5 Bar originally served as a Board Room, and laundry was done in the back where the Kitchen now stands.” -Janice Beasley, Longtime Sanderling Resort Employee The front of the building has never changed. It had originally been an open deck until about 1994. One of the biggest changes made to the Lifesaving Station was the addition of the ‘Keeper’s Loft’ upstairs. Badges and insignia were tracked down in New England and added to the decor. However, researching uniforms affiliated with the Station and Coast Guard proved to be a challenge. “Most of the items were already at the site I just put them together in bespoke displays shadow boxes,” Stetson recalls. Understanding the importance of history to the building, Wes Stetson took the task of collecting memorabilia for the site. When wrecks were closer to shore, the Lyle gun was used to fire out an eighteen pound bullet over 300 yards for the stranded ship to use as a breeches buoy to pull themselves to shore. These surfboats were stored in the current downstairs dining area of the Lifesaving Station restaurant. Upon seeing a ship in distress, they would light a coston light and fire flares to warn ships if they were too close to land.Ĭrews could save ships either by 24 foot long surfboats or with a Lyle gun. This check was then shown to the station’s Keeper to prove they had completed their patrol. This patrol was measured to go halfway between their station and the next, where they would meet their neighboring station’s patrol to turn a key in a time-clock. Rescuers at Caffey’s Inlet patrolled for seven miles along the coast to look out for ships every day. He made plans to preserve its history while opening it up as a restaurant to the public in 1985. in 1965 and Earl Slick acquired it in 1977. 5 station.Įventually the Federal Government sold the site to Pine Island Inc. As shipping patterns used less of North Carolina’s coast in the late 1950’s, this cutback included the Caffey’s Inlet No. Life-Saving Service was: “You have to go out you don’t have to come back.” Keeper Jamesĭue to the increasing shift from using sails to gasoline paired with the introduction of modern equipment like airplanes, radios, and radars, the Coast Guard began to abandon some of the stations. By 1915, President Wilson signed for the Life-saving Service to become the United States Coast Guard. In 1878, the network of stations were recognized as a separate agency of the United States Treasury, called the Life-Saving Service. As the number of shipwrecks increased along the treacherous waters off North Carolina’s coast, stations were built along its coast starting in 1874. A new No 5 bar food menu is available all day.In 1848, the Federal Government, administered under the United States Revenue Marine, formally got involved in the efforts to save lives of shipwrecked mariners that previously were private and humanitarian efforts. At the newly renovated No 5 Bar now located on the first level, local North Carolina breweries are featured on tap while specialty cocktails include “Keeper’s Watch” made with Honey Pecan Bourbon, Blenheim ginger ale, and lemon. The Lifesaving Station maintains an impressive wine list. Since the restaurant's inception in 1985, the Sanderling Blue Crab Chowder has been a favorite. This season’s highlights are Shrimp and Grits, Crab Stuffed Flounder or Pan Seared Duck Breast. The menu changes seasonally, and specials feature the freshest of the day’s catch. restaurant choice for both locals and vacationers. Known for its “best breakfast on the Outer Banks,' the Lifesaving Station is a favorite Duck, N.C. After the winter renovations, the second level now offering sweeping views of the Currituck Sound and available for large parties with an expansive kid’s menu. 5, the Lifesaving Station is Sanderling’s casual, three-meal-a-day restaurant celebrating southern coastal cuisine and regional, organic products. Located in the original-and splendidly restored-Caffey’s Inlet Life Saving Station No.

The sanderling livestation restaurant