Zip! And You’re There!
by guest contributor Finley Austin
In a ground breaking partnership between the National Park Service (NPS), North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (NCCLT), NC DOT and the Ocracoke Sanitary District (OSD) a zip-line will be installed from the Ocracoke water tower out to Springer’s Point! This win-win-win-win will alleviate parking problems and over utilization of the trail and beach at Springer’s, allow visitors access to the top of lighthouse, raise money to lower island property owners’ water bills, as well as, hopefully, put a dent in constant complaints.
Parking will be available at the large NPS lot a short walk to the water tower. Additionally, shuttle service will be provided for those not wanting to walk – we know how little people like to walk. An elevator will take users and their belongings to the top of the water tower where the fun will begin!
The zip-line will run from the 130-foot water tower making a stop at the top of the 75-foot lighthouse. In order to clear the trees and houses between the lighthouse and the Point the line will end at a specially constructed 25-foot wooden tower surrounded by a large floating platform off the beach at Springer’s. A slide will take patrons from the tower landing to the water. A small gondola on the zip-line will be available to transport chairs, coolers, umbrellas, fishing gear, clam rakes and floatation devices to the tower landing. A hand-pulled rope dumbwaiter will be available to lower visitors’ belongings.
The tower and day use platform will be about 200 yards off shore and designed to comfortably hold approximately 80 people at a time. Users will be allowed to spend up to 8 hours a day on the platform and surrounding water, but will not be allowed to wade (like anyone would wade 200 yards) to the beach area.
Given the laws of physics, return from the platform to the island will be by duck boat shuttle to the parking lot. The duck boat will exit the water via the public boat ramp and return patrons directly to their cars. We know how little people like to walk.
The zip-line will open at 9:30 am and run until 6 pm during the season. Duck boat shuttles from the platform to the harbor will run every half hour from 10 am until sunset. The roundtrip cost will be $15/carload up to 4 people and $5 for each additional person in the car.
Hyde County will issue a bond to fund the start-up including necessary modifications to the water tower and lighthouse, and installation of the zip-line. User fees will be used to pay for necessary personnel and maintenance. NC DOT Ferry Division has agreed to purchase the duck boats and donate them to the island as well as provide ongoing operational funding. The NCCLT, along with a grant from a dark money 501(c)3 – Why Not Park Here – supported by a group of “area” donors, will pay for installation of the Point tower and platform. The OSD has graciously agreed to collect the user fees to be paid in the office. Once the zip-line service is profitable, estimated to take about two weeks in June, much like refunds from Tideland EMC, extra monies collected will be used to offset islander water bills.
A source from the NCCLT, who asked to remain anonymous because she does not have permission to speak to the press, said, “We really think this is great on so many levels. It will help reduce over-utilization of the preserve experienced in the summer months resulting in trail and beach erosion at Springer’s. It will allow us to honor our mandate to allow access without charging money since we won’t be doing the charging. And, hopefully, it will stop the endless complaining we have to listen to from certain residents about parking on private property as well as from visitors about having to walk so far to get to Springer’s.”
A NPS spokesperson reached for comment stated “Hey, it’s not costing us any money. Sure, we could put in a nice sound access beach area next to our ample parking lot as an alternative to Springer’s for island visitors, but that’s too simple and it would cost us money. Besides, this should stop all the nonstop complaining about not being able to climb the lighthouse.”
Additionally, an NC DOT spokesperson provided answers to several questions as to their involvement: “Well, we really dropped the ball on the passenger ferry so buying the duck boats and funding them was the least we could do.” Asked why not simply shuttle people back and forth to the platform via the duck boats, he responded “We contracted an $80,000 study of the issue. Our external transportation experts concluded a zip-line is the optimum solution. Sure, to the lay person it seems like just using boats would be simpler, but, hey, they are the experts. And if we ever get the passenger ferry operational the duck boats can serve as tram back-up vehicles. That insight alone was worth 80K.” He added “Hopefully, now people will see NC DOT as totally supportive of island needs and stop complaining so much about ferry waits and cancellations, lack of road markings and signage, and wasted money.”
Asked for his thoughts on the plan Down Point resident Atticus Austin told us, “Personally, I find it funny when people on the trail think I am a bear or a panther running at them and freak out. In time, I am sure I will come up with something new to bark at.”
Ocracoke Sanitary District employee Dave Frum said unofficially, “I can’t wait. Dibs on the first ride!”
