper's Quarters remained standing at least until 1893. Part of the foundation of this dwelling can be seen on a sand dune in the lighthouse area.  Sadly, the structure got destroyed.

The Second Keeper's Quarters, the one that we know today, (see photo above by Captain Mark) was built in 1873.  Soon after the second Cape Lookout lighthouse was completed, Assistant Keepers were assigned to the station. This new Keepers' Quarters were built to accommodate these keepers. The house was designed as a single-family residence, but by the early 1900s, all three keepers were living in this building. In response to complaints that their families could not be with them, a new Head Keeper's Quarters was built in 1907. The two Assistant Keepers and their families then shared the Second Keeper's 1873 home.

Today, this Second Keepers' Quarters serves as a museum, giving visitors a glimpse into the lives of Lighthouse Keepers and Surfmen of the US Life-Saving Service, now the US Coast Guard.  The museum is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week during the boating season.

H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions runs trips from Atlantic Beach to the Lighthouse via the North Atlantic Ocean, the only powerboat company with a permit to do so from the National Park Service.  Captain Mark will anchor just off the beach in front of the Lightkeeper’s house and will walk you in while also showing you the area around the Lighthouse.

Excerpts above are taken from the Cape Lookout National Seashore, part of NPS.gov

Art Imitating Life or Life Imitating Art: Reality TV, or at least “reality” for some, the yachts of Bravo’s Successful TV Series, Below Deck.

With all the talk as well as seizing of Russian Oligarchs' superyachts, we are seeing them on our TV sets through the eyes of the Captain, crew, and passengers of the TV Show Below Deck. No, these are not owned by any Russian Oligarchs but are legally owned and run by others for private charters.

Let’s look a little closer at these vessels.

At its inception, the show introduced us to a 164-foot Benetti, with the now-famous Captain Lee at the helm. Cruising around the Caribbean, one of the top destinations for cruisers in general, whose name was changed to Honor for the show – whose real name is in reality, Barents - wowed viewers with her luxury and elegance. With six staterooms, a sun deck, a drinks bar, and a hot tub enjoyed multiple-night charters. Barents was designed by Stefano Natucci and has recently undergone a full refit adding a sleek interior design to the arsenal of water toys, gym, beach club, and indoor and outdoor cinemas. MY (Motor Yacht) Barents charters for just over $170,000 per week.

Ohana
While 154-foot superyacht Ohana appeared in Season 2 under her own name, she was renamed Star Diamond since her sale. Built by Admiral Marine Works in 1998, Star Diamond had a major refit in 2018 and oozes classic superyacht elegance with interior works by Donald Starkey Designs, as well as plenty of deck space. She also cruised around the Caribbean, mainly in the BVI. Ohana charters for around $160,000 per week.

Eros
Season 3 saw the 163-foot Eros make her TV debut as she cruised the waters of The Bahamas with Captain Lee on the bridge. At the time she was officially named Mustang Sally but has since been renamed Stay Salty. With space for 12 guests and 10 crew members, Stay Salty is currently not available for charter, which is a disappointment to those who dreamed of lounging in her outdoor hot tub or enjoying a meal with friends around the alfresco dining table. Designed by Geoff Van Aller, Stay Salty offers a classically elegant interior styling, with rich woods and neutral tones, as well as plenty of deck space…all of which needed meticulous cleaning by her crew in 2015.

Valor
Valor appeared in Season 4, 5, and 7 cruising around the US Virgin Islands, Saint-Martin, and Phuket in Thailand. The 154-foot Dutch shipbuilder Feadship is actually named BG (for her owner, the Canadian entrepreneur Bobby Genovese) and spends her winters in the Caribbean and summers in the Med. With her monogram palette, sky lounge, beautiful outdoor spaces, and that water slide, it is easy to see why Bravo used BG as the setting for so many of its seasons. BG charters for around $154,000 per week.

MY Seanna
MY Seanna has joined Valor in featuring more times than any other Below Deck superyacht, with appearances in three of the nine seasons. When we first met her she was cruising around the islands of French Polynesia under her own name but has since been renamed Starship (although in Season 9 Below Deck she is still using her original name). Throughout her seasons on the show, MY Seanna has cruised to some other destinations including Antigua and St Kitts. With her open-air Jacuzzi, spacious beach club, and array of water toys, it’s no surprise she has been one of the show’s best-loved superyachts. Starship charters from $260,000/week.

Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Below Deck’s astounding popularity has seen spin-off series’ Below Deck Mediterranean, with the much-loved Captain Sandy at the helm, and Below Deck Sailing Yacht, with Captain Glen air simultaneously. With new cruising grounds and a whole new fleet of spectacular charter superyachts, viewers feel this is “must-see TV!”

Of course, for those not able to afford that level of luxury yet and are still seeking a private boat experience, check out H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions at https://h2ocaptain.com if you are looking for an experience that includes seeing wild horses and discovering great shelling on Shackleford Banks or seeing a Lighthouse at Cape Lookout and of course cruising the waterways of The Crystal Coast in the Southern Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA!

Whichever adventure you choose, welcome aboard!