Ocean Pursuit is a scallop harvesting boat that become stranded near Oregon Inlet in March of 2020. Since then, the surf has almost entirely buried it in sand. Although the ship doesn't appear to be going anywhere fast, I decided to visit it before it's disassembled and removed, or buried even further. Reaching the ship requires just a brief walk south from OVR Ramp 4, which is near the Coast Guard station and Bonner Bridge.
Upon reaching the ship, you're immediately greeted by signs posted by the National Park Service. They state that this is not an abandoned vessel, and inform potential trespassers and vandals that they may face fines and jail time. I imagine these were posted soon after the ship ran aground, because they didn't feel particularly accurate in its current state.
The sand has fixed this door open, offering access into the wheelhouse. Many visitors to the wreck have written their names on the walls in this room, but surprisingly that was the extent of any obvious vandalism.
Several windows in the wheelhouse were broken, offering a clear view of the ship's new sandy ocean.
The way the sand has breached interior areas of the ship reminded me a lot of photos of Kolmanskop, a Namibian ghost town famous for its abandoned sand-filled houses. Standing in this spot with the horizon visible was a bit disorienting, with the ship being at such an angle.
The low sun created long shadows off the mast, and I wanted to incorporate these into a photo somehow. I decided to stand right in their path and shoot towards the sun. I was also fascinated by the rust texture that has developed around the ship, however it was most noticeable on the large flat surfaces on the stern. I imagine the texture has more depth in direct sunlight during morning hours, however.
I got an almost identical composition with my wide angle lens, but wasn't a huge fan of the distortion at the bottom. Instead, I created a 5 shot vertical panorama. I suppose it could be a placebo effect, but I like the look of this version more. The lowering sun gives the sand a nicely defined texture, and the rich blue sky contrasts nicely with the rusted orange ship.
