Topsail Island in North Carolina is now a beautiful, sleepy seaside community, but years ago, the coastline here had a darker past, which included looting and piracy.
The island’s name has two main origins, but local lore persists in the notion that it is derived from pirates hiding behind the island, with only their topsails visible above the water. Another deviation suggests the name came from local merchants watching out for the topsails of pirate ships that decided to hide there. The more widely accepted origin is from New Topsail Inlet, which was first noted on early navigational charts.
Another legend claims that Blackbeard buried treasure on the island’s southern end in a hole known as the “Gold Hole.”
Some claim that even after Blackbeard’s death, his crew still patrols Rich’s Inlet. The inlet is now shallow, but when pirates roamed the North Carolina coastline in 1718, a broad and deep inlet allowed ships to pass through.
Local lore suggests that if you’re boating past the inlet, keep a watchful eye on your radar. You may notice a blimp appear that starts near the coast, but when you look back, nothing is there. As you move past the blimp, it moves out of the inlet and begins to follow you. Some believe it’s the ghost of Blackbeard still tracking boats that come into the area.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr
