A boat captain or helicopter picks up the packages for the final leg of the trip. But we do need advance warning of hurricane conditions or whats going on with the waves or current temperatures if youre a mariner.. . May 30, 2023, Miriah Hamrick The 80-foot (24m) light tower marks the shoals at the confluence of the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. He divested his ownership of the tower in 2018 to focus on the nonprofit efforts. Things in different rooms were still there and had been there for 20 years," he said. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images), Oceanography Team Releases Rare, Uncut Titanic Footage From 1986 Dive, How Newest Objects Shot Down Were Identified And Whats Really Floating Above Us, Prank? But the volunteers aren't all work and no play. This weekend, those welders are also going to work with him to get the towers biggest generator back from the dead, the first step of many toward finally bringing out the donated AC unit waiting patiently on land. Richard Neal of Charlotte would rather be out to sea in his home away from home - an old Coast Guard light station 32 miles off the coast. [4] The station was ultimately decommissioned in 2004, owing to the advent of GPS systems on ships making the facility obsolete. Then we went back to eating dinner.. Its a really great tool, he said. And you don't feel the force of it at all.". The Frying Pan Tower is a decommissioned lighthouse once used by the Coast Guard. Volunteers like these wait months and sometimes years to get called up to duty on the tower. 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Richard Neal decided to self-isolate and work from home by moving into his ocean getaway office. But Richard Neal of Charlotte would rather be out to sea in his home away from home an old Coast Guard light station 32 miles off the coast. At any given moment, the loudest sound may be the whipping of the American flag waving atop a pole on the helipad, or the hum of the generator operating a lift to and from the water 80 feet below. Richard Neal, director of nonprofit FP Tower Inc., is working from home and quarantined 34 miles off the coast of North Carolina at the famous Frying Pan Tower. A guy in a harness will go over the side and actually get underneath them so we can weld steel reinforcements in place.. To learn more about how you can volunteer your time and talent to restoreFrying Pan Tower, visit our volunteer page to learn more. We had electricity going, but it was a noisy, fuel inefficient generator. The Tower now has eight bedroomsfive twin bedrooms and three queen bedrooms. Get up, get some exercise, walk in the park if you are allowed to. The winds can get where they would blow you off the top, but again you have your safety line on. After the Coast Guard abandoned the light station in 2004, Neal saw an opportunity. For 110 years, minus a few years during The War Between the States and WWII, crews manned the lightship 24/7/365 throughout all sorts of weather conditions. and preserve the tower. The purpose for the ship and tower was to steer mariners around the shoals, which can get as shallow as a few feet even this far out. The downside is its a longer trip, up to eight hours depending on the boat. When asked if he gets lonely, he said yes and no. We probably had a little water pressure for a shower, but it was still a very rugged place. Helicopters are rented privately and can carry up to three individuals, but its limited on what it can transport per supplies. Neal formed the nonprofit, FPTower Inc., in late 2020. If you come out here, you kind of do a reset on your life. All rights reserved. "I didn't know what I didn't know about the ocean. [3] In 2019, it went through Hurricane Dorian. Its located about 34 miles off the coast of Bald Head Island, NC, (lat & lon3329N 7735W), where it was used as a US Coast Guard light tower to help mariners navigate Frying Pan Shoals for almost 40 years. Frying Pan Tower is an old Coast Guard light tower that sits 32 miles off the coast, southeast of Wilmington. The government estimated in 2009 it would take $1.5 million to restore the tower. . Neal said the longer hes out there working on it, the more he tends to agree. Neal confirmed he places orders every few days or weekly. And when youre out here in good weather or bad, its also easy to understand that isolation isnt always what you think itll be. The agency asked Neal to install a permanent phone for emergency situations. But they are in a race against time as rust and age have put what is sometimes termed "the most dangerous hotel in America" at risk of falling into the ocean. The annual Book on Business publication (a $24.95 value) mailed to you in January, Advanced notification of Business Journal events. At Frying Pan Tower, the to-do list never ends. The initial sale saw pricing exceed $500,000. When you work on something yourself, you never stop working, he said. Another challenge is the action needed to get onboard the tower from a water vessel. TheFrying Pan Towerhas room for up to fourteen guests and includes 5,000 square feet of living space, with kitchens, office space, fully equipped bathrooms and spectacular 360-degree views. Hanging above the doorway intothe living area on Frying Pan Tower, the clock is stopped at 5:03. Its on the tip of Frying Pan Shoals, 32 miles off the coast of Southeastern North Carolina. He continued. Any information published by Cond Nast Traveler is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. He has dabbled in everything from chemistry and engineering, to transportation and electronics, to the Alaskan pipeline. Location: In the Atlantic Ocean, on the edge of the Frying Pan Shoals, more than . Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Copyright 2020 WBTV. Courtesy Richard Neal Show More Show Less 5 . The two-member crew, usually Neal and/or his family, shares an additional room. The helicopter [pilot] said, We're not coming.' What I don't see is what's under the. He walked outside to get a shot of the waves. Visibility is 10 miles, if not more. Both flags were auctioned off and the proceeds donated to hurricane victims. Access to 3 articles per month on WilmingtonBiz.com, Email updates to stay informed on local business news, Management of your digital and print subscriptions. More than 30 miles off the North Carolina coast, Richard Neal and his fiance rode out Hurricane Matthew on top of an old Coast Guard light station, and it's something they did on purpose.. It looks like a pizza box that sits on top of four skinny metal legs with something that resembles an airport control tower on one corner thats where the actual light is. Wilmington, NC 28405, The Frying Pan Tower, a former Coast Guard light station turned ocean bed and breakfast lodging, is no longer up for auction. Hes a software developer by day, and hed never been to the Frying Pan Tower before he bought the place, sight unseen, for $88,000 back in 2010. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Richard Neal, who bought Frying Pan Tower a former Coast Guard Lighthouse from the government in 2010, said he is holding a fundraising raffle. This trip is a major deal for the McCuinfamily, who are vicariously living through Josh's experience. So I brazingly jumped out there on the internet to tell people, This is what were doing.. 6 Best Galapagos Cruises For Every Kind of Traveler, My Favorite Airbnb in California: A Romantic, Secluded Cabin Near Los Angeles, 23 Family Summer Vacation Ideas, From Costa Rica Eco-Lodges to Alaska National Parks, How to Plan a Rocky Mountain National Park Camping Trip, A Complete Guide to Visiting Shenandoah National Park. Neal was on the tower at the time and said the waves crashing up against the tower were massive. A lot of people contact us and say, We have it on in the classroom, he explained. 3 of 51 4 of 51. Richard Neal, a software sales engineer from Charlotte, North Carolina, was the high . He works 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at his desk each day for a financial firm in Charlotte. I will tell you the ability to communicate with people, like we are doing right now through the internet, its so critical to maintain your mental health, said Neal. All the volunteers have to do is pay their way to the tower, whether its thepricey but quick half-hourflight courtesy of High Tide Helicopters out of Southport, or a two-hour cruise by boat. Frying Pan Tower is a restored Coast Guard light station in the Atlantic Ocean. You have large rolling hills that just go flying past you. It was no longer needed due to GPS and other technological advancements that rendered it obsolete forships navigating the shallow Frying Pan Shoals, so Neal saw an opportunity. "I think Richard'smission is spot on," McCuin said. Volunteers assist with anything from welding, wiring to cleaning. It costs FPTower Inc. about $2,000 a roundtrip by chopper and $3,800 by boat. A volunteer adventure Neal says he typically has between 4 and 8 volunteers who come out Sunday to Friday. The benefit to using a watercraft is that it can carry up to six people, as well as more goods and resources. Using Amazon, we get it the next day, Neal said. To listen, just search for Away Message wherever you get your podcasts. However, the rust wont be chipped away because, out here, every little bit of support counts. We make progress on some and others are in the hurry-up-slow-down mode, he said. Natural Phenomenon? What it lacks in amenities, theFrying Pan Towermakes up for with its beauty and history. Tower owner Richard Neal hopes to raise $1.5 million to continue his mission. Its an adventure, and its safe as we can make it, Neal says of a Tower stay. Ad Choices. USA / NORTH CAROLINA Courtesy of Frying Pan Tower Charlotte Luxford Architecture & Design Editor 26 June 2017 The truly unique Frying Pan Tower is perched 85ft above the ocean, 34 miles from the North Carolina coastline, and is smack-bang in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean's Hurricane Alley. Chris Moore walks down Martin Luther King Blvd. It now welcomes overnight guests for leisurely stays. LISTEN NOW:Learn more about Frying Pan Tower in the latest episode of the Cape Fear Unearthed local history podcast, recorded live on deck of the tower! "But steel is amazingly tough. Frying Pan Shoals is designated a protected reef area, so the original idea of destroying the structure, relocating it, or recovering it for scrap was discarded. 2018 Market Share of Scuba Certification Agencies (PADI, SSI, NAUI), DiveBuddy.com to Break 2 Million Unique Users Soon, Quote from Wesley C. Skiles on Extreme Cave Diving, http://www.amazon.com/Hiding-In-Anonymity-HIA-ebook/dp/B0050K0U3M, Frying Pan Tower webcam view of hurricane. [1] The tower is currently privately owned and was formerly a bed and breakfast retreat, and is noted for its survival through several significant tropical storms. The advent of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and radar systems rendered the light tower obsolete, so the Coast Guard for all practical purposes abandoned the station in 2004 and officially retired the light station. [4] Before I would even consider it, I told him I wanted to know what he was going to do with it, Neal said. Arthur and Matthew had about the same wind speeds as they approached North Carolina. The Frying Pan lightship and tower, photographed in 1965, once warned ships to take it easy on the shoals. We have to remind people that rust keeps rusting, and if we dont go faster, we are going to lose this battle.. They have many volunteers continuallyworking on it. Next morning, the winds were supposed to be 35 miles an hour and they were 