According to Weeks Marine, if the weather forecast is accurate for the next 3 days, the project area in front of the village of Buxton (including the taper section in front of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore) will be completed by Saturday, December 16.
The dredge R.N. Weeks is scheduled to go to Norfolk, VA for fuel and regular maintenance on Sunday, December 17. While the dredge is gone, the newly nourished beaches will be graded to the design elevation. If all plans are executed as planned, the beach along the village of Buxton is expected to be fully open to the public early next week.
After finishing nourishment along the south section of the project, the construction zone will be relocated north of the village of Buxton and pumping will proceed north.
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It sure is a chilly, rainy Friday for the launch of the new Surfline webcam at Cape Hatteras Motel, but at least now you can go to our website right from the comfort of your own home … maybe with a nice hot cup of coffee or tea … on a sunny day, or any other day you choose, for a LIVE look at current weather conditions … right out in front of our motel!
Plan ahead safely and responsibly for your next Outer Banks oceanfront vacation or just check on our current weather conditions out of curiosity by visiting our home page … then just scroll down and you’ll see the webcam on the right sidebar.
With a nod to Major Henry Livingston, Jr. who wrote the Original Version
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all over the isle,
Not a creature was stirring, mile after mile.
The ghost crabs were snug in their holes on the beach,
Hoping that the beach re-nourishment machines would stay out of reach.
The surfers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of gnarly swells danced in their heads.
The crab-pots were hung by the buoys with care,
In hopes that some blue claws soon would be there.
When out on Shelly Island there arose such a clatter,
The Park Service sprang up to see what was the matter.
Away to their vehicles they ran with their lamps,
And began an ascent on all open ramps.
The moon on the sand made quite a reflection,
While waves were crashing in every direction.
When what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But a tricked out 4 by 4 and eight island deer.
With a little old driver hunkered down in the truck,
They knew in a moment it must be Old Buck!
More rapid than kite boarders the deer hurried along,
And he whistled and shouted and sang them a song.
“Now Buxton, now Kinnakeet, now Salvo and Frisco –
On Rodanthe, on Waves, on Hatteras – let’s disco!
To the edge of the Point, to the top of the Light,
Let’s have a great time and party all night!
And like dry leaves before Hurricane Maria did fly,
They hit Highway 12 and continued on by.
He was dressed in a wetsuit from his head to his feet,
And he smelled like Skeeter Beater with a hint of DEET.
A bundle of seashells he had in his pack,
And a bottle of Kill Devil Rum in a sack.
He spoke not a word but took special care,
To bring a gift to the island and all who live there.
It had been a tough year, this the old man did know,
So his gift was one that didn’t require a bow.
He sprang to his truck and laid on the horn,
To make sure everyone knew it would soon be Christmas morn.
And we heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
NO MORE STORMS, NO MORE POWER CUTS, LOTS OF FISH,
And to all, a good night!
*Old Buck mentioned in this poem is a fixture of the “Old Christmas” celebrations still held in Rodanthe. Old Buck is a part of the fabric of the island.
Written by Janet Morrow Dawson, Buxton NC, 2016 and revised in 2017!
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https://www.capehatterasmotel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/XmasCardCrop.jpg317833Cape Hatteras Motelhttps://www.capehatterasmotel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/cape-hatteras-motel-logo-full.pngCape Hatteras Motel2017-12-04 11:37:022017-12-04 11:44:17‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Hatteras-style” *
The hopper dredge R.N. Weeks was able to operate about 75% of the time over the past week and completed 52 loads. Weeks Marine reports that almost $1.4 million cubic yards of sand has been placed on the beach or about 53% of the project total. The completed section of beach is expected to open to the public by the end of the week.
Construction continues to proceed south and Weeks Marine estimates that it will take 21 work days to complete the south section of the project. If the weather forecast holds, Weeks Marine expects to work most of the time over the next few days.
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The hopper dredge R.N. Weeks remained in safe harbor in Jacksonville, Florida over the past week. The repairs on the dredge have been completed, and the dredge was scheduled to be put back in the water and have the US Coast Guard inspection yesterday (November 15). If everything goes as planned, the dredge will leave Jacksonville today (November 16) and is expected to arrive in Buxton Saturday evening or Sunday morning. The weather forecast shows workable conditions from Sunday to Wednesday of next week. If this forecast holds true, the dredge will resume pumping shortly after its return to the jobsite.
Before operations were shut down last Monday, Weeks Marine reported that ~1,222,575 cubic yards of sand has been placed on the beach. This volume is equivalent to ~47% of the project total (2,600,000 cubic yards). Once the dredge is back in Buxton, work will resume approximately 700 feet south of the first building in Buxton and proceed south until it reaches the southern boundary of the project.
Weeks Marine reports that sea trials of the larger hopper dredge Magdalen have been progressing smoothly and their engineering team is working on the pre-dredging drawings and documents that will be submitted to the Corps of Engineers. An estimated date for arrival of the larger dredge will be announced once the timeframe is established.
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Staff from Coastal Science Engineers presented an update regarding the Buxton beach nourishment project at the November 6 Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting. A .pdf of the presentation can be viewed by clicking here. Due to an upcoming weather event and industrial equipment issues, Weeks Marine pulled the dredge to Jacksonville Monday afternoon for mechanical repairs and to refuel. The dredge will return once weather conditions improve and repairs and refueling are complete. To date 46% of the project is completed. To view an update map of the completed areas and current construction zone, click here.
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https://www.capehatterasmotel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CHM10-28-17.jpg440854Cape Hatteras Motelhttps://www.capehatterasmotel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/cape-hatteras-motel-logo-full.pngCape Hatteras Motel2017-10-30 08:53:002017-10-30 09:03:11Buxton Beach Re-nourishment Update VIDEO For Sat Oct 28, 2017
The hopper dredge R.N. Weeks returned to Buxton around 9 o’clock this morning and has begun pumping sand. Crews will continue working, moving to the south, as long as the weather and wave heights allow for safe operations.
Over the past week, the dredge completed 37 loads (compared to 22 loads the week before) and placed approximately 75,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach.
1,055,337 cubic yards of sand has been placed on the beach since the beginning of construction, which is about 40% of the total project volume. Weeks Marine plans to finish the southern portion of the project in front of Buxton, and then the dredge will move back to the landing site north of the village and complete the beach along the National Seashore.
The estimated date for the arrival of the new hopper dredge Magdalen, which has double capacity of R.N. Weeks, has been yet been determined.
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