question about oak island (Rocky Mount, Erwin: living in, beach, parties) - City-Data Forum

patt · 08-26-2008, 07:18 PM

We took a ride to the beach at Oak Island after spending time in Southport and noticed the beach was narrow and the sand was almost a gray color and had quite a few rocks as we walked along the beach. i was just wondering if the the entire beach is rocky like that or was it just in the section we were in. I figured someone on this forum could fill me in on Oak Island beach. Thanks very much.

rbryant · 08-30-2008, 06:08 PM

I'm going to attempt (for the first time) to upload a pic of Oak Island. It should give you a good idea. The sand is mostly white to almost tanish..there are some rocks that wash in from the tide...

patt · 08-31-2008, 04:30 PM

Thanks-what great picture! Maybe the tide had something to do with the rocks and all. Next time we go down we'll take more time and spend the day. I appreciate you taking the time to respond and for the photo. Take care-Patt

lifeguard_bss · 09-12-2008, 09:02 AM

The rocks have cropped up because they were blown ashore as part of a beach renourishment project a few years ago. A couple of times a year there are "rock parties" where people help get them off the beach. And, as was said, the sands sometimes covers/exposes them on its own.

doug taylor · 05-01-2009, 09:56 PM

Anyone in Oak Island know Pamela E Moran???? She is fm Nashville NC. Her mom and dad were Dorothy and Erwin Moran. She could be living in their house. When I was there thousands of years ago,,,,it was called Yaupond.......or something like that.. Contact me Doug Taylor from Rocky Mount NC at funinvabch@hotmail.com.......Thanks!!!!!

LLN · 05-02-2009, 05:52 AM

I lived on the island back in the mid 90's. During one of the Cape Fear River dredging projects, the material dredged was pumped to Oak Island as beach renourishment...replacing sand that had washed away in storms.

Unfortunately, the material at the bottom of the Cape Fear was very rocky. You could hear some of those rocks, banging down the pipelines from a long, long, way away.

After renourishment there were spots where the "beach" was, from my opinion, ruined. I am sure the Chamber of Commerce would disagree, but there were some real rocky areas.

Over time, for various reasons, many of the rocks have been removed, or have been covered by sand.

You can find spots that were not renourished, I no longer remember the areas, and those spots will be relatively rock free.

Also remember that Oak Island is just below the Cape Fear, so the water coming out of the Cape Fear river tends to darken both the water and the sand from time to time.