2026 Haven Magazine

haven

A guide to exploring the exceptional nature of Bald Head Island, North Carolina

LOCAL ROOTS, GLOBAL REACH

INTRACOASTAL REALTY

, coastal North Carolina’s largest independent real estate firm, has a dedicated sales team to service Bald Head Island, Southport, and the mainland.

Founded in 1976, our company sold nearly $2 billion in real estate in Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender Counties last year. Market-leading technology, strategic marketing, and a teamwork approach are Intracoastal Realty trademarks. Through our affiliation with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Luxury Portfolio International®, and Mayfair International Realty, we deliver turn-key service to clients locally, regionally, and globally.

Our real estate sales office is just steps from the island ferry landing, and we’re here to assist buyers and sellers seven days a week. We invite you to stop by the next time you’re on the island, join us at an open house, or view all island properties for sale on our website.

4 Marina Wynd

Features

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27

UNDERSTANDING AN ISLAND

Getting to know Bald Head Island takes time.

ACTIVITIES GUIDE

Plan your next adventure with this field guide to BHI.

45

ENVIRONMENTS

Remembering nature’s brilliance in the age of AI.

59 FOLIO

Explore the creative identities of three remarkable island women.

With countless stories to share, Bald Head Island captures the imagination of all who travel to her shores. Come see for yourself.

74

ARCHITECTURE

Discover details that make the Village Chapel so inspiring.

86

MEET THE NEIGHBORS

Four generations come together for an evening of music.

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NOTEWORTHY

Learn about a new project underway in Cape Fear Station.

DINING GUIDE

Cool off with sweet treats, then devour island dining options.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

C2 Photography

Ron Chapple

Paul Charles

Adriana Ford

EXECUTIVE

Christi Golder

Christi Golder

Walker Golder

Chip Henderson

Millie Holloman

Photography

116

SHOPPING GUIDE

The Haven team shares our favorite things from island shops.

126 LAST WORD

BHI’s best kept secret is hidden in plain sight.

127 FERRY SCHEDULE

A handy reference for when the boats and trams run.

128 LOCATOR MAP

Find businesses, landmarks, beach accesses and trails.

CHIEF CONTRIBUTORS

Odette Arnold Teri Kelly

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Amy Maxwell

Matt Ray

Harry Taylor

Jack Upton

Maxwell Design Co

PRINTING

Progress Printing

SANDY TOES

- 3 bdrms./3.5 baths. Sleeps 6.

At MarineMax Wrightsville Beach, we offer premium brands, accessories, factorycertified technicians, a 50-ton travel lift, and mobile boat service, serving Bald Head Island and Southport proudly for 25 years. We also provide classes, events, Getaways!®, and more for our customers.

With years of experience as a top producer in the region since 1996, you can trust my knowledge and expertise with anything boating-related.

By Christi Golder

Photos by Paul Charles

How does one begin to comprehend a place as indecipherable as Bald Head Island?

Despite its small size, the island remains mysterious and vast, ancient yet everchanging.

Waves lap the encircling shore, hiding, revealing, hiding again footprints, fossils, messages drawn in sand.

Eddies swirl in the unsolvable marshy maze, redolent with decay and renewal. Trails interrupt the maritime forest tangle but can only hint at its secrets.

Harbour Village homes evoke dollhouses when viewed from above—their harmony the frozen music of architecture.

Golf holes yawn and stretch through the island’s heart—fairways tread by alligators, deer and foxes, rough merging with the encroaching wildness.

All the while, the sound of the ferry horn carries across the water.

Its insistent song reminds us that someone always arrives just as someone else departs.

Sharing North Carolina’s Most Extraordinary Homes... And The Stories That Created Them

Christie’s International Real Estate is now paired with Bald Head Island’s most trusted and experienced sales team, the experts from Atlantic Realty Professionals. Let us bring the world to your doorstep.

• Elite Agents Experienced in Selling Luxury Coastal Properties

• Expert Guidance for Buyers Evaluating the Relaxing Island Lifestyle

• Access to Private Off Market Firm Exclusive Listing Inventory

• Powered by Ivester Jackson I Christie’s, North Carolina’s Most Trusted Luxury Team

OUTFIT YOUR LIFESTYLE.

® Reserve your 10’ x 10’ tent package and save!

Your package includes setup and takedown service, 4 chairs, a cooler with 6 bottles of water on ice, 2 boogie boards, and 1 trash bag — everything you need for a hassle-free beach day. We deliver to Beach Access 18 and 42, with a $50 fee for deliveries to other beach accesses.

Daily Package Rentals

1 Day

3 Day

5 Day

We also offer our Beach Combo — two chairs and a Solbello shade for just $40/day.

Fun Fact No. 1

BHI’s speed limit is a mere 18 mph, so don’t risk getting a ticket. Locals call the relaxed pace “Turtle Time.”

Scan to learn more about the island History Tour.

TAKE IT EASY

While your island time can be as action-packed as you like, we were doing “slow travel” here long before it was a buzzword. No bridge links Bald Head Island to the mainland, so you’ll park your car and take a passenger ferry from Southport, NC. You’ll get around by golf cart, bike or your own two feet. At our laid-back pace, you’ll soon find yourself more relaxed, present and engaged with the surroundings.

First Things First

Learning the history of a place establishes the context for everything you see around you. Start your island exploration with a visit to Old Baldy Lighthouse for a breathtaking 360-degree aerial view. Commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse stands tall after 200-plus years, thanks to the preservation efforts of the Old Baldy Foundation. Admission to climb the lighthouse includes entry to the Smith Island Museum of History, where you’ll find artifacts illuminating the duties of a lightkeeper. We highly recommend a guided History Tour of the island, which includes a visit to Fort Holmes, an undulating Confederate earthenworks fort reinforced with palmetto and oak logs.

Trail Blazing

Along Federal Road several trailheads enter the Bald Head Woods Preserve, a nearly 200-acre area of protected maritime forest. Just past the intersection of Federal Road and Muscadine Wynd, the M. Kent Mitchell Nature Trail rewards hikers with creek panoramas and sightings of fiddler crabs and wading birds at low tide. The expanded Wildlife Overlook on Stede Bonnet Wynd offers viewing platforms over a freshwater lagoon that turtles and gators frequent. A visit to the Overlook at dusk when the waterbirds roost is pure magic.

Lay of The Land

Take a Spin

If you’re looking for an introduction to the island’s different ecosystems, the Bald Head Island Conservancy offers a Nature Exploration Tour in the summer months that embarks from the “Hatchling Hut” located near the island ferry landing. During the twohour program, you’ll search for wildlife among the maritime forest, salt marsh and beaches. At the Conservancy’s campus along Federal Road, you’ll visit the Barrier Island Study Center and learn more about their mission to “Discover, Learn, Conserve and Preserve.”

No need to lug a bike to the island—Coastal Urge or Riverside Outdoor Recreation rent them by the day or week. For a quick ride that captures beach, maritime forest and marsh settings in one trip, start in Harbour Village, veer right onto West Bald Head Wynd and keep pedaling as the road turns into South Bald Head Wynd and parallels the sea. Loop back down Federal Road for a shady cruise under the forest canopy, then cross the Timber Bridge over Bald Head Creek to find yourself back near the marina.

EXPLORE THE SHORE

Bald Head Island is known for its seaside pastimes, and with good reason. Fourteen miles of white sand wrap the island’s perimeter, and the day starts and ends with the sun rising and setting over the water. Bordering the island to the north, Bald Head Creek’s 10,000 protected acres beckon paddlers and fisherfolk alike.

Up the Creek

For an unforgettable experience, traverse the island’s salt marshes and creeks by kayak. Keep an eye on the tide, which can vary by 3 or 4 feet from high to low, and plan accordingly. A higher tide will allow you to paddle deeper into the creek’s twists and turns, while a lower tide may reveal more waterbirds feeding along the exposed marsh. No matter the time of day, you’re likely to see egrets and herons, and if you’re lucky, a bottlenose dolphin or diamondback terrapin. The Conservancy offers guided kayak tours with naturalists if you’re seeking an in-depth view of wildlife. Coastal Urge and Riverside Outdoor Recreation offer kayak rentals and guided kayak tours as well.

Ride the Wave

Beach Bumming

Plan to visit all three of the island’s beaches while you’re here, as each offers a different scene. The West Beach waves near Harbour Village tend to be smaller, making it a popular beach for families with little kids. South Beach’s long stretch makes for great strolling and shelling, while East Beach’s swells lure surfers. It all comes together at the dramatic Cape Fear Point, where East Beach and South Beach converge and fish congregate. Be careful not to walk out too far on the cape’s sandbars, as the tide comes in fast and the current can be strong.

Turtle Tours

On Bald Head Island, we share the shore with loggerhead turtles, a threatened species monitored and protected for 40-plus years by the Conservancy. Nesting season typically runs May through July, while hatching season runs July through November. Conservancy members can join Beach Patrol Ride Alongs and Turtle Walks for a chance to witness a loggerhead mother lay her eggs or watch hatchlings emerge from a “boiling” nest.

Don’t bother lugging a surfboard to the island—rent one from Coastal Urge or Riverside Outdoor Recreation in advance online or on the fly at Beach Access 42. Both companies offer lessons if you want to develop your skills. Coastal Urge also rents skimboards or bodyboards if you don’t bring yours. Sign up for a standup paddleboard (SUP) excursion with Coastal Urge for a novel way to discover the island’s waters or simply rent a SUP and head out on your own. Riverside Outdoor Recreation offers two-hour self-guided SUP tours, too.

