Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: Dramatic Rescues and Fantastic Wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic

by James D. Charlet

More than 6,000 ships have met their doom in the waters along the North Carolina coast, weaving a rich history of tragedy, drama and heroics along these picturesque beaches. Men have lost their lives and fortunes, and heroes have been made where the combination of mixing currents, treacherous coastline and shifting underwater sandbars spells disaster for even the most seasoned sailor. These are the stories of daring rescues, tragic failures, enduring mysteries, buried treasure, and fascinating legend.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

264 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2020

Reviews

[Bill Tress · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided everything I was looking for when I selected it to read. I have read about the coastline of the Mid-Atlantic States and, I have read about Cape Cod and its magnificent coastline. So, I wanted to explore the coast further south and James Charlet provided that experience. He is an expert on the outer banks of North Carolina and this professionally researched and written book provided some hours of enjoyable reading. He told of pirates, the blockades by the British navy during our two wars; the German submarines lurking offshore during the two World Wars and the brave crews of commercial ships that lost their lives in these waters.
Our author went into detail regarding the beauty of this area of coastal North Carolina. I learned many things about what makes this coastline unique. Why it is called the “graveyard of the Atlantic.” Why a person could stand in 3 or 4 foot of the Atlantic Ocean miles off the shoreline, the area is called Diamond shoals, and the violent storms that pound these shores. I learned that a southernly flowing current called the Labrador current collides with the northern flow of the Gulf Stream, right off the North Carolina coast. All these factors make sailing these waters quite treacherous.
A bonus that our author provides are riveting stories of shipwrecks on these shores primarily during the nineteenth century. The dramatic loss of ships and lives as told by Charlet were spell binding.
His greatest achievement in this scholarly work is the narration concerning the U.S. Life-Saving Service. James Charlet may be the primary authority on this subject. His skillful prose describes these brave men walking the beaches in all kinds of foul weather looking for ships in distress. Then when these stricken ships are spotted they do amazing and heroic things to rescue those sailors stranded in storms and about to go down to ‘Davey Jones locker’. Some of the ships that were lost were just ordinary vessels plying their trade along the Atlantic coast while others were important ships whose lose affected the world events.
This is a history book, it is an adventure book, it is tales of heroism and human courage, so what is not to like about such a book?

[Jon Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased my copy of this book in hardback at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Hatteras, NC when visiting the Outer Banks in November of 2021. This book discusses several of the "famous" shipwrecks that have occurred along the infamous "Graveyard of the Atlantic" and it is also a paean to the hardy men of the US Life Saving Service who rescued many, many people from ships in distress on the Outer Banks. I think my main problem with this book was one of "Outer Banks shipwreck fatigue", because I have read so many similar books on this topic, most of them purchased during our trip to the Outer Banks. This is not the fault of the author, it's my fault. This is not a badly written book; if you have never in your life read a single book about shipwrecks on the Outer Banks, then this one would not be a bad place to start. When it's the fourth or fifth book you've read about shipwrecks on the Outer Banks, they all start to seem the same. Three out of five stars.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are one of the most unique navigational hazards on the entire planet & with good reason this area has become known as The Graveyard of the Atlantic. James Charlet takes a closer look at some of the more famous shipwrecks off the Outer Banks with "Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: Dramatic Rescues and Fantastic Wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic". What makes this book interesting as well is that Charlet goes through the various life-saving stations along the coast & to this reader mentions the story of a rather famous shipwreck that a North Carolina tie that even I didn't know. This book is a nice addition to any collection for anyone with an interest in this part of the world or sailing in general.

[Bonnie E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating subject and the author is exceptionally very well-versed in it. There are many details about the U.S. Life Saving Service (now the Coast Guard) and its stations across the coastline. The author explains nautical terms and relates stories about various shipwrecks which have landed in the "graveyard of the Atlantic." He provides maritime history making the sea more accessible to those of us who haven't had much opportunity to learn about it. Overall it's an interesting book.

[Dave E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking this book up, I expected to find something akin to David Stick's classic "Graveyard of the Atlantic". Indeed Mr Charlet's book touches upon a variety of the many shipwrecks dotting the North Carolina coast. While including some, usually brief, firsthand accounts of the wrecks, he does tend to present a broader picture of most events, sometimes touching upon the greater socio or economic impacts. He is especially interested in the rescuers, and specifically the history of the U.S. Lifesaving Service.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlet is not so much a writer as a storyteller, but he excels at making the history of the US Life Saving Service and NC shipwrecks come alive. The only reason it took so long to complete the book is that I decided to purchase a copy, which I put aside in favor of library books that had to be read & returned. When I picked it back up at page 70 today, I finished the entire book.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute treasure of Outer Banks history. I'm so happy I bought it.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! I can't wait to visit there sometime!

[Chris Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great looking book, containing well kept tales.

[Joshua Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview of the life saving service with a simple history of many famous and not so famous wrecks and rescues.

[Renee Vajko Srch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a tad technical.