54 miles an hour. Things were going well until 2014, when Hurricane Arthur came right at Frying Pan Tower with Richard and his family inside. Selling the tower wasan opportunity hes had plenty of times over the years, but never one that paired with his mission to make sure the tower not only survives to see another 50 years but also stays accessible to the many, not the few. FPTower Inc. They should be because things get blown through the air and they hit you and kill you. It's a project that bigger than a singleweekend, but McCuin and others manage to make a dent. "We are getting some amazingly huge waves that make it shake and tremor," he said. The companys $25,000 donation will be used to buy more equipment, such as upgrading Neals underwater shark camera, installed about eight years ago. Please send us an email at: info@portcitydaily.com, 2023 PortCity Daily | Website by Web Publisher PRO, Police investigating downtown shooting, one man injured, Fort Bragg drops Confederate namesake in efforts to be more inclusive, Novant breaks ground on medical center campus in northern part of county, Sports betting in NC one step closer to reality, UNCW could benefit from its legalization, Reading initiative promoting inclusivity, connectivity kicks off, Blood drive scheduled in Wrightsville Beach, UNCW hires new Health and Human Services dean. WNCNs Laura Smith spoke to him about how being quarantined at sea is going. A clear-your-mind kind of pace. Frying Pan Tower is selling raffle tickets for a three-day/two-night stay for two people at the tower. Neal spends every other week, year-round, rain or shine, at the tower and usually has anywhere from four to eight people helping him. The subsequent sealed bid auction revealed thatNealas the sole bidder and became the proud owner of the rustic platform! He's certainly right about the latter. There isn't [much that's] really extraordinary. We have nothing but views and time. The rust comes in all shades, from dark red to deep brown. Restoring what can be a crucial need for those scorching dog days of summer is one of 12 to 18 projects Neal said is ongoing at any given time. May 31, 2023, Staff Reports . Another thing hes not going to do is ride out Hurricane Florence on Frying Pan Tower. "Like an old briefcase opened up, with a cigar sitting in an ashtray next to it. Greg - 5/07/2013 6:56 PM View Member Articles Category: Educational Comments: 6 I recently had the pleasure of corresponding with Richard Neal, the new owner of the Frying Pan Tower - formerly known as the Frying Pan Shoals Light Station. Their subsequent weekend experience was typical of Tower visitors: fun, sprinkled with adrenaline and occasional trepidation, particularly when walking on 90-foot high walkways or swimming in five-foot swells. Its taken hold of the underbelly where the towers now-unused water tanks rest. Not really knowing what he was getting into, Neal said he purchased the ocean-bound landmark over a decade ago. dba. Still, he's already planning another trip next summer to give his daughters even more adventures from the other side of the camera. You must have a subscription to access more than 5 stories per month. 2023 Cond Nast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t40g_OBmdfs&feature=youtu.be, And he went up on the helipad, into 100 mile per hour winds, saying Its invigorating.. Along with his wife, children and several volunteers, Neal spent two years renovating: restoring plumbing and electricity, and relocating random objects scattered inside, like two-decade-old jumbo packs of toilet paper. And the next thing was this strange looking box on stilts that was in the middle of the water. Now's your chance! After an hour of loading and unloading, he and his seven friends each had two feet firmly planted on the Tower deck. Reporter Hunter Ingram can be reached at Hunter.Ingram@StarNewsOnline.com. . To date, he has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into it and has received twice that in donations. Built in 1964, Frying Pan Tower was constructed by the U.S. Coast Guard as a light station to warn passing ships of the rocky, shallow Frying Pan Shoals nearby. Richard Neal is the owner of Frying Pan Tower , a platform that is about 100 or so feet above the ocean, only reachable by helicopter or boat. It's a humid Thursday morning that was supposed to be riddled with rain, but the blazing sun has conquered the clouds. Neal makes the trip every other week to go home and see his wife. The Frying Pan was constructed in 1964, in the style of an off-shore oil rig. ", (PHOTOS: See More Images of Frying Pan Tower). Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The Frying Pan Tower, 34 miles offshore in the Atlantic, is right in the storm's path. #1322 Eventhe volunteers reportindividually rewarding experiences. FRYING PAN TOWER, N.C. (WNCN) Life quarantined is hard for a lot of people, but for one North Carolina man, he knows a thing or two about it. Primarily, the wind-and-solar-powered tower is used for ecological and environmental exploration in offshore. Neal also has branded merchandise and even has branched into ecotourism, with Frying Pan offering overnight stays for adventurous travelers. The light tower is accessible by helicopter and by boat. Whenever someone is at the tower, the deck house is left open to the elements, with all the steel containment doors propped open to help ventilate the facility. Media coverage in the hours before the storms landfall noted the American flag on Frying Pan Tower being torn to shreds by the extreme conditions as the hurricane approached. And thats one less thing for the Coast Guard to worry about. Even this is part of a larger project to make the tower more feasible long-term. Is this possible also? PHOTO GALLERY: Take a look inside Frying Pan Tower. The initial experience for the family