Something’s Fishy

Surf fishing doesn’t get much better than at Cape Fear Point, where game fish are abundant. You can cast right from the beach if you have a N.C. Saltwater Fishing License (available online and required if you’re 16 or older). All the gear you need can be purchased at the Dockmaster Convenience Store, BHI Hardware & General or Stoked Provisions. When you’re ready to catch the big one, local guides can take you inshore fishing for drum, trout, bluefish, mackerel, flounder and tarpon or offshore in search of mahi, tuna, sailfish, grouper and wahoo. The Conservancy also offers Kids Crabbing and Fishing programs for ages 5-12 that meet at the public creek access along Federal Road, along with a Kids Night Surf Fishing program for children 10 and up who have some fishing experience.

Fun Fact No. 2

Sea turtles dig the dark! Use a red film over your flashlight if you’re walking along the shore at night. Turn your porch lights off if you’re in a home along the beach. Fill in any holes you dig in the sand during the day so they don’t create obstacles for nesting mothers and hatchlings.

Fun Fact No. 3

S’mores, anyone? Beach bonfires are allowed on the island, but you’ll need to secure a permit from the Village of Bald Head Island.

Fun Fact No. 4

The BHI Club claims two of the world’s top croquet players, Jeff and Eileen Soo, as director/instructors.

Scan to check out the BHI Club’s recreational amenities.

THE SPORTING LIFE

The Bald Head Island Club and Shoals Club are your springboards for outdoor sports and rec. If you’re renting a home, reserve a guest membership in both clubs and you’ll be set.

Tee Time

A lauded 18-hole golf course, rated one of the top 100 resort courses in America, is the Bald Head Island Club’s crown jewel. Some holes wind through the maritime forest, while others parallel the Atlantic Ocean. Clinics are offered by PGA professionals, and the Golf Shop rents clubs and shoes if you don’t feel like bringing yours. The BHI Club offers discounted rates for accompanied junior golfers, so plan to make your round a family affair.

Break a Sweat

Croquet? Yes Way!

Always known for its world-class croquet play, the BHI Club recently expanded its courts (aka greenswards). Modern croquet combines the angles and precision of billiards with the strategy of chess. While the game offers endless challenges for experienced players, beginners can have a blast after just a few minutes of instruction. Clinics, lessons, open play, and monthly competitions called “scramblers” occur year-round.

Make a Racket

Whether tennis or pickleball is your game, court sports are alive and well at the BHI Club, where lessons, round robins and clinics take place yearround across the street from the ocean. During the summer, stop by the Racquet Shop for Nike attire and footwear, tennis balls for purchase, stringing services and ball machine rental.

The BHI Club’s expansive fitness center provides all the cardio and strength training equipment you’ll need to meet your wellness goals. Along with private sessions, the BHI Club’s personal trainers offer stretching classes, water aerobics, and for the more hardcore—boot camp. Morning yoga sessions on the Shoals Club presentation deck during the summer months are popular, as is its small, but functional fitness room.

Child’s Play

During the summer season, both clubs offer activities that make you wish you were a kid again. From pool parties to movie nights to holiday crafts, the BHI Club keeps the good times rolling year-round. Past themes of their half-day summer camps include superheroes, Christmas in July, creative discovery and more. Seasonally, the Shoals Club’s rec team leads sandcastle contests, t-shirt tie-dyeing and craft projects to keep kids busy for hours.

Water Works

At BHI Club’s incredible aquatics center, it’s the norm to see three generations enjoying time in the sun together. Little kids love the splashpad, slide tower and seaside playground, while bigger kids and adults cool off at the zeroentry leisure pool and waterslides. An adultsonly lap pool and poolside cabana bar round out the options.

BHI Club’s sister venue, the Shoals Club, presents its own lively mix of water-based diversions, with a spacious swimming pool, zero-entry kiddie pool and lineup of pool parties during the warmer months. Direct beach access to the cape, with chairs and umbrellas provided by the Shoals Club’s rec staff, makes spending a day by the shore a breeze.

OFF-BEAT OUTINGS

Looking to mix it up a little? Check out these wild excursions that lead into the woods and through uncharted waters. You might be surprised where a newfound sense of adventure can take you.

Ruffle a Few Feathers

Link up with a Conservancy Birding Tour to see how many of the island’s 200 native or migratory species you can find or join a Middle Island Exploration Tour and visit the Ibis Pond, a private sanctuary where birds gather. If you’re birdwatching on your own, keep an eye out for ospreys soaring above the golf course, herons wading along the marsh edge, painted buntings flitting in the brush beside Federal Road and bald eagles perched high atop the tree canopy.

Yikes!

ears open, you’re likely to spot deer roaming through the forest, especially at dawn or dusk. Red foxes are primarily nocturnal, but you may come across one during the day, along with diurnal coyotes. Both creatures like to make a meal of turtle eggs, which is why you’ll find nests covered by protective cages. Marsh rabbits, among the island’s cutest inhabitants, can be found along the creek edge, in the forest and even atop the dune ridge.

Diver Down

If you love creepy-crawly things, sign up for a Reptile Round-Up at the Conservancy for a chance to meet and handle turtles, lizards and snakes. Another Conservancy program, Hands-On Dissection, brings out the budding scientist in kids as they dissect squid or spiny dogfish shark specimens. The Bald Head After Dark Tour introduces the nocturnal creatures of the island, including frogs, bats and alligators, on a flashlight-led walk.

Looking to dive the legendary Frying Pan Tower, spearfish or even hunt for megalodon teeth? Check out Stoked Provisions’ scuba charters for certified divers. Pop by their shop in Stoked Village to learn more and to see fossilized teeth from a megalodon, an extinct shark from the Cenozoic Period three times the size of a great white.

Sunset Scenes

Guided Sunset Kayaking Tours led by the Conservancy provide an unforgettable perspective of the island’s creeks as the sun goes down. These moderately difficult trips are affected by winds and tides, making them suitable for ages 14 and up (anyone 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult). For an option where you don’t have to paddle, local guides private Sunset Cruises around the island. Make it a romantic evening for two or invite the whole gang to join you and toast the evening sky.

Star Light, Star Bright

With its minimal light pollution, Bald Head Island is an ideal place to view the night sky. Optimal months for stargazing are May through August, when beachfront homeowners turn off their porch lights during the height of turtle season. Pick a night with a new moon for even better viewing conditions. South Beach makes for the perfect spot to spread out a beach towel, lie on your back and gaze at the Milky Way over the ocean.

Scan to see the Conservancy’s programs calendar

Fun Fact No. 5

Islanders wave at strangers in golf carts. Whether it’s a Southern thing or an island thing, it’s undoubtedly a good thing.

THE MAIN EVENTS

Bald Head Island has its fair share of long-standing events, quirky traditions and spontaneous happenings. Note our list of old standbys but keep your ear to the ground when you’re here, as inclusive gatherings can seemingly pop up out of nowhere.

Fourth Tomfoolery

Perhaps no island tradition is as beloved (or outrageous) as the annual July Fourth Golf Cart Parade, where scores of festooned carts compete in one of three categories: Most Patriotic, Tacky Tourist or Anything BHI. The competition is fierce, with each year’s competitors somehow surpassing the one before. Whether you compete for the bragging rights or plop down in a lawn chair and watch from the sidelines, you’re in great company, as cart entry fees benefit the Old Baldy Foundation.

You Game?

RACE TO THE FINISH

Relatively flat, car-free paved wynds make Bald Head perfect for joggers. If you want to come out for a good cause and a personal record, sign up for one of the weekly summer Turtle Trots with the Conservancy or the annual Run for the Light evening road race hosted by the Old Baldy Foundation. Hardcore runners will want to test their mettle at the ultra-marathon and marathon hosted in the spring and fall, respectively, by Badwater.

What’s more fun than bonding over a little friendly competition? Take the (game)show on the road at Will o’ the Wisp’s ever-popular Trivia Night or Music Bingo Night. Bald Head Bottle hosts its own family-friendly Bingo Nights as well. The rivalries can get heated, but don’t fear—you’ll cool down quickly with a cold beer, glass of wine or cocktail while you play.

Dances with Wolves

Light It Up

Historic Happy Hour

Gather at Old Baldy Lighthouse for monthly Historic Happy Hour events featuring guest speakers who share captivating stories about North Carolina and its colorful maritime history. Along with the engaging discussions, enjoy a refreshing beverage and make a few new acquaintances.

Each full moon, islanders and visitors alike gather at Access 39 along East Beach to celebrate the setting sun and rising moon at a Howl at the Moon party where all are welcome. Bring a snack to share, whether a bag of pretzels or a homemade lasagna, and BYOB to cover your bases, although sometimes a keg of beer materializes out of thin air. Not always, but if the stars align, a bagpiper will erupt into song just as the sun drops below the horizon. Shortly thereafter, as the moon comes up, the entire gathering will howl like rabid dogs. On nights when the moon rises before the sun sets, take your howling cues from the locals and just roll with it.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, join scores of islanders and visitors at the annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting at Jailhouse Provisions. Later, immerse yourself in the enchanting atmosphere created by hundreds of glowing luminaries along the path to Old Baldy Lighthouse and through the Village Chapel gardens. Also during Thanksgiving week, support the mission of the Old Baldy Foundation by participating in their silent auction featuring beautifully decorated tabletop Christmas trees displayed at the BHI Club.

