reservations
order now

Caribsea

North Carolina has a reputation of being the Graveyard of the Atlantic. There are estimates approaching 3,000 shipwrecks around the islands, going back to the first English settlements in America.

We’re a little fond of one of those 3,000 “stories.” Her name is Caribsea. 

CARGO STEAMER

Fast Facts

NAME /// Caribsea
COMPLETED /// 1919 - McDougall-Duluth Shipbuilding Co., Duluth MN
OWNER /// Stockard Steamship Co., New York
TYPE /// Steam merchant
TONNAGE /// 2609
HOMEPORT /// New York
ROUTE /// Santiago de Cuba (5 Mar) – Norfolk, Virginia - Baltimore, Maryland
DATE OF ATTACK /// 11 March 1942
CARGO /// 3600 tons of manganese ore
COMPLEMENT /// 28 (21 dead and 7 survivors)
Completed in November 1919 at McDougall-Duluth Shipbuilding Co., Duluth, MN, the Caribsea originally took to the water for U.S. Shipping Board, Washington, D.C., as the Lake Flattery. Three years later she was renamed Buenaventura for Panama Rail Road Co. Inc., and in 1940 received her final name when she was sold to Stockard SS Co. of New York.
Classified as an ocean-going cargo ship, Caribsea was one of fifteen identical Laker-style steamships and had a capacity of 2,609 tons. On her last journey, she was carrying 3,600 tons of ore, a thousand tons more than her stated maximum. Did this extra weight cause the Caribsea to sink so quickly that there was no time to launch lifeboats, damning everyone who was not on deck to go down with the ship?

TORPEDO ATTACK

Wednesday, March 11, 1942

Early in the morning of Wednesday, March 11, 1942, the Caribsea was steaming up the North Carolina coast on her way to Norfolk, VA, from Santiago, Cuba, with a full cargo of highly combustible manganese ore in her cargo holds. At the Navy’s request, Master Nicholas Manolis had reduced the ship’s speed to four knots so that the freighter would approach Cape Hatteras, where U-boats were known to be active, after daylight.
Suddenly, about 11 miles east of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, the ship was struck on the starboard side at #2 hold by a torpedo fired from U-158, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Erwin Rostin.
Weighted by her heavy cargo, the Caribsea rapidly settled by her head and then was shaken by a boiler explosion.
Three minutes later, only the masts were still visible. The 28 men on board had no time to send distress signals or launch lifeboats, and only the seven men on deck or in the wheelhouse managed to climb onto two rafts that had floated free. Later, they watched the U-boat that had sunk their ship passing within 100 yards.
After ten hours in the water, the survivors managed to attract the attention of a passing freighter, the Norlindo, which picked up the two officers and five crewmen and took them to safety at Cape Henry.
RIGHT: JIM GASKILL /// ABOVE: PAMLICO INN,
JIM BAUGHM GASKILL’S BIRTHPLACE

Seaman Jim Baugham Gaskill

The story that follows might be true . . . or it might not be. But in either case, it makes for a good story!
In mid-March 1942, a rectangular object washed up on the sand at the south end of Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. Chris Gaskill paused in his Saturday stroll along the beach to pick up the object and examine it. To his puzzlement, and then concern, he saw that it was his cousin Jim Baugham Gaskill’s third mate’s license. Truncating his walk, Chris returned to the village and notified Jim’s family and the Coast Guard of his find.
The next day, an employee at the Pamlico Inn, which had been owned and managed by Jim Gaskell’s father, Bill, noticed a floating piece of wreckage banging against the inn’s pier. The timber was fished from the water and revealed whence it came: on it was etched the name “SS Caribsea.”
Now Jim Baugham Gaskill’s family and friends knew for certain his tragic fate.

CLOSE TO HOME

WWI and WWII off the Coast of North Carolina

From January through July of 1942, German U-boats sank ships off the American east coast with relative impunity. This American Theatre of World War II was the closest area of conflict to the continental United States. Shipping lanes in the Gulf Stream made for easy targets.

THE WRECK

Since her sinking in the early years of World War II, the Caribsea has been settled on a flat, sandy plain on the continental shelf, 90 feet below the Atlantic swells, her bow pointing south toward Cuba.
Through the course of the decades, the weight of the windlass has collapsed the metal decks, which have become thin and rotten. The starboard anchor has fallen to the sand, and the port anchor has been buried by debris.
Schools of spadefish, baitfish, mackerel, and amberjacks swim through her disintegrating frame, stingray and cobia nose around her barnacled boilers and bollards, while sand tiger sharks patrol above.

Multispectral Imagery

Dive of the Caribsea Site

We`re growing our crew!

Caribsea is looking for Dishwashers & Pantry Help to join our team in Emerald Isle!

Know someone who would be a great fit? Tag them below or share this post to help us spread the word!

→ Interested in joining us? Apply online or stop by the restaurant to fill out an application. We can`t wait to meet you!

View Instagram post by caribsearestaurant

Oct 27

Open post by caribsearestaurant with ID 18026772074876113
We're growing our crew! Caribsea is looking for Dishwashers & Pantry Help to join our team in Emerald Isle! Know someone who would be a great fit? Tag them below or share this post to help us spread the word! → Interested in joining us? Apply online or stop by the restaurant to fill out an application. We can't wait to meet you!

Things are getting serious in Part 3… Aviana has made her Bar Bites relationship status official.

Marry, Date, or Crush: Caribsea Bar Bites edition.

See what made the cut, then come decide for yourself during Bar Bites, Sunday-Thursday from 5-7 PM, available only at the bar.

Think you’d make the same picks?