of four was, to say the least, rustic. Neal bought the tower at government auction for $85,000. That allowed him to call in live to CNN: Well, the strangest thing about a hurricane is on shore theyre dangerous and scary. [9] The lower stairs to the light tower were destroyed by a hurricane and the mid to upper section stairs have experienced significant deterioration due to the salt environment. Greg, you needed to ask him how the gear gets from the boat 60 up to the platform and Im guessing since its a B&B theres no compressor so you need to bring a lot of tanks. But not all of the projects are aslofty and intensive. on October 12, 2016 in Lumberton, North Carolina. But the auction process that he started May 3 led current owner Richard Neal, who bought the tower in 2010 for $85,000, to a decision. For those who would rather experience the tower but not necessarily do work during a visit, Neal rents it out for an adventure weekend, Friday to Sunday, for $1,550. Hurricane Matthew's heavy rains ended over the weekend, but flooding is still expected for days in North Carolina. Software engineer Richard Neal bought the former lighthouse in a government-sponsored auction in 2010. Its called Frying Pan Tower, and he owns it. You can do stupid things out here and I try to prevent that, he said. Richard Neal bought the abandoned tower in 2010 and is renovating the structure. Frying Pan Tower offers social distancing at its finest, where the onlymasks necessary are the ones used to protectfrom inhaling rust when working on a project. Neal removed it and replaced it with a new one the next day. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Learn how the people powering Amazon's delivery network get packages to this remote landmark. You have to hire a boat to take you out there, so there is some extra expense on that end or if youare feeling super fancy youcan get a helicopter ride out there for around $1,275. As part of a collaboration between Our State magazine and WFAE to highlight stories from across North Carolina, Our States Jeremy Markovich took a trip to Frying Pan Tower this summer for a first-hand look at a facility thats weathered storm after storm. [3] In 1966, the light tower was built, and was staffed year-round by a four-person crew until the operation of the light was automated in 1979. Richard Neal and his fiance rode out Hurricane Matthew on a platform 30 miles off the North Carolina coast. When the original buyer backed out, the government put the tower back up for sale, this time through a sealed bid process. I can work all around here and get a lot of exercise.. Subscribenowand then sign up for our morning newsletter,Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. Neal said he believed the tower would be safe because he "accidentally" rode out Hurricane Arthur on it two years ago. All of these projects, they tie together, he said. Neal said he and his fiancee talked about going back to the mainland two or three times but made the decision to stay. Located 30 miles off the coast, there are two ways to reach the tower: by helicopter and boat. Neal is the 62-year-old owner and manager of Frying Pan Tower: a hulking, 80-foot-tall lighthouse 32 miles off the coast of North Carolina that's now being restored into a high-tech marine. "It's just a labor of love, and you want to be a part of it. More than 30 miles off the North Carolina coast, Richard Neal and his fiance rode out Hurricane Matthew on top of an old Coast Guard light station, and it's something they did on purpose. It is not the easiest place to get to, and its not your typical getaway vacation. Looming 136 feet above the shoals is Frying Pan Tower, built in 1964 by the U.S. Coast Guard as a light station after the nauticalagency retired its lightship fleet, which had been anchored here since 1854. So, you know the Culligan water jug was sloshing back and forth and we did have one window blow in, but we all got together and put a big piece of steel over it. The prospective buyertold him no one but his family would be allowed on it, something Neal said was in direct conflict with the future hes fighting for on Frying Pan. Richard, owner of the Frying Pan Tower, is now on DiveBuddy: Is it possible to get pics of the inside? All restoration projects are volunteer-driven and coordinated by FPTower Inc. Richard, who divested his ownership interests in the tower in 2018, is focused on managing the Frying Pan Tower's Restoration Project through FPTower Inc., a federal and state (NC) registered non-profit organization. Once he made it, he began working on the smaller light towers electrical system, something that had been broken since Neal bought the tower. Richard Neal, the executive director of Frying Pan Tower, Inc., has a nonprofit mission where he works with volunteers to "restore . The platform is part of an old Coast Guard light station that was abandoned in 2004. You can relax on the deck with this view: While there youcan also try some fishing or diving. We had a helicopter coming out the next day because a hurricane was supposed to be there Friday, Neals said. 0:00 / 7:17 Frying Pan Tower | Away Message Remote Video Our State Magazine 19.6K subscribers Subscribe 18K views 2 years ago FRYING PAN SHOALS Meet Richard Neal, a man from North. Learn how your comment data is processed. I see the waves, I go to the beach. "There are few. Okay, it's alright. Frying Pan Tower Auction Watch on The Frying Pan Tower, located approximately 34 miles off the North Carolina coast, is on the auction block and could be yours.. Nevertheless, this place is fascinating and if you too are looking to do something a little odd, and if you have an adventurous spirt, this may be the place for you. Although it is almost inescapable, its not necessarily the enemy. Surely I wont be the first.. The winning prize includes transportation to and from the tower by either boat or helicopter, because it is 32 miles off the coast of Cape Fear, an ocean-facing . 