Plan Accordingly

SPRING / SUMMER FALL / WINTER

Badwater Cape Fear

Ultramarathon 50 mi/50k

Presented by Badwater (March)

Easter Weekend Celebrations

Presented by various island venues, including a Rolling Thunder Easter Egg Roll hosted by Jailhouse Provisions (Easter Saturday)

Memorial Day Weekend Celebrations

Presented by various island venues, including a Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by the Village Chapel and Old Baldy Lighthouse (Memorial Day Monday)

North Carolina Treasures Weekend

Hosted by the Old Baldy Foundation (June)

Bald Head Island Conservancy Turtle Trots (Weekly June-August and select holidays)

Summer of Music Concert Series

Hosted by the Bald Head Island Yacht Club (June-August)

Annual Golf Cart Parade

Hosted by the Old Baldy Foundation (July Fourth)

Pirate Weekend

Hosted by various island property owners and businesses (August)

Run for the Light RACE

Hosted by the Old Baldy Foundation during National Lighthouse Weekend (August)

Thad Wester Fishing School

Hosted by the Bald Head Island Conservancy (October)

Badwater Cape Fear

Marathon & Half Marathon

Presented by Badwater (October)

Halloween Happenings

Hosted by various island property owners and businesses, including Night Climbs at Old Baldy and Trick-or-Treat Caravans (October)

Holiday Celebrations

Presented by various island businesses, including a Community Christmas Tree Lighting hosted by Jailhouse Provisions and Luminary Night hosted by the Village Chapel and Old Baldy Lighthouse (Thanksgiving Saturday)

“Midnight in Paris” New Year’s Eve Ball Drop & Festivities

Hosted by Jailhouse Provisions and a DJ/Karaoke New Year’s Eve Party hosted by Jules’ Salty Grub & Island Pub (December)

For members and guest members, the BHI Club hosts too many special events to list. Scan to view their yearly calendar.

Two Premier Clubs...

An Ocean of Possibilities

No island visit is complete without experiencing the premier recreational amenities, family-friendly activities, and wide range of dining options offered by the Bald Head Island Club and Shoals Club. Learn more about joining both clubs as a full member or guest member by visiting our websites or by contacting us at the numbers below.

Where Should You Buy on Bald Head Island?

Each part of Bald Head Island feels different: serene, lively, secluded, or sun-soaked.

Take this quick quiz to discover which neighborhood reflects your lifestyle and your vision for island living!

Designed by Stephanie Blake, blending deep island knowledge with tailored guidance for every stage of your real estate journey.

1

HOW DO YOU WANT TO FEEL WHEN YOU ARRIVE HOME

A.Hidden away from the world — I crave quiet and space.

B.Peaceful, shaded, part of a neighborhood that still feels calm.

C.Relaxed, with sweeping green views and a cocktail waiting.

D.Energized by the sea — barefoot and salty within minutes.

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3

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E.Stepping off a sunset cruise, ready to cook what you’ve caught.

YOUR DREAM MORNING VIEW IS

A.Marsh mist rising through tall oaks.

B.Dappled forest light and birdsong.

C.Dew sparkling on the fairway.

D.Waves crashing and gulls calling.

E.Boats gliding across the marina.

YOURIDEAOFCONVENIENCE LOOKS LIKE

A.Privacy — I’d rather be secluded than central.

B.A short golf-cart ride to my favorite beach access or clubs.

C.Steps from the clubhouse and an early tee time.

D.Beach access right out the door.

E. Walking to dinner or catching the ferry in minutes.

Mostly A’s

Scan to see homes on the market that match your result!

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YOUR HAPPY HOUR VIBE IS

A.Quiet porch, marsh breeze, glass of wine, zero noise.

B.Sunset toast with friends, low music, good conversation.

C.Terrace cocktails with fairway views and soft ocean breezes.

D.Barefoot beach happy hour with sandy toes.

E. Dockside drinks and live music.

PICK YOUR MUST HAVE FEATURE

A.Big lot, no neighbors in sight.

B.Porch swings and coastal charm.

C.A refined view — fairways, oaks, and endless calm.

D.Panoramic windows to the sea.

E. Balcony overlooking the river, marsh or marina.

WHAT SOUND MAKES YOU HAPPIEST

A.Wind in the trees and distant waves.

B.Cicadas and kids biking down shady lanes.

C.The soft “ping” of a tee shot.

D.The crash of surf.

E.The hum of boats and laughter by the docks.

Count your letters — whichever you have most of is your BHI match!

Mostly B’s

Mostly C’s Mostly D’s Mostly E’s

Middle Island or Marsh View Cape Fear Station /Maritime Forest Golf Course convenience ocean front or ocean view Harbour Village

You’re seeking a true escape from reality. Unpaved and secluded, Middle Island feels like another world.

Larger lots, fewer homes, and panoramic marsh and ocean views make this the perfect retreat for those craving stillness and space. Homes with Marsh views across the island offer peace and ever-changing views.

You value peace and proximity. These neighborhoods balance privacy with access — close to beaches and clubs, yet tucked under towering oaks. It’s where your home becomes a retreat, and the pace matches your heartbeat.

You love refinement, structure, and views that calm the mind. Enjoy your morning coffee overlooking manicured greens, or a sunset stroll to the Club for dinner. These homes offer quiet luxury and fairway access right at your doorstep.

The ocean is your love language. You came for the water, and this is where you belong. Think morning walks on the beach, salt air through open windows, and endless blue stretching beyond your porch.

You thrive in the heart of activity. Here, the marina buzzes with life, restaurants are a short stroll away, and sunsets over the marsh steal the show. You crave connection and convenience and this is where it all comes together.

The largest gift store on Bald Head Island, Blue Sail features ladies apparel, loungewear,

Visit Us at Stoked Village

5 Merchants Way, Bald Head Island, NC 28461

Stoked Provisions features men’s apparel, accessories, bait & tackle, fishing charters, excursions and more!

Booty features a variety of treasures, snacks, games, activities, and fun for all ages, even your furry friends!

“This is our kid’s favorite toy store on the island!”

By Christi Golder

N A A L T U R INTELLIGENCE

IN A TIME WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY KNOWN AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) appears poised to exponentially alter our world order, it’s worth pausing to marvel at the original form of cognition—natural intelligence. On Bald Head Island, this brilliance is on display in subtle and spectacular ways, from the migration of loggerheads to the collaboration of dolphins, from the coordination of honeybees to the communication of trees.

INSTINCT AS ITERATIVE INTELLECT

Much natural intelligence is embedded in what we call instinct— automatic behaviors hardwired into an animal’s brain through evolution. These behaviors are not learned in the traditional sense, but they demonstrate a resilient kind of smarts shaped by countless generations of trial and error.

Among the most iconic instinct-driven spectacles is the return of the loggerhead sea turtle, a species that nests along Bald

Head Island’s beaches every summer. Female turtles emerge from the ocean at night to dig nests in the dunes, depositing up to 120 eggs before returning to the sea. Decades later, many of their female offspring—guided by magnetic orientation and the light of the horizon—instinctively return to these same beaches to continue the cycle. This navigational feat spans entire oceans and lifetimes—a biological memory repeated over millennia.

WILD PROBLEM

SOLVING

Not all natural intelligence is purely instinctual. Many species exhibit flexible problem-solving behavior, suggesting a deeper cognitive ability.

In the waters surrounding Bald Head Island, bottlenose dolphins demonstrate sophisticated social learning and cooperative hunting behaviors, working together to herd fish into tight balls or push them toward shorelines where they can be more easily caught. These coordinated actions require timing, communication and strategies passed between individuals—a sign of learned behavior, not pure instinct.

B

R I

AILN C

LOccasionally spotted in Bald Head’s tidal pools and inlets, the common octopus employs its own problem-solving abilities. These clever invertebrates can camouflage themselves using color and texture changes, mimic other species and use shells as tools. Their decentralized nervous system (with most neurons located in their arms) allows for simultaneous sensory input and rapid response—a distributed intelligence network perfectly adapted for their changing environment. Moreover, in controlled studies and in the wild, octopuses have solved mazes, remembered solutions to problems and even displayed individual personalities.

GECAN WE TALK?

Bees, like those found feeding at Bald Head Island’s Pollinator Park near the marina, are diminutive in size, but big-time talkers. Through their “waggle dance,” one of the most complex examples of non-human communication in the animal kingdom, bees convey information about the direction, distance and size of food sources to their hive mates. This abstract language reveals a level of symbolic thinking and group coordination remarkable in creatures with such small brains. Bees’ decisions about where to build a hive, how to allocate resources and when to swarm also reflect collective intelligence arising from individual actions and interactions.

N I U S

SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

In the island’s underwater world, fish swimming in schools present a mesmerizing display of natural intelligence and non-verbal communication. Thousands of individuals move as one, twisting and turning in perfect sync, keying off the motions of neighboring fish. Together, these micro-decisions create fluid, adaptive group movements that can respond to threats quickly.

Schooling provides safety in numbers, confusing predators with shifting patterns and minimizing the chance of any single fish being caught. Moving in tandem also enhances foraging efficiency, as more eyes spot food sources more easily. Scientists classify this as emergent intelligence—complex group behavior arising from simple individual actions.

Engineers and economists alike study fish schools to understand decentralized problem-solving. A fish’s ability to process local information and contribute to a collective response offers valuable insights into swarm robotics, traffic flow and financial markets.

THE WOOD WIDE WEB

Just as striking as the “talk” among the island’s fauna is the communication between flora in our maritime forest. Through a network of fungal roots called mycorrhizae, trees like loblolly pines, live oaks and wax myrtles exchange nutrients and chemical signals, supporting mutual growth and warning each other of pests or drought.

A mother tree—an older, larger specimen—can send extra resources to its saplings or support nearby trees in distress. This wordless connectivity, invisible to the human eye, demonstrates a decentralized yet coordinated intelligence that enhances the resilience of the entire ecosystem.

Where AI relies on processing speed and “borrowed” content, natural intelligence draws on ancient adaptation and intuitive collaboration. As AI continues to reshape the way we receive, interpret and share information, we would do well to remember the wisdom encoded in the natural world around us. Not just intelligence, it’s sheer genius—wild, elegant and enduring.

Munroe Properties has the Best Rental Homes for a Vacation you’ll never forget.

Combining Bald Head Island Services and Wendy Wilmot Properties, now gives you so many options for exceptional accommodations across the island. And because we have also combined our staffs, you’ll have even more team members to serve you.

Call 910.363.4955 or visit MunroeProperties.com to get the beach ball rolling!

