8/15/2023 0 Comments Frying pan tower destroyed![]() ![]() ![]() “It’s an adventure, and it’s safe as we can make it,” Neal says of a Tower stay. Neal was on the Tower with three of his children during Hurricane Arthur while the structure lost a few solar panels and one window during the Category Two storm with 100 mph winds, he said it otherwise felt like a “gentle rocking motion,” a sensation visitors experience throughout the weekend, hurricane or no. Seventy percent of guests visit on weekends April through June, September and October are the most popular months, though Neal says there’s often a group who rings in the New Year.Įven in hurricane season, the Tower remains open. Golfers can even tee biodegradable golf balls into the ocean, to the delight of fish (the balls are made of fish food). Daytime activities include skeet-shooting biodegradable clays, playing corn hole or billiards, snorkeling or scuba diving the protected reef waters below, and sunbathing on the helipad. Guests can either charter a helicopter based in Southport, North Carolina, which brings them to the Tower helipad in 20 minutes, or they can hire a powerboat or bring their own boat, as Cushman and his crew did.Īfter a Friday evening arrival, visitors can gaze at the night sky of an incredible constellation showcase and shooting stars. While Cushman described the lodging and amenities as “very comfortable,” boarding can be daunting, depending on your choice of transport. Tower staff provides meals, but guests often fish the nearby Gulf Stream and cook their catch that evening. About 90 percent of the time, the Tower runs on solar power, though it also has a small generator. The Tower has two working bathrooms that use water caught during rainstorms in 11,000-gallon holding tanks. The two-member crew, usually Neal and/or his family, shares an additional room. The king mackerel bite off North Carolina’s Cape Fear doesn’t slow down at Thanksgiving, but the best action does move offshore. He said the station technically is not in US waters, but he flies the flag to show respect for the country and the men and women who have served.The Tower now has eight bedrooms-five twin bedrooms and three queen bedrooms. Jerry Dilsaver The area around Frying Pan Tower, about 30 miles offshore of Cape Fear, holds plenty of king mackerel as the water cools in late fall. ![]() “To change the flag we must have low winds, multiple hands to help and it has to be either when it has worn or would be known to be an upcoming dangerous condition,” Neal wrote. Clear conditions are needed to take the flag down, and by the time he realized Dorian was heading toward the tower, it would not have been safe. In a lengthy Facebook post, Neal explained that the flag is attached to the top of the flagpole, so they can’t just lower via a rope like a normal flagpole. The livestream has attracted a large audience, but some people have complained that it was disrespectful to allow the flag to be destroyed. Hurricane Florence shredded its flag last year and Neal retired it and auctioned it off on eBay to raise money for charity. This is the second year that the flag has taken a beating. He’s set up a camera that livestreams the flag on the tower’s helipad, 85 feet above the ocean. Richard Neal bought the abandoned tower in 2010 and is renovating the structure. ![]()
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