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg, PublishedSeptember 12, 2018 at 5:00 AM EDT, WFAE | It can be used for marine biologist researchers and help us educate on marine life.. Even from this height, you cant see land. During the day, theycan take a break to leisurely dangle on a rope swing tied to the 50-foot light tower, hit golf balls into the worlds biggest water hazard,play billiards on a table left behind by the Coast Guard and go swimming with the rainbow of marine life that have made a home around the towers base, something McCuin jumped at the chance to do on day one. As Charles Cushman sat in the small wooden swing, swaying back and forth 80 feet above the ocean, he had one thought: Plenty of people have done this before me and they didnt die. As the eye passed over the structure, a weather station on the tower reported a pressure of 959.5mb. Neal said he coordinated with the Coast Guard and acknowledged he would be on his own should anything happen to the tower. So, if you can imagine a 20 or 30 foot wave that's doing about 15 or 20 knots just ripping along, and it's strange because these legs are so thin that it just rolls right past. When Richard Neal bought and restored it in 2010, the opportunity to find out became a possibility. Its been a decade since Neal bought the tower in an auction with the government for $85,000, a figure many might consider a steal. - It wasnt until I started lowering my GoPros down there I learned, my God, theres a zoo under here and its incredible and its beautiful, he said. Like McCuin, most volunteers have sought out a place on the waiting list through FPTower.org, where they join an email listthat Neal contacts ahead of volunteer trips with specific needs in mind. Yet, there the clock hangs, purposefully stopped just a few minutes past the hour for anyone in search of the excuse that its 5 oclock somewhere. McCuin's trip this weekend is years in the making, andhis 40th birthdaygift from his family. SAJ Media, LLC - Neal said the temperate weather makes it a haven for visitors. We only need one or two people who would really get behind this and make it so we can very carefully make the modifications and repairs needed, things like pipes falling off, Neal said. Today,Frying Pan Tower is a labor of love for those who share the same lofty goals for restoring the tower for the purposes of providing safety to mariners in the Atlantic ocean, environmental research and education studies, and shelter to a natural ecosystem for marine wildlife. . Port City Daily is your online newspaper dedicated to the Cape Fear region. Height: 24 m (80 feet) tall. We dont need a lighthouse anymore, Neal said. A Hustler magazine and an old Coors and it was not a Coors light. Theres no word on how long Neal will be staying out at sea, but he says he looking forward to life without coronavirus so he can get back to enjoying the tower and fish. Neal and a team of volunteers are restoring the 65-foot structure for research and so that it will last another 50 years. It is not an ideal vacation spot for someone who is accustomed to the finer things in life, so candy-assesneed not apply. After the company failed to close on the deal, a sealed auction was held for the tower. The shallow waters of the Frying Pan Shoals Graveyard of the Atlantic made ship navigation treacherous for large vessels. Members login here. May 31, 2023, Jenny Callison In 2009, the tower was sold at an auction to the highest bidder for $515,000, site unseen. Seventy percent of guests visit on weekends; April through June, September and October are the most popular months, though Neal says theres often a group who rings in the New Year. When you have something you love to do, you do have a tendency to dwell on it, Neal said. I just cant even describe what its like to see a tower of a mountain of water rolling past, he said. I kind of went back to that and said, What on earth is that? I don't know if that was lucky or unlucky but I was the only guy that bid on it.". (LogOut/ Heres their official website:http://www.fptower.com/, If you want a peak at the rooms, click here. Frying Pan Tower sits 135 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and about 30 miles off the North Carolina coast in international waters. The self-proclaimed life learner said he trained in scuba diving to implement the towers underwater tools the shark camera and weather-measuring buoy, both of which provide information to the public. In the summer, it may be the squawking of the royal terns that fly hundreds of miles to perch on the towers trusses. Once I got up there, I went up the metal steps to the helipad, and then even higher up to the very top of the light tower: 133 feet above the water. While Cushman described the lodging and amenities as very comfortable, boarding can be daunting, depending on your choice of transport. Cond Nast Traveler does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. When the station was abandoned in 1992, the government stopped manning and maintaining it. Just watching the sharks swimming around.. Meet new scuba divers, maintain a virtual dive log, participate in our forum, share underwater photos, research dive sites and more. Richard Neal has been fishing all his life and currently works full time for a software company as the technical side of a sales team, and he travels extensively. Greater Wilmington Business Journal / WILMA Whether to disconnect from the tech-dependent chaos of everyday life or to bond with friends and family out at sea, visitors from around the world have scheduled Frying Pan Tower stays since its opening five years ago. This far from thesecurity ofhaving ground beneathyour feet, Neal knows there