Frying Pan Tower Bed and Breakfast For Sale (Wilmington, Star: how much, to buy)

[BC1960]

"If you’ve dreamed of owning a bed and breakfast in Southeastern North Carolina, you can snatch one up for as little as $10,000.

The catch? It’s 34 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.

The storied Frying Pan Tower off the Brunswick County coast went up for auction Thursday. A former lighthouse, the 85-foot-tall structure has been converted into a unique adventure bed and breakfast over the past eight years by owner Richard Neal.

The starting bid for the tower is $10,000 -- the same minimum bid when Neal sought the tower in a 2010 government auction. He eventually paid $85,000 with the help of a friend to purchase it."

Want to buy Frying Pan Tower? Now's your chance - News - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC

[ncdust]

I'll admit, I was intrigued, having somewhat of a "living in a lighthouse / on the water" mindset, and would expect it to be a maintenance nightmare. Having watched various Youtube videos on / about the platform, I'm concerned that severe structural rust may have settled in. Wasn't the Coast Guard originally going to push it over to make it a marine habitat?

Also, every trip would cost a fortune, even if you expensed in a, say 30 foot utility boat and a lift.

I don't know how much the current owner poured into the thing to make it livable / palatable for visitors, but it kinda appears that he's willing to accept the loss.

But man, what a view (live cam):


During a hurricane:

[barleygirl]

The guy sitting on the chair during the hurricane gives me anxiety.

[barleygirl]

Also where exactly is it? Near Bald Head?

[GarnetAndBlack]

Originally Posted by barleygirl

Also where exactly is it? Near Bald Head?

34 miles SE of Bald Head I believe

[ncdust]

Originally Posted by barleygirl

Also where exactly is it? Near Bald Head?

Here's a map pointer: https://goo.gl/maps/r4btGK1Ehtt - it's quite a ways out there, as GarnetAndBlack's 34 miles implies.

Currently the bidding is roughly $45,500.

Here's one of the more interesting, and realistic videos from a site visitor:


Clearly the current owner put a lot of resource into fixing it up - compare it to the way it looked before he got it:


I'm guessing it would be a never ending, difficult and expensive maintenance nightmare. The ocean is pretty good at eating up and spitting out anything humans try to plant in it (although it does have its limits - like with plastics).

[ncdust]

It appears that the auction has been cancelled, and now fractional ownership is being proposed.