Exposed ribs from the Nuestra Seńora de Regla ferry boat, AKA the Waccamaw
Once a proud ferry boat named Nuestra Señora de Regla, this vessel was originally bound for Cuba before being captured by the Union Navy during the Civil War. Renamed Waccamaw, she went on to serve various roles before her final chapter on Eagles Island. Today, the weathered ribs of the Waccamaw protrude from the marsh like a ghostly skeleton, a silent reminder of her storied past and the many lives and tides that shaped the Cape Fear River’s maritime history. Listen to underwater archaeologist Mark Wilde-Ramsing describe how a class of eighth graders discovered the history of the ferry boat in the video below.
Pen and ink drawing of the Commodore Hull, formerly the Nuestra Seņora de Regla ferry boat.
The gunboat USS Commodore Hull in battle in the Abelmarle Sound during the Civic War.
Remnants of the Waccamaw's paddle wheel spokes.
This is what is left of the engine after it was scavenged.
Eighth-grade class from Pender County during excavation of the Waccamaw wreck.
Students excavating the wreck.
The engine bed of the ferry boat.
Converted ferry boat SS Commodore Perry, similar in construction to the SS Commodore Hull, aka Nuestra Seńora de Regla, aka the Waccamaw.
A young Mark Wilde-Ramsing, underwater archaeologist.