Pick up all your provisions at the Maritime Market

Brandy Munroe

Christie Smith Operations Olivia Massey Home Care

Tamara Still Reservations

Gloria Jackson Reservations

Maya Bachmeier General Manager

Best Of Bald Head Island

Wendy Wilmot

Crista Thomas

The moment you leave Deep Point and the salt air drifts in, life begins to slow. By the time the ferry reaches Bald Head Island, the rush of the mainland has faded.

Here there are no cars — only a simple, special way of moving through your days. A cart that carries you to a sunset on South Beach, to catch a wave at East Beach, to cruise beneath moss-covered oaks before stopping at your favorite restaurant or shop. That sense of freedom and ease is what makes this island unforgettable.

At Always Ready Cars, we are committed to protecting that experience. Through regular maintenance, expert service, and attention to detail, we keep every cart dependable whenever you arrive. We are proud to be the trusted resource for transportation on Bald Head Island.

Your time here should never be defined by issues with your cart - only the moments you came to enjoy.

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Designing Women

Creative pursuits have a way of both igniting the spirit and calming the nerves.

Making things makes us feel more like ourselves—sometimes the selves we didn’t even know were waiting patiently, dormant, until we had time to indulge them. Bald Head Island is teeming with talented people. We’re delighted to introduce you to three of our favorites—each an accomplished and captivating “designing woman” at the height of her creative powers.

By Christi Golder

Photos by Harry Taylor & Amy Maxwell

Giancarla

Helgesen Knitter

For Giancarla Helgesen, who goes by Gianca, the seeds of creativity were sown (or more accurately “sewn”) early. As a little girl growing up in northern Italy, she and her sisters were taught the art of knitting, embroidery and crochet by Catholic nuns. Around age 10, while attending a summer camp run by the nuns, she spent hours embroidering linen sheets and pillowcases. Proud of her work, she showed it to the Mother Superior, who promptly told her to start over.

The news didn’t sit well with Gianca. “But I learned from that time on to do it perfectly,” she laughs.

When she was just 19 years old, Gianca bid goodbye to her four siblings (including her twin brother Gianfranco) and moved to the United States, marrying a U.S. Air Force serviceman. The couple first lived in Oklahoma and then moved to New York. The union dissolved when she was in her 30s, but not before producing two daughters. A few years later, Gianca fell in love and remarried. In her blended family, she found herself with young children and a demanding marketing job with a telecom company that would later become Verizon.

“I was commuting from Westchester County to Manhattan and read that the football player Rosie Greer had knitted and crocheted in the locker room before games as a way of dealing with stress,” says Gianca. In her 40s then, she hadn’t knitted in decades. “That day at lunch, I walked down to 8th Avenue, bought needles and yarn, and began knitting a scarf on the train on the way home.”

Over the years, she created what she calls “little things,” mostly for herself. Fast forward to 1999, when Gianca and her husband, Bob, relocated to Bald Head Island permanently, moving into the vacation home they’d bought in 1994. In short order, she and a group of other women living on the island formed a knitting group that still meets today.

“Some of the women, like me, were serious about the knitting. Others were less serious, but it was a social event,” says Gianca. “Many of the people have changed, but we still have a very relaxing, nice time. Sometimes we talk a lot and other times we just sit and work quietly together.”

Along with her knitting friends, Gianca received encouragement from her sisters back in Italy, who were expert knitters themselves.

“When I visited Italy to see my family, I would buy beautiful yarn and bring it back,” says Gianca.

In addition to yarn, Gianca would always bring back a piece of artwork, oftentimes one that she and her twin brother picked out together. “He has an eye for art and would direct me toward particular pieces,” says Gianca. Many of these works hang in her island home.

Around 2004, Gianca began participating in Smith Island Art League shows, sharing her handiwork with a larger audience for the first time. “I was flabbergasted that people wanted to buy it,” she says.

Gianca’s works include sweaters, hats, scarves, mittens and dresses for adults and children. No matter what piece she’s creating, she begins in a similar way.

“I go through Google and check out design websites and patterns. If something catches my attention, I go for that. I determine the type of yarn I want to use—wool, linen or silk— then I choose colors based on what I think would work well with the pattern. Gathering materials takes some time,” Gianca says. “It’s a very methodical process.”

Once she has a concept in mind, she creates a small sample to see if the yarn will work with the pattern she’s selected. If it does, she’ll move forward. If not, she’ll start over. It’s an art form that requires enormous patience.

“The patience comes from working for hours,” says Gianca. “Sometimes I make a mistake with a piece and someone will say, ‘No one will ever notice it.’ But I take it apart because I’ll see it.”

A self-described homebody, Gianca says knitting suits her personality. “I like to be at home. It’s something I can do here and have a purpose. I am a persistent person. I don’t give up easily. Once I take something on, I’m very committed,” says Gianca. Laughing, she adds, “My patience with people is not as great as my patience with knitting.”

At times, if she runs out of one type of yarn, she’ll improvise and deviate from the original pattern. “If I create the problem of having not enough yarn to finish a piece, I will solve the problem,” says Gianca.

Once the knitting work is completed, there’s still more to be done, weaving the end of the yarn back into the materials so it’s not seen and steaming the piece carefully so it will lay completely flat. “There is a process of cleaning it up so that it looks like it was bought in a nice store and not made by your grandma,” says Gianca, a great-grandmother herself.

For this designing woman, what began as a child and returned as a way to ease stress has evolved into a true creative passion.

“It still is an escape for me almost like a vacation in a way. It keeps me grounded and relaxed. Finishing knitting and having people like it helps my self-worth.

The stuff you are making connects you to others,” says Gianca. “Mostly, it is a hobby that makes me feel comfortable with myself. I feel complete when I finish something beautiful.” The nuns would be proud.

Dianne Scott Harris

Medical school is grueling, no matter the time or place. Med school in the mid-1970s was especially challenging for a Black woman in the South. Racism and sexism took different forms—sometimes overt, other times more akin to “benign neglect.” But Dr. Dianne Scott Harris had a secret weapon for ignoring the “nonsense and noise” she experienced while attending UNC’s medical school in that era—her twin sister, who enrolled at the same time. The two served as each other’s sounding boards, relying on one another for support, encouragement and the shared conviction that together, they could succeed and excel.

Metalsmith

And they did, with Dianne spending her career as an anesthesiologist at Duke University Hospital while her sister, Dr. Deborah Scott Holston, served the greater Charlotte area as a pediatrician.

After three-and-a-half decades of balancing demanding roles as physicians and mothers, Deborah retired in 2016 and Dianne followed in 2018. With their professional lives concluded and their children grown and established in their own successful careers, the sisters began plotting their next move. They wanted a creative outlet—something that was stimulating and rewarding, but that didn’t feel like “work.” They landed on metalsmithing— the art of making jewelry by hand. Training from a beloved mentor, classes and hours of practice ensued.

In time, the sisters honed their skills and launched their own artisan jewelry line—Deenie & Flip—a moniker derived from their nicknames for each other.

“Jewelry-making is a side of me that most people don’t know,” says Dianne. “They’re always surprised to learn I am a metalsmith.”

The sisters’ creativity was first sparked by their mother, an elementary school teacher whose beautiful bulletin boards captivated them as children.

“My creativity was buried in there,” says Dianne. “As busy as my life was as a physician, wife and mother to two very active sons, I didn’t have time to explore it until I retired. Now that my days are freed up, the best thing about it is, it’s something my sister and I can do together.”

With Deborah living in Charlotte and Dianne splitting time between Chapel Hill and Bald Head, the two collaborate regularly on FaceTime, brainstorming, bouncing ideas off one another, and critiquing each other’s designs. “We’re really honest about what we think, and sometimes don’t agree, but we always end up laughing,” says Dianne.

Each Deenie & Flip jewelry design is made from sterling silver, gold or a combination of the two, with some pieces incorporating semiprecious gemstones, such as London blue topaz, green tourmaline and garnet. Keum-boo—a Korean technique of fusing gold foil accents to fine silver—appears in many of the works. While styles vary, organic forms are a continual thread—bracelets shaped like an ocean wave or twisted branch, necklaces that evoke a starburst or jeweled heart, earrings resembling a folded leaf or flower bud.

Jewelry-making tools of the trade include a fierce array of instruments—heavy duty scissors for cutting through sheets of metal, ball peen hammers for creating textures on surfaces, and torches attached to large propane tanks for heating, bending and soldering metal. “Early on, my sister was scared of the tanks and worried about blowing something up, but my days as an anesthesiologist made me immediately comfortable around them,” laughs Dianne.

Dianne’s connection to Bald Head Island began in 2018, shortly

after she and her husband, Dr. Charles Odell Harris, an OB-GYN with a thriving private practice in Durham, retired. Dianne had a friend with a house on the island who talked about it all the time. “I was thinking, ‘Where is this place?’” says Dianne. “I was intrigued, so we decided to visit.”

The moment she and Charles arrived on Bald Head, it felt right. “I said, ‘Oh my god, now I get it,’” Dianne remembers. “It was a different world than any beach I’d ever been to. It was calming, soothing. I could see myself there. My husband had been a beach kid, growing up around the water, so it immediately clicked with both of us. On that first visit we bought a vacation home that has become our haven.”

Whether in Chapel Hill or on Bald Head, Dianne says she finds inspiration for her jewelry in her surroundings.

“I gather ideas from what I see around me when I go on my walks. It could be a stick or a bent branch or a detail on a building. Other times it’s foliage, leaves, a handful of pebbles, or something that washes up on the beach.”

Most recently, Dianne has explored symbols of women’s strength, power and resilience. “I’ve designed a pendant necklace in the shape of the medical symbol for female—the circle and upside down cross,” says Dianne. She’s also created a necklace and earrings inspired by Thor’s hammer, a

mythological weapon of protection that can only be wielded by the worthy. “As women, we are all worthy,” reminds Dianne. Other symbols found in the jewelry, such as snakes and butterfly wings, represent change and transformation.