arecertain sacrifices people would have to make to venture out to the tower. The thing we can give back to them is this, Neal said, looking out over the water. "I can honestly say that this is a solid old beast," Neal said of the light station during a brief phone interview with The Associated Press on Saturday as the center of the storm turned toward him. Over the next two years, Richard turned it into a really remote but fully stocked bed and breakfast. It was the best $85,000 Ive ever spent, he said. Want to read more from PCD? He never lost generator power or internet, because internet comes in through a radio connection from shore. Rust doesnt have strength, but just being there, it can still hold things together, Neal said. . Right now, its offline due to a cable needing replacement. Hes also organizing more trips for local Boy Scouts and wants to become a research destination for University of North Carolina Wilmington Marine Science students. Richard Neal, the executive director of Frying Pan Tower, Inc., has a nonprofit mission where he works with volunteers to "restore, protect, and preserve" the tower. Then, in 5 or 6years, he would sell it for a few million dollars.. McCuin's task for the weekend is takinga grinder to to the hallway walls, strippingoff the paint eaten away by the moistureand putting on a new coat. [10], Last edited on 27 November 2022, at 20:58, "Frying Pan Tower Owner Hopes American Flag Ripped to Shreds By Florence Will Inspire People to Act", "New life for N.C.'s Frying Pan Shoals offshore tower", "See Hurricane Florence make landfall on this offshore live cam", "Watch Hurricane Florence on live cameras as it lashes the Carolinas coast", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frying_Pan_Shoals_Light&oldid=1124204120, This page was last edited on 27 November 2022, at 20:58. During the storm, Richard took videos with a GoPro camera. A deck house, faded by nearly six decades of direct sunshine, sits atop them and comfortably sleeps 12 with a full kitchen and living space functions it first served for Coast Guardsman, then the guests of a bed and breakfast,and now restoration volunteers. It has lived through numerous hurricanes and been exposed to saltwater for six decades, adding to its vulnerability. All rights reserved. Richard Neal, executive director of Frying Pan Tower Inc., waves in a helicopter delivering Amazon packages. VOLUNTEER The Frying Pan Shoals Light Station was automated in 1979. Man who works at Charlotte financial firm quarantined at sea, Cornelius businessmen plead guilty in large-scale investment scheme, Fire destroys Rowan County home, one displaced, PLAN AHEAD: Latest Weather Forecast Video. You have unhindered views of the sunrise and sunset, there is no light pollution, so stargazing is amazing and you have a birds-eye view of the sea life below. You could have an international bank. And then, he uploaded the videos to YouTube. Its tall, rust-worn legs rise 70 feet above the turquoise blue water and burrow as deep as 40 feet into the bedrock below it. Vacationers sign liability release waivers ahead of the trip, and Neal kicks off every venture with a safety briefing among visitors. Theres a lot of work that needs to be done here, but the hardest part is getting enough people on board to sustain the work, he said. The base of the tower underneath me is about 65 feet so even a 20 or 30-foot wave, which by the way looks like a hill rolling past, even that is way underneath us, said Neal. Severe weather moved through North Carolina on Monday. Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower is a decommissioned lighthouse located on the Frying Pan Shoals approximately 39 miles (63km) southeast of Southport, North Carolina, and 32 miles (51km) from Bald Head Island, North Carolina. "If I had to stay a long time here, I think I would get stir crazy," McCuin said, laughing. EIN #83-2061229 Donation Receipt, Copyright 2010-2023, FPTower Inc. All rights reserved. Neal recalleda 19-year-old electrician's apprentice who saved up for months to charter the flight to the tower. At one point he turned . To get to this destination, you have to charter a boat, and then ride for an hour-and-a-half out into the Atlantic Ocean. "I'm anxious to go back just to see the progress they've made in a year," he said. This is the place where video went viral of the American flag being ripped by winds from Hurricanes Dorian and Florence. From this vantage point, they look like toy cars rolling along the shipping channel safe of Frying Pan Shoals notoriously treacherous shallows. [2], The shoals have been patrolled by a lightboat since 1854 by the United States Coast Guard. Canal Glows Bright Green, Want To Own A Lighthouse? The first offer came a year after he bought it, whena multi-millionaire said he woulddouble Neal'sinvestment to take it off his hands. Contact Us: We want to hear from you! The seas will look like sherbet because there's so much air mixed in them and you don't have waves anymore. To continuously fund and run the nonprofit, Neal takes donations, recruits volunteers and sells Black Powder Coffee, a small batch craft roaster who designed the blend specifically for Frying Pan Tower. More major work is needed on replacing the cross pipes at the water level, battered by seawater and storms over the years; and the trusses bracing the legs of the tower, on which welders will need to go down and put in new steel. "We all stay for multiple days at a time," he says. Subscribe today. Along with his wife, children and several volunteers, Neal spent two years renovating:. When he returns, its to restock and pick up volunteers or visitors along the way. McCuin, for his time on the tower, called the experience incredible and surreal. The 2023 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center So, why did he buy this? Originally