The Hawthornes And Maxine Visit The Elizabeth II.

After lunch at Basnight's we had some time to kill, so Mr. Hawthorne and I took Maxine to Manteo for a little sightseeing.

First stop - Roanoke Island Festival Park to see the Elizabeth II - a replica of a 16th century sailing ship used to bring the Lost Colonists from England to the New World and the shores of Roanoke Island.

The Elizabeth II was built by hand in the early 1980's on the Manteo waterfront as part of the celebration of the 400th anniversary of Sir Walter Raleigh's colonies and the 1584 - 1587 Roanoke Voyages Only traditional materials and methods were used in its construction. It is modeled after the ship Elizabeth, which sailed from England in 1585. The ship is 69 feet long, 17 feet wide, and draws 8 feet of water. The Elizabeth II was launched in November 1983. Since then, modern additions have been made. Diesel engines were installed to help the ship navigate the shallow waters of Shallowbag Bay and the Roanoke Sound. The Elizabeth II has visited other ports of North Carolina, including Elizabeth City, Beaufort, Columbia, Ocracoke, among other towns in eastern North Carolina. Costumed interpreters are on board to give a living history lesson. Visitors can learn about what life was like for members of the Roanoke Voyages. Every winter, the ship is hauled out to the North Carolina Ferry Maintenance Facility in Manns Harbor where she's removed from the water, her hull is scraped and painted, and any additional needed maintenance performed. These pictures were shot from the bridge going from the Manteo waterfront to Roanoke Island Festival Park. We didn't actually go on the boat. I'll save that for another day. Years ago, Sister and Brother In Law Hawthorne were visiting and BIL Hawthorne asked about things to see and do. I told him the Elizabeth II was docked in Manteo. He seemed rather excited and took off to Manteo. He came back a few hours later, rather disappointed. Seems he was expecting to see this.