With a demanding career behind her, Dianne appreciates the “new avenue,” creative identity and challenge metalsmithing offers. For several years she’s served as the president of the Smith Island Art League. But she resists any temptation to ever turn her art into work.

“It’s one of those things I don’t have to do, which makes it that much better,” says Dianne. “This is my long-awaited ‘me time’— a time to relax and reflect on my life.”

When it comes to creativity, a little fearlessness never hurts. Janet (Jan) Triplett came by both at an early age from the same source—her mother.

“My mother trusted my younger sister, Susie, and me to get on the bus on our own when we were 5 and 7 to go to downtown Greensboro and buy her a spool of thread and come back,” remembers Jan. “She taught us we could do anything.”

Jan began drawing at an early age, emulating her mother. “She would scribble when she was on the phone—mostly profiles of women—and I would copy them.”

At age 11, all Jan really wanted for Christmas was a set of oil pastels. “I wasn’t even sure what I was going to do with them,” she says. “But I got them.”

Janet Triplett Painter

Jan’s interest in art solidified in junior high school. “I had a wonderful art teacher,” she remembers. “She taught 13-yearolds oil painting. I absolutely loved it.” That year, her father built her an easel, and she was off to the races, painting all the way through high school and college.

When she was 16, Wachovia Bank completed a brand new high rise in Greensboro. “The building was so beautifully designed, outside and inside, I told my dad, ‘I want to do that.’”

When the time came for her to attend UNC Greensboro, Jan majored in commercial interior design and minored in art. Shortly after graduating, as luck would have it, she worked at a Chapel Hill architectural firm where Wachovia was a client. At the tender age of 25, she landed a job as Wachovia’s director of design for all their buildings and curator of their corporate art collection. In her new role, fearlessness served her well.

“I wanted original work from North Carolina artists for Wachovia’s collection, so I traveled all over the state by myself scouring these little tiny shows and galleries looking for art,” says Jan. “I didn’t paint during that era because I didn’t have time, but it was a fabulous job.”

After 12 years at Wachovia, Jan took workshops, read everything she could, and started her own faux and decorative painting business called Fancy Finishes. “I worked closely with the High Point Furniture Market and Winston-Salem designers painting marble and other finishes on walls, floors and furniture. I had no problem at all climbing 30-foot scaffolding,” laughs Jan.

In 1997, she and her husband, King, moved permanently to the home they’d just built on Bald Head Island when King retired. In her first five years on the island, Jan kept busy with knitting, volunteering on numerous island committees and boards, and traveling back-and-forth to Winston-Salem to work with favorite clients. But by 2002 oil painting lured her back.

“Still lifes had always fascinated me,” says Jan.

“I started painting them using photographs and did that for a couple of years. Then I took a workshop where we totally painted from life and I realized how much richer the light was than a photograph. That was a total game changer,” says Jan. As she became quite accomplished, her still lifes were carried at Bald Head Island’s Woods Gallery; the prestigious J. Collette’s galleries in Highlands, NC; Berkley Gallery in Warrenton, VA; as well as All About Art on the island.

Her transition into landscape painting had more comical beginnings, when she was “tricked” by fellow island artist Peter Quinn. “For a while Peter had encouraged me to try painting en plein air, and I had dragged my feet,” says Jan. “Then one day, he invited me to paint with him and gave a very specific date and time, which I thought was a little odd, but I agreed.”

The next thing Jan knew, she received an email listing her as one of the featured artists at Bald Head Island’s first Plein Air Event at All About Art. “I said, ‘I can’t do that.

That’s not what I do.’ But I did it and I actually loved it,” says Jan. Fearlessness came in handy again.

These days Jan’s work revolves around seascapes and marshes, with special emphasis on skies. Near sunset, she’ll head out to a favorite beach access with her tiny palette and mix paints right then and there to capture the sky’s true colors. She’ll then photograph the clouds so she can remember their general shape. Back in her studio, she uses artistic license to recreate the scene, filling in the missing holes with her imagination.

Painting a sky with ever-changing light presents different challenges than still life painting, where, at worst, says Jan, you may have to replace a peach that’s become overripe.

“The lack of control with landscape painting vs. still life painting is striking, but I embrace it,” she says.

You can find Jan’s landscapes in several galleries, including New Elements in Wilmington, NC; Sandpiper Gallery in Sullivan’s Island, SC; and Dare Gallery in Charleston, SC.

Encouragement from family and peers has been a constant throughout her artistic career. She enjoyed the support of her late husband, King, who suggested they transform their crofter cottage into a more spacious studio as her paintings grew larger. She was a longtime president of the Smith Island Art League, where she now serves as treasurer. For many years, she’s taken part in a painting group that meets at Franklin Square in Southport, NC, to paint live models.

While Jan says painting is a skill that can be learned, she believes the joy of making things comes naturally to some people. “I think it is innate,” she says. “My sister Susie shares a lot of that also. She was a professional photographer and now she bakes, which is an art in itself.”

Ultimately, Jan describes the creative impulse as allencompassing. “It’s the way I look at everything. I think creative people are blessed in many ways, in how they see things and appreciate them. People who can make something enjoy so much satisfaction—whether you’re a landscape painter or a carpenter who builds a home—that’s a real thing.”

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A Stunning Piece of A Sacred Place

Land. of Peace.

On an awe-inspiring site nestled among majestic live oaks, fronting Bald Head Creek, and adjacent to a historic lighthouse, the Village Chapel of Bald Head Island is a sanctuary within a sanctuary, a shining example of the power of architecture to inspire and uplift.

Perfectly at home in its truly stunning environment, the Village Chapel stands as a house of worship—host to nondenominational religious services, weddings, baptisms, concerts and other community events—as well as a place that invites all to stop in for quiet contemplation and an uncommon sense of serenity.

In the Beginning

The creation of the Village Chapel unfolded over four consecutive Easter Sundays in the mid- to late-1980s.

On Easter 1984, the first organized worship service on the island was held in the lounge of the Bald Head Island Inn, followed a year later by a sunrise service at Old Baldy Lighthouse. Around that time, John Messick, former sales director for Bald Head Island Limited (the island’s development company owned by the George and Cynthia Mitchell family), approached Kent Mitchell to discuss the possibility of building a chapel on the island, a dream shared by many island residents.

The Mitchell family, led by Cynthia, quickly embraced the idea, donating an especially scenic tract of land beside the lighthouse, as well as covering the architect’s design fees and making an additional contribution toward construction. The community then raised the remaining funds to finish the project.

A year later, on Easter 1986, groundbreaking ceremonies for the chapel took place immediately after the sunrise service. Although the chapel was not quite complete by the following Easter, dedication services were held on that Sunday in 1987.

By

Arnold

Odette

Photos by Harry Taylor

While inspired by coastal Carolina vernacular architecture, the Village Chapel of Bald Head Island is a wholly unique creation, the only one of its kind in the world.

Right Person, Right Place, Right Time

Enthusiastic about the project, Cynthia called Texas architect Clovis Heimsath, whom the family had hired to design houses for their ranch outside of Magnolia, TX. Clovis, Cynthia knew, was among a small group of architects who were rediscovering simple pioneer forms in a time when steel and glass were dominating architecture.

In a speech given in 2007 during the dedication ceremony for a stained-glass window honoring John Messick, Mark Mitchell reflected on the chapel’s design and designer. “Great care was taken in the choosing of the architect, for it was hoped that the chapel would enhance the atmosphere that surrounded the historical site,” said Mark. “At the time, Clovis Heimsath said, ‘In 20 years or so, after some weathering, it should settle nicely into the fabric of the community, and property owners and visitors won’t be able to guess its age.’”

At the start of the project and in the name of research, Clovis and Kent embarked on a road trip along the North Carolina coast, finding inspiration in the original lifesaving stations, old churches and other historic buildings along the way.

“It would have been important for Clovis to get a good sense of what the regional tradition was,” said Ben Heimsath, Clovis’s younger son who assumed the role of principal architect of the firm in 1999. “He would have been finding touchpoints for the design, which eventually played out in details such as the fish scale pattern used in the pulpit area, altar railings and stairs leading to the balcony.”

Designing for the site was a bit daunting, remembered Maryann Heimsath, Clovis’s wife. While not an architect, Maryann was, in Ben’s words, in every way a full partner with Clovis. “The lighthouse was an icon, and we knew the church building couldn’t compete with it,” she said. “It had to hold its own, so we set it apart and gave it a bit of breathing room.”

Little Places of Visual Delight

Ben described the chapel’s architectural style as Carpenter Gothic, inspired by academic or high Gothic churches in Europe, primarily France and England, which was quickly picked up by itinerant carpenters and local craftsmen. In America, architects took the historic style and translated it into wood.

“Even though the forms and materials are recognized from the past and it’s meant to look like it has always been there, you could not find a church in this area, or anywhere frankly, that would look exactly like it because it’s not a historic church,” said Ben. “It’s a modern church built in the tradition of these wonderful historic legacies of the coast.”

“There is a lot of play and whimsy that goes beyond, yet is in keeping with, Carpenter Gothic, Victorian ornamentation and Queen Anne styles,” continued Ben. “Thoughtful details create little places of visual delight, adding interest and dimension.”

For example, the boards in the reverse board-and-batten exterior walls are crafted with a fancy butt technique. Instead of just squaring off the ends and leaving them as a utilitarian element, carpenters cut the ends in a triangle and added cut-out circles. The windows, Ben noted, also have circles inserted amid the intersecting lines.

“It’s not ornamentation stuck on later like gingerbread,” emphasized Ben. “It’s very integral, originating from the elements of the building itself. It makes the design a bit more exciting to go beyond the functional.” Another example Ben noted are the handrails which are cut so there is a double scale to them—a thicker piece and a thinner piece.

