The Southern Cruisers had an uninterrupted, if blustery, day to explore Bald Head Island.

With a full-time population of just 277 people, Bald Head Island is an unusual experiment in vacation development coupled with environmental sensitivity. The only gasoline powered vehicles to be seen were police, fire, and public works cars and trucks. Residents and visitors travel the island by golf cart. Based on the license numbers on the golf carts we saw, carts may out number residents by 10-to-1 or more! Golf cart rentals are available near the marina and provide a convenient way to explore the island.

The Bald Head Island Marina is located on the western edge of the island. We rented a cart and began a circumnavigation of Bald Head Island by heading south from the marina and then east along the southern shore. The road is flanked by houses and condo developments. Some of these properties are second homes for residents of Wilmington and Raleigh, but many are available as vacation rentals. Shortly after making the turn from West Bald Head Wynd to East Bald Head Wynd, we encountered the Bald Head Island Club, one of two country clubs on the island. Short-term memberships are available for $25 per day, providing access to golf, pool and some dining facilities. Adjacent to the Bald Head Island Club are the Villas of Bald Head Island. We did a double take when first seeing them, as they were designed by the same architect, and patterned after, the Sandcastle timeshares in Fairfield Harbour.

Continuing along the southern beach-front road, public access to the beaches is provided at numerous locations. The day the Southern Cruisers visited the island, the winds were blowing from the southwest at 20+ knots with higher gusts, making the southern-facing beaches less than desirable places to be. One sign told us that Cape Fear is actually the point at the southeast corner of the island. Given the winds we encountered, we understand how it got its name.

The tenor of the day changed dramatically after we turned north from Cape Fear. With the rest of the island acting as a wind block, the breezes and the seas were gentle, making for a wonderful opportunity to take an extended walk along the beach. This would have been a perfect spot to plant an umbrella and send the entire day enjoying the sun, sand and surf!

Turning west again and traveling to the midpoint of the island, which measures only 3.3 miles from east to west, we found “downtown” Bald Head Island. This center of commerce boasts a hardware store, which was closed on the Sunday the Southern Cruisers were exploring the island, a fairly well stocked, if expensive, grocery store, and a half dozen clothing and gift shops. Clearly major league shopping is not something one engages in on Bald Head Island.

The scenery also change dramatically as we left the beaches for the interior of the island. The sand dunes with their meager grasses were replaced with dense forest. An array of plants more typical of locations further south—including the palmetto—were seen regularly in this part of the island.

Completing the circumnavigation, we found two additional points of interest. The first is a chapel, built by local residents, which has a minister from a different domination—Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Baptist—offer services on a rotating basis one Sunday each month. The second attraction is “Old Baldy”, a lighthouse built in 1817. The light was decommissioned in 1935, but has been preserved by a local organization.

Cruisers to Bald Head Island should be aware that finding dining facilities is almost as challenging as finding shopping opportunities. The “Eb and Flo” is available adjacent to the marina as is a more formal restaurant, but these constitute the only real restaurants available to cruisers.