built with a 50-year life expectancy, a milestone it passed in the last decade, the tower is well past its prime. [3], The Coast Guard considered demolishing the light for use as an artificial reef, but instead held an online auction where the winning bid was by a South Carolina diving and research firm Shipwrecks, Inc. in 2009 for $515,000. Richard had the desire to restore, protect, and preserve the tower. He puts himself into the tower and now he can talk about what he did to restore it.. Theres an air of mystery surrounding the Oklahoma native, whose career has a rich and varied past. You are free of all that.. Weve come a long way.. The light tower is modeled after a steel oil drilling platform, known as a "Texas Tower", on top of four steel legs that was engineered to be used as a lighthouse housing several Coast Guard members. FPTower Inc. asks volunteers who want to take part in its preservation for a recommended donation of $850 to $1,500, used toward travel to and from the location, as well as for needed materials, such as cables, paint and equipment. FPTower, a 501(c)3, has partnered over the years with John Hopkins University, MIT, the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management and miscellaneous marine biologists for studies on weather, shark tagging, birds and bat monitoring and wind turbine analysis. Individuals with disabilities can also be accommodated. As the sun sets on the tower each day, the weight of theworkload washes away and the true value of the all-encompassing serenitysinks in. This fall, hes welcoming a band out to the tower, who want to record an album on the helipad. 219 Station Rd. It's just before noon and Richard Neal, 60, has dozed off on a patio chair on the helipad, catching up on the sleep he missed leaving his Charlotte home at 3 a.m. to catch a boat ride to the. Through Facebook, he has cultivated nearly 170,000 followers, more than 250 of whichdonate $5 a month to the restoration cause, a number he wantsto grow. About 90 percent of the time, the Tower runs on solar power, though it also has a small generator. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Daytime activities include skeet-shooting biodegradable clays, playing corn hole or billiards, snorkeling or scuba diving the protected reef waters below, and sunbathing on the helipad. After all, things like clocks dont matter much out here, where the sun rising in the east and setting in the west is the only sense of passing time. Its a mountain of water, he said on video. They've even been known to shoot off fireworks, something that's not outlawed in international waters. The structure was old and rusty, but structurally sound. The U.S. Coast Guard, too, uses surveillance installed on top of it to locate divers or boaters in distress. While on deck, they are fed all they want from a fully stocked pantry, given a working shower and bathroom, access to good internet and their own bedroom each named after North Carolina lighthouses like Bald Head, Oak Island and Hatteras. Hes staying home. Out here, there's nothing to hit you but water, and the water you have on a pair of safety glasses and you have a safety line on. Read Article Viral sensation Frying Pan Tower flag up for auction after Florence October 1, 2018 Source: The Charlotte Observer The daring have even been known to take the plunge from the highest elevation 135 feet above the ocean into the shark habitat below. The platform is about 100 feet above the ocean, and there's no land in sight. Josh McCuin, a firefighter from Washington, D.C.,is one of them. In the end, the lighthouse went to the sole sealed-bid, put in by the current owner, Richard Neal, a software engineer from Charlotte. All restoration projects are volunteer-driven and coordinated by FPTower Inc. Richard, who divested his ownership interests in the tower in 2018, is focused on managing the Frying Pan Towers Restoration Project through FPTower Inc., a federal and state (NC) registered non-profit organization. Neal was on the Tower with three of his children during Hurricane Arthur; while the structure lost a few solar panels and one window during the Category Two storm with 100 mph winds, he said it otherwise felt like a gentle rocking motion, a sensation visitors experience throughout the weekend, hurricane or no. Suite 202 To generate a sustainable funding source, he converted it to an adventure destination to cover the costs of updating, maintenance, and minor repairs. The longest Ive been out here in one time is six months. Assurance you know what's what about business happenings in the Wilmington region! Even in hurricane season, the Tower remains open. of business. Today, he said many anonymous donors continue backing Frying Pan. In 2010, the government placed theFrying Pan Tower up for auction, with the winning bid going to Richard Neal of Charlotte, NC. If you come out here, youre not thinking youre a Republican or Democrat, or worrying about COVID-19. Although it was structurallysound, the tower is slowly being seized by the ocean and the elements, one piece of rusted metal at a time. Before he left, he flipped the switch and lit it up. . Richard Neal, executive director of the Frying Pan Tower, Inc. spends most of his days and . An observational flight the day after the storm, August 28, 2011, showed that the tower had no visible damage from the impact. The former Coast Guard light station sits just off the coast of North Carolina. [6] It was listed in an article in Time on light houses that have been restored to bed and breakfast facilities. We're on our own. Frying Pan Shoals Lighthouse, North Carolina Lighthouses, photographs, pictures, history, location, visitor information, maps, description, hotels, Lighthousefriends.com . Many of them caught wind of the tower's existencewhen it went viral during Hurricanes Arthur and