The steeple, said Maryann, grew out of how Clovis put the many angles of the roofs together. There are windows up high to bring in light, and gables over the windows for added dimension and visual interest.

“Some of these special details were in the original drawings,” said Ben, “but the carpenters from Telesis working on the project may have suggested things and added extra layers, as well, particularly if they knew the traditions. It’s an approach that says we really care about this place and want to make it extra special. Clovis would have encouraged that.”

Graduation Ceremony 2025

Easter Service 1988

We always wanted the chapel to be a destination on the island,” said Maryann, “a special and sacred place that is always open, not just during services.

Inner Beauty

Perhaps the most defining features of the interior are the large beams in the ceiling that are held together as a truss. “We found the truss idea in an old church on the coast,” said Kent. “We saw something similar on the trip and loved the effect.” The brackets at the end of the beams are purely ornamental.

The sanctuary layout is a traditional cruciform floor plan with an airy and open transept area, allowing for flexibility in how the space is used. Simple finishes like the continuous unpainted wainscoting around the interior are not only traditional and pleasing to the eye but also function to protect the walls from being marked up with use.

Nautical influences figure heavily in the building’s design, which is common in churches. After all, the word nave—the main body of the church where the congregation sits—comes from the Latin word navis, meaning ship.

“Not only are we on an island, but Clovis paid close attention to how boats are put together,” said Kent. “The arches in the ceiling likely came from that as well.”

Other nods to the nautical include the use of shiplap on the walls and the beautiful brass medallions embedded along the altar railings that were sold in a fundraising effort for the chapel’s construction.

A gable behind the altar allows for the apse form, opening to magnificent views of wetlands. “Those views out the window are not just for postcards,” said Ben. “They help capture the sacredness of connecting that place of repose to the beauty of the island. It’s part of the reason the use of stained glass is so limited. We did not want to block that beauty.”

“The deck in the back was built to be practical—a place to sit and gather and talk,” said Maryann. “Interestingly, it became like an extension of the apse and also like an outdoor chapel of its own.”

A Lasting Legacy

The power of architecture to affect human emotions has been noted throughout history, perhaps most famously by Winston Churchill who said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us.”

Likewise, architect and designer John Ruskin, whose work often explored the relationship between art, nature and society, is credited with saying, “Church architecture is the art of creating spaces that inspire the soul.”

Modest in size, exquisite in beauty and timeless in appeal, the Village Chapel of Bald Head Island has, indeed, shaped life for the island and inspired the souls of all who visit.

Symbolizing Faith, Honoring a Life

The Stained-Glass Windows

The chapel’s stained-glass windows were designed by Maryann Heimsath, beginning with the tripartite fish design in an equilateral triangle at the back of the balcony. Originally the sole stained-glass installation and a memorial to Buck Timberlake, its design is the symbol for the Trinity and especially appropriate for a chapel by the sea. “The intent was for it to sparkle like the water,” she said. “I used extra rondels and bevels to create the effect of giving off light, even when no light was shining through it.”

The descending dove window, representing the Holy Spirit, was added in the transept two decades later, as a memorial to John Messick. Maryann designed it and hired a local craftsman from Southport to build it.

Event design by Shauna Loves Planning. Images by Millie Holloman Photography.

Great Good

Summer of Music Series a Hit with Four

Generations

By Odette Arnold

by Matt Ray

With swaying palm trees and a salty breeze to set the stage, Jessica and Hunter Champagne stood entranced, watching their daughter Charlotte, 3, command the open-air dance floor in her strawberry-printed body suit and red tutu. Three-year-old Jack DeCamilla and his two-year-old brother, Jon, eagerly joined in, jumping and gyrating as The Embers belted out their iconic anthem to summertime: “I Love Beach Music.”

As the bebopping toddlers swirled among middle-aged shaggers, parents and grandparents clapped their hands, snapped pictures and enthusiastically got into the act.

The song may have been a hit more than four decades ago, but the timeless appeal of great tunes and good times along the Carolina coast wasn’t lost on anyone, regardless of age. It was the second show in the inaugural Summer of Music concert series sponsored by the Bald Head Island Yacht Club (BHIYC), which quickly became a must-attend event for locals and visitors alike.

Other bands in the 2025 series included Austin, The Tonez, Snapback and Tru Sol, each bringing their unique sounds and boundless energy to the creekside stage.

Photos

Three-year-old Charlotte Champagne with three-year-old Jack DeCamilla and his two-year-old brother, Jon.

Out on a Whim

“The concert series started as something we wanted to do for our members, and it blew up into a community-wide event,” said Kristin Henson, official Secretary and unofficial event planner for the BHIYC. Kristin, her husband Steve Henson (who is the BHIYC Commodore) and club member Deb Cerniglia planned and executed the concerts with what they described as blind faith and beginner’s luck.

“We wanted it to be free, family-friendly fun in the middle of the week,” said Kristin. “We didn’t know what to expect, but BHI Village officials, residents and businesses on and off the island jumped in, rallied around the idea and helped make it a reality. The community response just blew my mind.”

Munchies, Merch & Marsh Views

While the band played under a tent overlooking the marsh, concertgoers frequented the booths that ringed Marina Park. Food and drinks were available for purchase, and both the Old Baldy Foundation and the Bald Head Island Conservancy handed out information about their mission and programs. Young entrepreneurs drummed up business for their thriving ventures, including jewelrymaker Bailyn Kirkland, 12, of Bay’s Beads; and brothers Pax and Jack King, 13 and 16 respectively, who founded the BHI Fishing Co., selling all things fishing related, including charters.

Tables and chairs placed in prime position were presold to help offset the cost of bringing the bands to the island, but most concertgoers simply set up their own chairs or blankets free of charge.

“Our vendors make it very easy to simply show up and enjoy the show,” said Kristin, pointing out food choices that ranged from a low-country seafood boil to pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers. “Of course we encourage people to support the vendors, but if families want to pack a cooler and just show up, they can have an evening out that doesn’t cost a dime.”

Notes of Nostalgia

Tina Bollard, a Bald Head Island property owner from Lumberton, NC, shared a table with her friend JoAnne Branch, joyfully singing along to the tunes. The women said the music brought back happy memories from their days at UNC and Meredith College, respectively.

“Beach music is part of our identity,” said Tina, “and listening to it in this idyllic setting … what could be better?”

The sentiment was echoed by John and Jacquelyn Gillilan, BHIYC members from Wilmington, NC, who own a home in the Bald Head Villas, as well as a boat slip in the marina. Another multigenerational group, the Gillilans were accompanied by their son, Matthew; his wife, Rachel; and their one-year-old son, Robert.

“This is so fun to have everyone here,” said Jacquelyn. “Being together, just hanging out is one of the things we love best about Bald Head.”

Katherine DeCamilla, mother of aforementioned avid dancers Jack and Jon, reveled in the night as well. Four generations of her family were gathered on Bald Head Island to celebrate her grandmother’s 96th birthday. All attended the concert, which only added to the special birthday festivities.

Encore!

At summer’s end, the series was flush with rave reviews.

“Steve and I have received overwhelming feedback on how fun the concerts were and how they brought the community together,” said Kristin. “We are humbled and overjoyed to have been part of this first season. It was a win-win for everyone.”

Fittingly, The Embers returned for an encore performance in August to end the season. Because to paraphrase that classic song: Bald Head Islanders love beach music. They always have and they always will.

Bald Head Islanders love beach music.

They always have and they always will.

Steve and Kristin Henson

Tina Bollard and JoAnne Branch

Pax and Jack King

Deb Cerniglia

The Embers closing out the season with an encore performance.

Four generations of Katherine DeCamilla’s family celebrating her grandmother’s 96th birthday.

Doug has taken over 300 kids flying through the Young Eagles program.

needs pets through “Pilots N Paws.”

Flying hurricane Helene relief to western NC.

“Rosie” gets a flight to a foster home while her dad is deployed to Afghanistan.

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Whether you’re planning a picnic on the beach or a lavish holiday dinner, Sweet Bay Gourmet, located inside the Maritime Market, offers divine dishes that ensure your gathering is as carefree as it is delicious.

Pop into Sweet Bay to pick up house-made fresh pasta and sauces, fresh-squeezed juices, deli sandwiches, sushi and other gourmet delights on the go.

Family meals like Lowcountry shrimp & grits, Eastern NC pulled pork, buttermilk fried chicken and biscuits, or Greek lasagna will have your entire crew asking for seconds. And that’s just the beginning— check out the full line-up of entrees, sides, appetizers and desserts on the Market’s website. Order ahead and pick up your selections in person, or choose home delivery for an easy, tasty way to feed a crowd at a great value.

By Christi Golder

Setting the Tone for Future Development by Relying on Historical Architectural Forms

You know, there’s a great sense of security when we fall back into these forms, because I know it’s right without even thinking about it,” “

says Chuck Dietsche, one of Bald Head Island’s most prolific architects. He’s speaking about Station House Square, a new commercial project underway in Cape Fear Station. The development, which sits in the triangle formed by the intersection of Federal Road and S. East Beach Drive across from the BHI Conservancy campus, is a joint venture by Mark and Debbie Mitchell and their son Brandon.

The area is anchored by an 1,800-square-foot surf shop designed in the shingle style so prevalent on the island and reminiscent of the lifesaving stations built along the North Carolina coast in the late 1800s. While the island’s commercial design guidelines allow for a 45-foot building, the story-and-ahalf structure tops out around 36 feet, including a cupola that’s a nod to the 1882 Cape Fear Lifesaving Station that stood less than a quarter mile away on East Beach and featured a lookout cupola.

