Currituck Author: Sheila Grandy - Margaret And The Wreck Of The Momie T.

Ever ponder what life was like on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the 1920s?  Inspired by actual stories told to her by a relative that as a child lived at the Caffey’s Inlet Life Saving Station during that time, Currituck County author Sheila Grandy has penned a story that is an interesting blend of actual shipwreck facts and life as experienced through the eyes of Margaret Dowdy.
The characters in the story are a hardy crew true to the heritage of living on the rugged Currituck Outer Banks.  From wild ponies to the little schoolhouse of eight pupils, the author blends the joy of childhood with the adventure of a historic shipwreck.  Many details are shared about the struggle of the crew aboard the 475 ton American Schooner, Momie T. and the life-saving technique of breeches buoys used in the early Coast Guard at the Life Saving Station.  Photos are included of the ship remains that washed ashore in 2010 and 2013 along with interesting antidotes with historical perspectives on other local settings.
For a story that the entire family can read together look for the book cover illustrated by Currituck County artist, Lane Myers, of a young girl with large spectacles reflecting the image of a ship in distress.  Margaret and the Wreck of the Momie T. is available at The Cotton Gin; Roanoke Island Festival Park Museum;   Museum of the Albemarle; Hennie B’s; Duck’s Cottage Downtown Books; and the Island Book Store in Corolla. The author may be contacted by email:  MomieT1920@gmail.com

Shipwreck Photo thought to be remains of the Momie T. called the “159 Buffel Head Road Wreck” from 2013. (Photograph by Dr. Nathan Richards, UNC Coastal Studies Institute. Reproduced with permission.)