The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island

We sailed into Roanoke Island and visited the colony site.  Since we were here, the photos are from our stay on Roanoke.

This is what I learned about the lost colony:

Sir Richard Grenville, the cousin of Sir Walter Raleigh, tried and failed to reach America in 1578.  In 1583, he tried again and made it as far as Newfoundland, but one of his ships sank and his supplies were ruined, so he was forced to go home, but on the way back to England his ship capsized and he was drowned.

Blacksmith shop

After the death of his cousin, Sir Walter Raleigh became interested in colonizing America in 1583.  When his two ships reached America, Sir Walter thought he had landed on the mainland, but in fact it was on a tiny island.  There they met friendly Native Americans and after a time returned to England with two Native Americans, Manteo and Wanchese.  Later, they were returned home.

Dressed for battle.

When the Englishmen return, they sail to Roanoke and start a colony made up of 116 colonists, in 1585.  There they meet friendly Native Americans, but there were stories about the English burning the village of Aquascogoc, and soon the they were enemies.  Since the colonists could no longer trade with the Native Americans, John White, a famous artist and also the Governor of Roanoke, decided to sail back to England to gather supplies for the hungry colonists.

Elizabeth II - the ship that brought the colonists.

When John White finally returned to the colony almost 3 years later, he found the colony abandoned and all the colonists had disappeared.  He never knew what became of them, but he found the word "Croatan" carved in a fence post.  White thought that meant the colonists had moved to the island of Croatan, but on the way there, a storm whipped up and he was forced to return to England.  Today, the most probable explanation is that they were killed by the Native Americans, and the survivors joined different tribes.  Although this is likely, we will probably never know what became of the lost colony of Roanoke Island.    

Dory of the Elizabeth II

Liberty Ships of World War ll

Approaching liberty ships

As we came into Chesapeake Bay, VA, we passed under the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel Bridge and behind some old, scuttled, liberty ships.  We would be anchoring for the first time after three overnight passages from Rhode Island.

The liberty ships were built because the Germans in World War ll were sinking all the ally ships that were trying to get to Britain to bring supplies.  President Roosevelt started the liberty ship campaign to solve the problem.  He opened up forty-nine new seaports, and began immediate construction on hundreds of liberty ships.  The liberty ships were built out of ferro concrete and had  metal rebar supporting it. The object was simple: build ships faster than the Germans could sink them.  By 1943, three liberty ships were completed each day. 

Rebar showing through

After the war, in 1970, liberty ships were still being used, even though they were only supposed to last 5 years.  Now the liberty ships are used for a breakwater for boats to anchor behind.  It seems fitting for the sea to be their final resting place.

Bit rusty, I think