“A lot of those lifesaving stations in that period were shingle-style buildings, and shingle-style buildings are kind of formally complex, meaning the form of them is more intriguing and interesting than their decorations, which are more reductive,” says Chuck. “So that’s what we’re trying to do at Station House Square. There’s this beautifully shaped building that is very simple and elegant and covered totally with shingles.”

Located beside the surf shop is a stick-style board-and-batten 400-square-foot coffee shop serving craft coffee, refreshing beverages, and light grab-and-go food like sandwiches, pastries and the like. The site is also home to a jerkinhead-roofed utility building used as a golf cart garage and storage for dry goods and extra inventory. Phase two of construction will include two small, attached cottages designed to look like separate buildings. The differing, but complementary architectural styles would be typical for historical lifesaving station compounds.

“The design is very consistent with the North Carolina stations, like Chicamacomico, where you see the main building is of a certain style, but then all these different outbuildings were built at different times,” explains Chuck. “Each building has a personality, so the collection of them is a family of different personalities that are coexisting well together, because they’re of the same romantic, small, simple, functional nature.”

While Dietsche + Dietsche is the architectural design firm, Bowman Murray Hemingway is the architectural firm of record responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of the site and creating the construction drawings that Whitney Blair, a builder with a proven track record in Cape Fear Station, will implement.

Additionally, Donna Ray, an accomplished landscape architect who wrote Bald Head Island’s original design guidelines, applied her talents to the site’s landscape plan. A pergola with shaded seating sits near the tip of the triangular lot and serves as an entry statement, inviting pedestrians inside a cozy fenced courtyard. Nearby, additional shaded seating encourages visitors to stay a while. Adequate parking for the site is handled deftly, with every few spaces along the site’s perimeter punctuated by sabal palms. The decision to employ smaller building footprints to allow for an abundance of outdoor space and create a public square was intentional.

“There aren’t many buildings on Bald Head Island that are exterior space creating, that collectively kind of cuddle you in an outdoor space that’s social and communal,” says Chuck. “You can just imagine folks lingering, getting their coffee, but then hanging out. A place that’s more than just a bunch of structures—an outdoor civic space. A gathering point in a place that feels homey and comfortable and relaxed, that’s well off the road. It’s purely a plaza for people.”

Creating a square where people could gather and connect was important for the Mitchells and drove the site design, says Chuck.

“Brandon has a modern way of thinking about retail, a younger person wanting to have events, show movies and host little get-togethers. It’s more of a community gathering space than it is just a store.”

This refreshing mindset is a continuation of the Mitchell Family’s history on Bald Head Island, with Brandon representing the third generation to shape the island’s development. Fittingly, he’s doing so by embracing the cultural values and aesthetics set in motion by his family more than 45 years ago.

“This is a monument not only to the legacy of the Mitchell Family, but the legacy of their ideas, and how to approach good development and what it could be for the island, even looking forward,” says Chuck. “I think that’s the whole story, really, for me. It’s not new in any sense at all. We’re not reinventing anything. We’re just going along with the recipe as it’s always been and executing it in the highest and best Bald Head Island style we can.”

Look for Station House Square to begin welcoming visitors in 2027.

Renderings shown are for conceptual purposes only.

MacKenzie-Childs

Julie Vos

nest candles

catstudio

blenko glass

curated art

charles albert

tokyo milk

solar recover

A haven of seaside luxury.

Recently constructed spacious beach home with sun-drenched rooms, soaring ceilings, and dune-facing porch. The reverse open floor plan maximizes views by featuring the living areas on the second floor, exuding elegance with luxurious decorator touches. Includes 2 four-passenger and 1 six-passenger golf cart.

An oceanfront oasis on South Beach.

Southern Exposure is a newly-listed dream come true, with breathtaking views of the majestic ocean from every room. The home exudes coastal charm and elegance and can comfortably accommodate up to 8 guests, and boasts a fully stocked chef’s kitchen. Rental includes 2 four-passenger golf carts.

2

Perched high atop the dune ridge overlooking South Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

Experience the serene music of the Atlantic ocean waves crashing against the shore from the comfort of the deck or your own bedroom in this stunning ocean-view cottage. Perched high atop the dune ridge overlooking South Beach and the Atlantic Ocean, this beachy townhouse-style cottage is a true gem.

Melissa and Claude Pope

SOME THINGS Only Get Better WITH TIME

Celebrating 15 Years as Owners & Operators

Time flies when you’re having fun, and so it is that Claude and Melissa Pope are celebrating 15 years as owners and operators of the Maritime Market. Diving in headfirst back in 2011, they quickly expanded the store’s selections to include USDA Prime meats, fresh local seafood and produce, gourmet deli items, and a curated selection of fine wine and craft beer. In no time, vacationers began packing lighter, knowing the Market had it covered.

In the years that followed, the Market expanded to include Sweet Bay Gourmet, offering grab-and-go options for breakfast and lunch, fresh-squeezed juice, sushi, fresh pasta, and other house-made delights, along with order-ahead family meals. Located inside the Market, Copper’s Wood-Fired Kitchen brings customers back time and again for its Neapolitan-style pizza. Outside, overlooking the beautifully landscaped Forest Pavilion, Side Wok offers delicious pan-Asian takeout, while the Nye’s Cream walk-up window offers Nye’s Cream sandwiches, milkshakes and soft-serve ice cream seasonally.

On any given day, the Market might host a lavish oyster roast on the side porch, a wine dinner featuring bottles from Claude’s cellar, or a Howl at the Moon party for hundreds at Beach Access 39. The common theme? Come as you are, kick up your heels, and enjoy good food, libations and the fellowship of friends, old and new.

Time has flown, but there’s one thing you can count on. Whether you’re a longtime islander or a first-time visitor, you’re treated like family by the Maritime Market family when you walk in the door.

2026 Howl at the Moon

PartY Dates

The party starts just before sunset at Beach Access 39. 1/3, 2/1, 3/3, 4/1, 5/1, 5/31, 6/29, 7/29, 8/28, 9/26, 10/26, 11/24, 12/23

Save time when you order your groceries and meals on the Market’s website and have them waiting for you in your home when you arrive. Stay in-the-know about specials and island events by visiting the Market’s website, following the Market on Facebook, or subscribing to Claude’s lively emails.

Fresh Pan–Asian Flavor

Just Around the Corner

Savor a diverse menu of traditional Chinese wok-fired dishes, along with fusion creations inspired from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and Korea. Fresh ingredients, delicious preparations and quick service make for a convenient meal at a good value. Take out to enjoy at home or at the nearby Forest Pavilion.

Bald Head Bottle carries a variety of carefully curated wine, craft cocktails and beer from all over the world with a focus on smaller organic producers and those who display responsible farming practices. Wine is a beverage full of adventure just as the island is in itself.

2 Maritime Way, Bald Head Island www.baldheadbottle.com @baldheadbottle

Sweet

By Christi Golder

Photography by Matt Ray

Left: Old Baldy ice cream in a waffle cone from Midway Coffee

Right (clockwise): Cherry, lemon, cotton candy, strawberry, blue raspberry and mango Italian ice from Mike’s Bites

What is it about sunshine and salt air that makes us hunger for something cold and sweet? Luckily, a half dozen walk-up venues on Bald Head Island stand ready with colorful ways for you to cool off and

satisfy your cravings .

Left (clockwise): Orange mango, strawberries & cream, latte chip, cookies & cream, pomegranate ginger and chocolate brownie LocoPops from Will o’ the Wisp

Right: Peach, strawberry and mango smoothies from Sandpiper Coffee & Ice Cream

Have An Ice Day

Blueberry pie Nye’s Cream sandwich from Nye’s Cream at Maritime Market

Island Venues

FINE DINING

AQUA

The Shoals Club’s premier dining venue relies heavily on regionally sourced fish, shellfish, meats, vegetables, fruits and cheeses, so the delicious offerings change frequently with what’s in season.

Shoals Club | 100 Station House Way

910-454-4888 | shoalsclub.com/aqua

THE GRILLE

Bald Head Island Club’s upscale restaurant presents fresh seafood, steaks, chops, vegetarian entrees and sublime salads in an exquisite space. An extensive wine, beer and cocktail menu complements your meal.

Bald Head Island Club | 1 Saltmeadow Trail

910-457-7300 | bhiclub.net/the-grille

CASUAL FARE

BALD HEAD BOTTLE

This cute-as-pie wine bar offers a curated selection of organic and small vineyard wines, along with craft beer from the region. Order a cheese and charcuterie plate, olives or nuts to accompany your libation.

2 Maritime Way | baldheadbottle.com

BOAT HOUSE

Where the Cape Fear River meets the sea, and where history meets horizon, Boat House is a newly reimagined catered event space designed for life’s most meaningful celebrations.

8 Marina Wynd | 910-457-1222 | boathousebhi.com

COZUMEL

Discover upscale Mexican cuisine, an over-the-top margaritas menu, and a full bar in an inspired setting in Stoked Village. Dine inside or on the adjacent patio.

5 Merchants Row | 910-477-6001 | cozumelbaldhead.com

HORIZONS

This family-friendly locale combines ocean views with a diverse menu that includes seafood platters, specialty pizzas, gourmet burgers, wraps, sandwiches and scrumptious salads for lunch and dinner.

Bald Head Island Club | 1 Saltmeadow Trail 910-457-7300 | bhiclub.net/horizons

JAILHOUSE PROVISIONS

Once the site of BHI’s police station, Jailhouse is the place to be for a relaxed lunch or dinner. Seafood baskets headline the show, with a strong supporting cast of burgers, crab cakes, lobster rolls and salads. Breakfast is served seasonally.

253 Edward Teach Wynd Ext. 910-477-9368 | jailhouseprovisions.com

JULES’ SALTY GRUB & ISLAND PUB

Enjoy lunch or dinner at this waterfront favorite offering seafood, sandwiches, great steaks and almost-too-prettyto-eat sushi. The full bar offers wines by the bottle or glass, craft beer and a slew of cocktails.

