CAPE FEAR PILOT II
Painted by local artist Dale Mercer
LOA - 52' • Beam - 17' • Draft - 4'8"
Builder: Gladding-Hearn Ship Building • Sommerset, MA
Pilot Service: 2001 - Present
USCG Station Oak Island: New 10,740 sq. ft. multi-purpose/mission facility rebuilt and rededicated in 2004
First mug in a series of nine
First coffee mug in a series of seven
CAPE FEAR PILOT I
Painted by local artist Robert Potter
LOA - 44' • Beam - 12' • Draft - 4'
Builder: HALMATIC Ltd. • Southampton England, UK
Pilot Service: 1986 - 2020
Cape Fear Bar Entrance Range Lights: Nearly 109 years separated the use of Fort Caswell as a platform for bar ranges. Dec. 17, 2002 this set was lit/put into service. A prominent feature of the Cape Fear River entrance, the rear stands 101' high.
Second mug in a series of nine
CAPE FEAR PILOT III
Painted by local artist Robert Potter
LOA - 49' • Beam - 14' • Draft - 6'
Builder: Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding • Somerset, MA
Pilot Service: 1974 - 2001
Cape Fear Pilot Tower: Original construction 1944-46 • 87 ft
Reconstructed 1999 • 50 ft
Third mug in a series of nine
First coffee mug in a series of seven
CAPE FEAR PILOT II
Painted by local artist Robert Potter
LOA - 49' • Beam - 13' • Draft - 6.5'
Builder: Putnam Boat Builders • Palatka, FL
Pilot Service: 1979 - 1987
Atlantic Queen: Menhaden vessel with her net in the rigging, bails a set of fish near the Cape Fear River entrance channel. Menhaden operations in Southport ceased in the fall of 1983.
Fourth mug in a series of nine
CAPE FEAR PILOT II
Painted by local artist Robert Potter
LOA - 55'
Builder: Tiliakos Boat Works • Fernandina, FL
Pilot Service: 1960 - 1979
Frying Pan Lightship: Southport berth 1972 - 1981
Pilot Tower: Lower story administration office added in 1976
Fifth mug in a series of nine
The history of the Cape Fear Pilot Boats have been beautifully depicted in the art of local artists Dale Mercer and Robert Potter. The background scenery is historically correct for each boat's time of service.
Hover over an image to learn about the scene.
The following pieces of art have been made into a series of collectable coffee mugs.
The collection will consist of a total of nine mugs depicting the offshore full duty boats and two special edition mugs that will highlight the inshore boats.
The first eight mugs in the collection are available for purchase at
The Southport Maritime Museum
204 East Moore Street in Southport, NC.
CAPE FEAR PILOT
Painted by local artist Robert Potter
LOA - 55'
Builder: Tiliakos Boat Works • Fernandina, FL
Pilot Service: 1955 - 1974
Oak Island Light House: Built in 1958 • 169' above sea level
Sixth mug in a series of nine
R.R. STONE
Painted by local artist Robert Potter
LOA - 46.5' • Beam - 11.5'
Builder: Barbour Boatworks • New Bern, NC
Pilot Service: 1937 - 1955
Two Pilot Towers
Tower One: 1915 - 1954 • Tower Two: 1945 - present
Seventh mug in a series of nine
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CAPE FEAR PILOT III
Painted by local artist Robert Potter
LOA - 52' • Beam - 17' • Draft 4'8"
Builder: Gladding-Hearn • Somerset, MA
Pilot Service: 2015 - Present
ONE HAWK
Neo Panamax Vessel with tethered escort tug Erin McAllister
14,026 TEU. 1195' x 166' x 51'10" • Builder - JMU Kure, Japan
Container Service April 2017 - Present
Ninth mug in a series of nine
D.H. PENTON
Painted by local artist Robert Potter
LOA - 45' • Beam 10'
Built 1911 • Morehead City, NC
Pilot Service: 1921 - 1937
Cape Fear Light: Built 1903 • Deactivated 1958
Eighth mug in a series of nine