From Historic Bath State Historic Site

BATH — The Historic Bath State Historic Site Visitor Center will continue its spring Port Bath mini lecture series at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. The next free talk, number two in the series of three, is titled “Port Bath: British Colonial Customs Service & the Port’s Sailing Ships.” The free program will be held in the Visitor Center, located at 207 Carteret St., Bath. Coffee and refreshments will be served.

Special guest is Bill Dunn, former helmsman and quartermaster in the ‘80s and ‘90s aboard the two replica sailing ships Queen Elizabeth II of Manteo (1584/87 and 59 feet) and the Susan Constance (1607, 52-foot keel length) of Jamestown, Virginia.

The lecture will be presented by Gillian Hookway-Jones and Dunn, both Historic Bath volunteers. Jones will address the history of the Colonial Customs Service in North Carolina and Dunn will display some of the items associated with the old sailing ships and replicas. Dunn will also share the interesting tale of his tall ships voyages along the coast of North Carolina and up the Pamlico River into Bath and Washington. The lecture is family friendly, suitable for all ages.

An early bird discount will be offered to local residents to reserve the new 300^th anniversary Port Bath souvenir booklet. Printers proofs will be available in the lobby. Everyone is welcome. Bring the children.

The series is co-sponsored by grassroots volunteers Gill Jones and Marti Buchanan. The last talk in the series is scheduled for May 21, and the topic will be “The Townspeople of Colonial Port Bath.”