Florence, when the web cameras caught Neal riding out the storm and documentedthe American flag'svaliant fightto wavethrough brutal winds. The structure was a modified Texas drilling platform, called a Texas Tower that was designed to provide housing and support for the crewmen while warning ships of the shallow waters. Charlotte, NC 28277, FPTower Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered federally and with the state of NC. Whether they are electricians, welders, painters or even a troop of resourceful Boy Scouts, hes recruited all of them to lend a hand to whatever may be the weeks project and there are a lot of them. Anyone can tune in online when its functioning. The sea floor in a 1-mile radius around the site is a protected reef, making it a magnet for scuba divers. This is the place where video went viral of the American flag being ripped by winds from Hurricanes Dorian and Florence. Immediately, he needed to begin work on restoring and preserving it, a mission he initially funded with fees from the buzzworthy bed and breakfast only to realize the necessary workload couldnt sustain it. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. But he hopes, in return, it can offer things being tethered to the world cant. But for Neal, who had only been to the ocean a handful of times before buying a property in the middle of it, the purchasecame withjust as much paradise as it didresponsibility. They were sleeping in the open rec room area on air mattresses, Neal says. Like some of our vacation spots we are able to read about what we should bring or what is not needed. It's called Frying Pan Tower, and he owns. The Tower has two working bathrooms that use water caught during rainstorms in 11,000-gallon holding tanks. It is now a bed and breakfast of sorts. [7][8] Coverage of the flag was widely viewed online, and the flag was eventually given the name Kevin by livestream viewers. If you were out here you could technically have a casino. So my daughter's biggest concern was that the cake that she baked fell because of the shaking. Frying Pan Tower is considered one of five remote locations to which Amazon delivers. Theres also a skeet range, a Brunswick pool table (original to the station), and a driving range stocked with ocean-friendly biodegradable golf balls. Since discovering the tower's Explore.org webcams broadcast worldwide and showing views of the helipad and underwater on the ocean floor he and his daughters religiously watch them every morning. Thissomewhere isnt just anywhere, though. In the early 1960s, the plan to erect a permanent steel structure with a lantern house to replace the lightship began. Richard Neal the man who owns this whole thing talked as a wind turbine buzzed in the background. He even dropped a camera down to get a look at the fish. If we had $1 million at our disposal, we could make physical improvements to the structure. Emailamy@localdailymedia.com. In May 2010, Richard Neal, a software engineer from Mint Hill, NC learned that the U.S. government was auctioning off a massive light and weather station. Tower staff provides meals, but guests often fish the nearby Gulf Stream and cook their catch that evening. A novice to the needs of a former light station and weather tower when he first bought it, Neal got an assist from NASA, which sent engineers out to the tower to assess what work was needed a laundry list of things hes only added to over the years. And, it is also one of the most remote locations Amazon will deliver to. Volunteers from all over the country offer up their particular expertise to help in preserving the tower for future generations, which has become Neals primary mission as the director of the Frying Pan Tower non-profit. Construction of the tower was completed November 24, 1964. Neal said the tower is built to withstand hurricanes. Guests are reminded that this is an ongoing restoration project and will remain so for several years. The Frying Pan Tower is former U.S. Coast Guard Light Station. After more than a year of repairs (and repairs are still going on, mind you), Neals tower is open for business. The Frying Pan Tower opened officially on November 24, 1964, closed officially in 1992, and was empty nearly 20 years until 2010, when Neal purchased it. The 85-foot-high deck allows visitors to see all the activity in the water below. After working to turn the Towercomplete with an 80 foot by 80 foot helipadinto a working B&B, Neal hosted his first guests in 2012. This page is available to subscribers. "We knew all the tower would do is shake and leak," he said. So, the sky will turn an amazing turquoise color. It was sold to a Charlotte man named Richard Neal. Fifty-six years later, the tower is still a big, hulking thing, unmistakable from a helicopter or boat even six or seven miles out on a clear day. Jeremy Markovich: You have you have an amazing ability to make insane stuff sound like a day at the beach.Richard Neal: I wouldn't want to be out on the beach during a hurricane.Jeremy Markovich: Are we in North Carolina right now?Richard Neal: No.Jeremy Markovich: Are we in the United States right now?Richard Neal: No.Jeremy Markovich: So where are we?Richard Neal: International Waters. That's how old it was.. He just didnt get it, Neal said. Neal, whose daily job is in computer consulting, is incredibly active on Facebook, touting the virtues of the towerto the thousands of followers fascinated by his days at sea. For information: Contact Richard Neal at 704-237-0399 or by email at richard@fptower.com; Source: Frying Pan Tower. Though, be warned, the barracuda are as big as the people and the sharks arent camera shy. This week weve heard public officials urge caution and mandatory evacuations as Hurricane Florence approaches the Carolinas. Cool, right? 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