View Instagram post by caribsearestaurant

Oct 26

Open post by caribsearestaurant with ID 18139486891625890
Things are getting serious in Part 3… Aviana has made her Bar Bites relationship status official. Marry, Date, or Crush: Caribsea Bar Bites edition. See what made the cut, then come decide for yourself during Bar Bites, Sunday-Thursday from 5-7 PM, available only at the bar. Think you’d make the same picks?

HEADING UP TO THE TORPEDO LOUNGE? READ THIS FIRST!

Our elevator is currently out of service until further notice, but the Torpedo Lounge is still open and operating as usual!

Please keep in mind that stairs will be required to access the rooftop when planning your visit.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to get things back up and running!

View Instagram post by caribsearestaurant

Oct 23

Open post by caribsearestaurant with ID 18115172459040224
HEADING UP TO THE TORPEDO LOUNGE? READ THIS FIRST! Our elevator is currently out of service until further notice, but the Torpedo Lounge is still open and operating as usual! Please keep in mind that stairs will be required to access the rooftop when planning your visit. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to get things back up and running!

Those are two words that are music to our ears: Banana Bramble 😌

Meet one of the cocktails we’re sipping this fall at Caribsea. A little unexpected and definitely worth a trip to the bar.

Come sip your way into the season.

The Banana Bramble. Only at Caribsea.

View Instagram post by caribsearestaurant

Oct 23

Open post by caribsearestaurant with ID 17909172612577596
Those are two words that are music to our ears: Banana Bramble 😌 Meet one of the cocktails we’re sipping this fall at Caribsea. A little unexpected and definitely worth a trip to the bar. Come sip your way into the season. The Banana Bramble. Only at Caribsea.

Freshly rolled and always worth coming back for.

Our sushi is made fresh every day at Caribsea, and on Wednesdays, there’s even more reason to stop in. Each week, we feature a different sushi roll for just $10, so there’s always something new to try.

Make Wednesday your sushi night and see what we’re rolling this week.

View Instagram post by caribsearestaurant

Oct 21

Open post by caribsearestaurant with ID 17956605372253993
Freshly rolled and always worth coming back for. Our sushi is made fresh every day at Caribsea, and on Wednesdays, there’s even more reason to stop in. Each week, we feature a different sushi roll for just $10, so there’s always something new to try. Make Wednesday your sushi night and see what we’re rolling this week.

A little behind the scenes of what goes into a Caribsea Wine Dinner. 🍷

Consider this your official invitation. Save the dates and join us for an evening of thoughtfully paired wines, a curated dinner, and good company.

Wine Dinners begin at 6 PM and are $99 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

→ Thursday, October 22 (SOLD OUT)
→ Thursday, November 19
→ Thursday, December 17
→ Thursday, January 21
→ Thursday, February 19
→ Thursday, March 18
→ Thursday, April 15

P.S. Reservations for each Wine Dinner will become available after the previous dinner has passed. Keep an eye out for when your date opens up, then be sure to reserve your seat!

View Instagram post by caribsearestaurant

Oct 19

Open post by caribsearestaurant with ID 18120723539002679
A little behind the scenes of what goes into a Caribsea Wine Dinner. 🍷 Consider this your official invitation. Save the dates and join us for an evening of thoughtfully paired wines, a curated dinner, and good company. Wine Dinners begin at 6 PM and are $99 per person, plus tax and gratuity. → Thursday, October 22 (SOLD OUT) → Thursday, November 19 → Thursday, December 17 → Thursday, January 21 → Thursday, February 19 → Thursday, March 18 → Thursday, April 15 P.S. Reservations for each Wine Dinner will become available after the previous dinner has passed. Keep an eye out for when your date opens up, then be sure to reserve your seat!

Angela’s turn to make some very important Bar Bites decisions.

Marry, Date, or Crush: Caribsea Bar Bites edition, Part 2.

She’s made her picks, but the real question is: which Bar Bite are you choosing every time?

Come make your own ranking during Bar Bites, Sunday-Thursday from 5-7 PM, available only at the bar.

Stay tuned to see who we put on the spot next.

View Instagram post by caribsearestaurant

Oct 15

Open post by caribsearestaurant with ID 18023120039927192
Angela’s turn to make some very important Bar Bites decisions. Marry, Date, or Crush: Caribsea Bar Bites edition, Part 2. She’s made her picks, but the real question is: which Bar Bite are you choosing every time? Come make your own ranking during Bar Bites, Sunday-Thursday from 5-7 PM, available only at the bar. Stay tuned to see who we put on the spot next.

On this episode of Poured from the Coast, we’re mixing up The New River Aviator, Caribsea’s take on the classic Aviation cocktail.

Boodles Old English Gin, Luxardo cherry liqueur, lavender, simple syrup, and lemon-lavender sugar come together for a cocktail named after Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville and inspired by Caribsea’s longstanding support of the men and women who serve.

Come raise a glass with us.

The New River Aviator. Only at Caribsea.

View Instagram post by caribsearestaurant

Oct 14

Open post by caribsearestaurant with ID 18118995866057895
On this episode of Poured from the Coast, we’re mixing up The New River Aviator, Caribsea’s take on the classic Aviation cocktail. Boodles Old English Gin, Luxardo cherry liqueur, lavender, simple syrup, and lemon-lavender sugar come together for a cocktail named after Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville and inspired by Caribsea’s longstanding support of the men and women who serve. Come raise a glass with us. The New River Aviator. Only at Caribsea.

Follow Us

Contact INFO

Go to the Event Calendar
Sign up for our Newsletter
Get Event Tickets
Get a Gift Card
Employment Application
Get a Gift Card

Location

8921 Crew Drive
Emerald Isle, NC 28594
252-424-8400

Hours

Restaurant
Monday - Sunday
5:00pm - 9:00pm
Torpedo Lounge
Thursday - Saturday
5:00pm - 9:00pm

Reservations

Book a Table
Book Your Event