Writer Kip Tabb talks about ‘Finding The OBX’

By Outer Banks Voice on August 31, 2025

Writer and journalist Kip Tabb’s new book, ‘Finding The OBX,’ bears the subtitle “Uncovered Stories from The Outer Banks and Northeast North Carolina.” Published by Beach Glass Books, Finding The OBX is a collection of his years of work covering the stories that tell the history of this region.

A regular contributor to the Outer Banks Voice, Tabb responded to questions from the Voice about the making and the message of the book, with the conversation presented in the Q&A format below.

Q: What made you decide to put this book together and how long had it been in the works?

A: My brother suggested three or four years ago that, looking over the historical articles I had written since about 2005, there may be enough material for a book.

 

Q: Are all the stories in the book from pieces that you have written over the years?

A: All of the stories are from previously published articles. The earliest story is “Why the US Navy Mined the OBX,” written in 2012 for the North Beach Sun.

 

Q: What was the basic criterion for which pieces made it into the book?

A: I was trying to create a cohesive narrative of the history of Northeastern North Carolina. The stories, as much as possible, are arranged chronologically, and as I was working with the publisher on fine tuning the book, I did get the sense the book creates that narrative of the region’s history.

There were other criteria as well. As an example, although I have written a number of pieces on shipwrecks, I put a self-imposed limit of seven stories in the book. There are a couple of reasons for that. First of all, there are already a number of excellent books on the subject. James Charlet’s two “Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks” are recent publications and are outstanding.

Secondly, the stories of the Outer Banks and Northeastern North Carolina include far more than shipwrecks, and my hope in putting together the book was that I would create a sense of the history of the region.

 

Q: In general, what does this book tell us about the Outer Banks? Is there a broader message about this place and its history?

A: I think it’s important to note that although most of the stories in the book are about the Outer Banks, there are a significant number of stories covering the entire region—New Bern to Elizabeth City, and few other places as well.

I found that as I learned more about the history of northeastern North Carolina, I began to realize that, in many ways, it tells the story of our nation. Consequently there are stories in the book that should fill us with pride; but there are also stories where we should be outraged when we learn the facts.

The study of history is about learning what we have done right and what we can do to capitalize on that and conversely, examine actions and situations that make us uncomfortable because we know they were wrong and taking that knowledge to improve ourselves as individuals and a society.

 

Q: In that same vein, what should most people know or understand about the Outer Banks, but probably don’t?

A: I don’t know that people really understand that the history of the Outer Banks and Northeastern North Carolina is so intertwined with the history of our nation that it’s difficult to separate the two.  It was because of what happened on the Outer Banks that Congress insisted that the predecessor to the US Coast Guard became a professionally run service. I find it extraordinary that so many people do not know one of the bloodiest and most prolonged battles of WWII was fought right off our coast.

The list of things that I have come to realize people in general do not know about the Outer Banks and the region is pretty extensive. And honestly, I didn’t realize how remarkable the stories were until I began to dig into them.

 

Q: Do you have a favorite story or section in the book?

A: This is a tough one. I have a friend who asked me the same question the other day, and I sat there staring into space trying to come up with an answer.

But…since you’ve asked (in no particular order):

“Drawing the Virginia-North Carolina Line”: For anyone who ever thought Colonial America morals were somehow superior to modern day actions, William Byrd’s “The Secret History of the Dividing Line” will settle that debate once and for all.

“Wild’s Raid” rates way up there because I like the image of people who had been enslaved in North Carolina, escaping, becoming soldiers, and going into battle against their former masters…and soundly beating them every time they met.

There are so many stories in the “Reconstruction to WWII” chapter that I really like that it gets my award as a favorite section.

 

Q: What are the best resources we currently have on the Outer Banks that preserve the history of this place–i.e. museums, libraries, etc.?

A: The more I have dug into the history of the area, the more I have come to appreciate the Outer Banks History Center at Roanoke Island Festival Park. The resources they have are amazing and staff knowledge is off the charts.

It is not the only place that has some great archival material, though. The Whalehead Club has a mind-boggling amount of information stashed away. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum has its own collections that are not on the floor.

The Currituck Maritime Museum has done a remarkable job of collecting and restoring historic boats of the region. And some of the archeological digs that are ongoing are producing some startling results.

And, of course, there are the human contacts that make the research all that much more enjoyable.

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Finding The OBX is published by Beach Glass Books.