S.C. 1-7-2024

Beautiful sunny day! 48 degrees at 9:15. Drive to Wilmington to tour the Battleship N.C. Super interesting tour. 2 hrs and lots of steps.

The first CSS North Carolina was built in 1863 and was an Ironclad ship. Her job was to defend the Port of Wilmington from federal raids and allow blockade runners to come to Wilmington with supplies for the confederate army. She sunk on 9-27-1864.

The original USS North Carolina was a 74 gun ship of the line and was designed to take a position in the line of battle. She was called a line of battle ship-later shortened to battle ship. How cool to know.

Whenever an admiral is on board that ship is known as a flag ship because an admiral is the only person allowed to fly his own

flag.

Origination of "head" as bathroom- sailing ships only had bathrooms at the very forward of the ship on either side of the figurehead (bowsprit). So when a sailor went to the bathroom he was going to the head. Who knew.

Lunch with the Calabash Elks then a long walk on the beach with Mickey.