10 Marina Wynd | 910-457-7217 | julessaltygrubbhi.com

LATITUDES

For small plates and a full bar menu, visit the Shoals Club’s indoor/outdoor space offering prime views of the cape. Ahi tuna, mahi tacos, gourmet flatbreads and a variety of vegetarian options await your arrival.

Shoals Club | 100 Station House Way 910-454-4888 | shoalsclub.com/latitudes

THE PALMS

This gastro pub offers one of the best spots on the island to watch your favorite team play on the big screens. You’ll find a great selection of sandwiches, along with seafood, steaks and vegetarian dishes.

Bald Head Island Club | 1 Saltmeadow Trail 910-457-7300 | bhiclub.net/the-palms

SANDBAR GRILLE

Take a break at this relaxed poolside eatery, which presents a range of adult beverages, gourmet salads, sandwiches and entrees, along with kid-friendly chicken tenders, grilled cheese sandwiches and the like.

Shoals Club | 100 Station House Way 910-454-4888 | shoalsclub.com/sandbar-grille

GRAB-AND-GO

COPPER’S WOOD-FIRED KITCHEN

For a fresh take on pizza, check out Copper’s, located inside the Market.

8 Maritime Way | 910-457-7450 maritimemarketbhi.com/coppers

MIKE’S BITES

Stop by the little brick building located near the Conservancy for fresh sandwiches, hot dogs, snacks, popsicles and Italian ice. Open seasonally.

700 Federal Road | 910-275-8185

ROCCO’S SANDWICH SHOP

Opening in spring 2026, this to-go sandwich shop in The Esplanade offers made-to-order sandwiches, salads and sides.

2 Maritime Way roccossandwichshop.com

SIDE WOK

Enjoy pan-Asian offerings from this seasonal take-out spot beside the Market.

8 Maritime Way | 910-457-7450 maritimemarketbhi.com/sidewok

SWEET BAY GOURMET

Pop into the Maritime Market for grab-and-go breakfast or lunch, along with order-ahead family meals to feed a crowd. You’ll also find fresh-squeezed juice, sushi, fresh pasta and other house-made culinary delights.

8 Maritime Way | 910-457-7450 maritimemarketbhi.com/marketcafe

WILL O’ THE WISP

Watch the boats come and go from the deck of this harborside bar that offers a small, but well put-together beer, wine and tropical drinks menu. For an easy dinner, order a charcuterie board or pizza.

96 Keelson Row | 910-363-1887 thewispbhi.squarespace.com

COFFEE & SWEET TREATS

BEAN BAR

Enjoy gourmet coffee and specialty drinks along with delicious baked goods, breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos made fresh daily at this counter located inside Horizons.

Bald Head Island Club | 1 Saltmeadow Trail 910-457-7300 | bhiclub.net/dining

MIDWAY COFFEE

Along with barista-made coffee drinks, waffle cone ice cream and milkshakes, you’ll find healthy toasts, acai bowls and fruit smoothies that you can take to go or savor on the shaded patio.

253 Edward Teach Wynd Ext. | 910-477-9368 | midwaycoffeebhi.com

NYE’S CREAM SANDWICHES & SCOOPS

For dessert to accompany your take-out, pop over to this walk-up window located in the Forest Pavilion near the Maritime Market for ice cream scoops, soft serve cones, milk shakes and Nye’s Cream sandwiches.

8 Maritime Way | 910-457-745 | maritimemarketbhi.com

SANDPIPER COFFEE & ICE CREAM

A short walk from the ferry landing, Sandpiper serves coffee, along with scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, bagels and cookies baked fresh daily. Their smoothies and milkshakes are topnotch. Enjoy expanded seating inside and grab & go breakfast, too.

8 Marina Wynd | 910-457-1222 | sandpipercoffee.com

Blue Mermaid blended drink from Bean Bar at BHI Club

Your First & Last Stop

From the Ferry

Just steps from the ferry landing, our Showalter Family-owned and operated restaurant is the heart and soul of island hospitality.

You’ll enjoy our creative take on Southern favorites and the freshest seafood, including sushi during the summer season. Signature cocktails, craft beer and great wine, along with live music and karaoke keep the party going until the last boat departs.

Locals know--you’ll come for the view, but you’ll come back for the best food, drink and vibe on the island.

Dock.Explore.Recharge.

Bald Head Island Marina is more than a safe harbor— it’s your front door to a world apart.

Located where the Cape Fear River meets the Atlantic Ocean, our marina welcomes powerboats and sailboats alike with fuel, electric hook-ups, provisions and friendly service, allowing you to ease into island time. You’ll also find a convenient bathhouse with restrooms, showers and laundry just steps from your slip.

Beyond the docks, Bald Head Island lures you to explore uncrowded beaches, winding maritime forest trails and a 10,000 acre salt marsh sanctuary. Nearby waterside dining, boutique shopping and outdoor outfitters set the stage for a relaxed, memory-making stopover.

Each member of the Haven magazine creative team has her own personal style and taste, but we share an appreciation for all things coastal. Here are a few of our favorite finds, scoured from Bald Head Island’s shops and boutiques. Some are pretty, some are useful and others are just plain fun.

APPRECIATING OYSTERS BOOK

SMITH ISLAND MUSEUM GIFT SHOP

“This fun little book explores how merroir influences an oyster’s taste much like terroir does for wine. A must-read for oyster lovers like me.”

–Christi

Golder, Executive Editor

COASTAL PICKLE

PICKLEBALL PADDLE

BALD HEAD BLUES

KIMONO CLIPS

RIVERSIDE ADVENTURE CO.

“These adorable clips solve the ‘island hair’ problem and have been my go-to for years. Every time I’m on BHI I’m tempted to buy another one.”

–Teri

Kelly, Editor

ANGLER’S FISH-N-MATE BEACH WAGON BHI HARDWARE & GENERAL

DRIFTWOOD SIGN ORNAMENT SILVER PEDDLER

SAND CLOUD BEACH TOWEL COASTAL URGE

FOLKMANIS HERMIT CRAB PUPPET BOOTY

BEACH BLAST RUM CREAM CAPE FEAR DISTILLERY

FIGHTING WORDS GAME EAST BEACH SURF SHOP

“Finally—a game for word lovers that’s not Scrabble. Look for me to challenge you on family game night.”

–Odette Arnold, Writer

MEGALODON TOOTH STOKED PROVISIONS

“I find sharks fascinating…I even have shark teeth tattooed on my wrist. This giant shark tooth fossil would be a nice addition to my collection.”

–Amy Maxwell, Designer

DOLCE VITA SNEAKERS ISLAND PASSAGE

ARK COLOUR DESIGN KEY FOBS RIVERSIDE ADVENTURE CO.

JULIE VOS NECKLACE BLUE SAIL

ORANGE STRAW CLUTCH BLUE SAIL

JIGSAW SURF CO. PUZZLE

EAST BEACH SURF SHOP

GOLDEN RABBIT ENAMELWARE ROOM SERVICE

ORIGINAL ARTWORK ROOM SERVICE

PLUSH SUSHI CATNIP TURTLE CENTRAL

Bald Head Island’s shops and boutiques offer something for everyone on your list.

Your one stop shop for fishing gear, crab nets, bait, grills, bicycles, beach necessities, home supplies, hermit crabs, kites, island merch, souvenirs, and more!

As your island guide, David believes that before you fall in love with a property, you must first fall in love with the island. Bald Head Island isn’t for everyone, but for those it embraces, David will help you find your island home.

In 2024, David led all agents on Bald Head Island in transactions and was named Agent of the Year at Intracoastal Realty, which includes 11 offices across three counties.

David’s life has always been defined by service. He volunteered for 22 years as an EMT First Responder, served six years on the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission and as a member of Rotary International for 30 years.

David lives by Rotary’s motto: “Service Above Self” as he continues to give back to the community through volunteer work with the Village government and the Bald Head Association.

Visit Intracoastal Realty’s office at the ferry landing on the island and ask for David. He’ll be glad to share the island’s beauty, history, and community. Whether buying or selling, you’ll experience the difference of working with a local expert whose reach is truly global.

For those interested in Southport, ask David about Waterway, Intracoastal Realty’s newest community being created where our ferry landing previously operated before moving to Deep Point.

55.872’

Located in Southport, North Carolina, Deep Point Marina offers easy ocean, ICW and river access for vessels up to 102’ with 8’ draft at MLW. Slips are available for lease on a daily, monthly and annual basis.

• Across from red Cape Fear River buoy #20

• Lighted entrance channel

• 30-, 50- and 100-amp electric hookups

• Gas, diesel fuel & marine pump-out

• Cable TV & wireless internet

• Provisions, laundry, showers and pool

• Near Southport’s restaurants, shops and historic district

• Beside the Bald Head Island mainland ferry terminal DEEPPOINTMARINA.COM

Bald Head Island Destination Jewelry Sold Exclusively at The Silver Peddler

Now Creating Island Memories with Permanent Jewelry

Christmas Ornaments, Gifts, & Cards for All Occasions

DREAM VACATION

Family owned and locally operated. Unrivaled 5-star reviews. A Bald Head Island vacation management team that has gained the trust of owners and guests alike.

Contact us today to reserve one of our many BHI vacation options, Beachfront, Marsh/Water views, Maritime Forest, Golf Course, Harbor and Killegray Ridge. We will have the best home for your BHI visit. Call us today for your 5-star vacation.

your

Quietly perched beside Bald Head Island’s barge landing, the Judy S. Agner Memorial Lending Library houses an ever-changing collection of donated books, games and puzzles. Pick up

next beach read when you visit.

Photo by Christi Golder

2026 FERRY SCHEDULE

PLEASE MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR ALL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES To Island: (910) 457-5003 To Mainland: (910) 457-5006 www.BaldHeadIslandFerry.com

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