![]() ![]() ![]() The tower was replaced by a buoy in 2003 and no longer serves as an aid to navigation, but due to the structure attracting a wide range of aquatic life, it is an often visited site for fishermen and divers. The platform consists of two floors, and the subfloor is a living area of approximately 5,000 square feet that includes eight ocean facing bedrooms, a stainless steel kitchen, an office, a storage area, an original Coast Guard recreation area, and two bathrooms. The 80-foot light tower marks the shoals at the confluence of the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. The light tower is modeled after a steel oil drilling platform, known as a “Texas tower” on top of four steel legs that was engineered to be used as a lighthouse housing several Coast Guard members. The Frying Pan Tower is the old Coast Guard Light Station, built to keep the boats off of Frying Pan Shoals.Ī decommissioned lighthouse located approximately 39 miles southeast of Southport, North Carolina, and 32 miles from Bald Head Island, North Carolina, the light tower is only accessible by helicopter and boat. His friend Tom was also aboard the Frying Pan Tower, as well as a potential buyer and his two sons who were leaving when I arrived. I was soon dropped off on top of the tower and greeted by owner Richard Neal who invited me out to document this piece of national history. As we approached the steel box in the middle of the Atlantic, it was larger than life. From a distance, I could see a tiny structure. We ventured at 1,000 feet above the Atlantic in a bubble helicopter, and the farther we traveled, the bluer the ocean. I had a bird’s eye view of Oak Island Lighthouse, Bald Head Island Lighthouse and Cape Fear. In a few short moments, I was in the air overlooking North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands and the long Elizabeth River, and a network of salty creeks and canals off the Atlantic Ocean. When I arrived at High Tide Helicopters, I was a bit nervous and questioning my own sanity as I was about to ride in a helicopter for the first time to be dropped off approximately 35 miles offshore on the Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower. I left my house and drove 5.5 hours to Southport, N.C. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.On I took the approximate 350 mile journey from Hatteras Island to the Frying Pan Shoals Tower. Neal said the winner will be contacted by phone or email.Ĭopyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. The entry period ends at midnight on May 31. You can also add $50 to your entry for a chance to win two additional guests on your trip, the entry site says. The fundraiser opened today for entry of $100 per ticket for the trip for two. Kick back with a cool one as the sun sets & the Milky Way appears above.Grab a morning cup of coffee and watch the sun rise above the waves.Relaxing in a two-person hot tub on the helipad.Playing pool on the original 1964 Brunswick table.Soaking up the sunshine in hammocks on the helipad.Stargazing at night with a tracking telescope.Playing corn hole on the helipad, (hint adjust for the wind!).Test your aim by shooting biodegradable clays off the helipad.Fishing from the main level outside walkway 70′ above the ocean.Practice your golf swing by hitting biodegradable golf balls.Snorkeling under the tower with schools of fish all around.Gulf Stream charter fishing trip or SCUBA diving nearby wrecks. ![]()
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