Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Category: Lighthouses

Extending about 14 miles offshore from Cape Hatteras are the shallow, shifting Diamond Shoals, a hazard to nearshore navigation. By day or night, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse provided a navigational bearing, enabling ships to avoid the treacherous shoals. In the 19th century, coasting (sailing along the coast) was a simple, reliable form of navigation; and in case of trouble, the shore was within reach. Along the North Carolina coast, shipping also made good use of favorable currents — the Labrador current, flowing south near shore, and the Gulf Stream, flowing north a bit farther out, provided additional speed.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina are widely known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. One account says 230 ships of more than 50 tons sank off what is now Cape Hatteras National Seashore, between 1866 and 1945. Another says well over 2200 ships have sunk off the Outer Banks since Europeans first arrived.