CFCC to Donate Research Vessel for Artificial Reef Off Wrightsville Beach
Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) is donating its research vessel, the R/V Cape Hatteras, to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries to be sunk as an artificial reef approximately 18 miles off Wrightsville Beach. The vessel will provide habitat…
Wilmington, NC, October 23, 2026 —
Cape Fear Community College plans to donate its research vessel, the R/V Cape Hatteras, to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries for use as an artificial reef off Wrightsville Beach. The vessel is to be sunk approximately 18 miles offshore, with deployment tentatively planned for the spring.
The planned reef is intended to provide habitat for marine life and a location for recreational diving and fishing. The information provided does not specify when the donation will be completed or give a more precise deployment date than the tentative spring timeframe.
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is identified as the recipient of the vessel. Details about the preparations for sinking it, the process for selecting the offshore location, and any approvals or inspections were not provided. The information also does not state the vessel’s dimensions, its history as a research vessel, or whether it will require modifications before deployment.
The announcement describes the project’s intended uses but does not include estimates of how much marine habitat the reef may provide or how many divers or anglers it could attract. No statements from college or fisheries officials were included in the information provided.
For now, the project’s stated timeline remains tentative: the vessel is expected to be deployed in the spring, at a site approximately 18 miles off Wrightsville Beach. Further details about the schedule and implementation were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by WWAY News on www.wwaytv3.com, see more information here.
