The currents offshore of the OBX have been the cause of many shipwrecks. There are over 400 shipwrecks in the waters off the coast.
Pirates have also added a great number to the total. Pirates used to tie a lantern to a horse's neck and ride the horse up and down the beach. To the unfortunate mariner, this often looked like a beacon welcoming them towards shore. After running the ship aground, the pirates would loot it. Blackbeard made Edenton one of his home ports. And he was a generous pirate. Like the legend of "Robin Hood", Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach, gave much of the loot back to the community. To the locals, Blackbeard was a hero.
During WWII, there were a good deal of ships(current estimates are over the 400 mark) that were torpedoed by German submarines. On Roanoke Island, "The Lost Colony" play had to be shut down due to a blackout during this period. Officials did not want lights shining to give the German Captains something to navigate by. Most people do not realize that the war was that close to home. But it was. A German sub was even captured just off the coast.
