This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
FENWICK ISLAND, Del. -The Delmarva coastline has long been shaped by stories of shipwrecks, storms, and some of the most notorious pirates in history. Few people know those stories better than Dale Clifton, a Milton native, whose teenage fascination with maritime mysteries grew into a lifelong mission to uncover, preserve, and share the region’s hidden past.
After powerful storms like October’s nor’easter, the southern Delaware coast often reveals a glimpse into that past. Walkers along the beach near the Indian River Inlet may stumble upon centuries-old coins washed ashore from the Faithful Steward, a British ship that wrecked in 1785. Much of what is known today about that tragedy is thanks to Clifton’s research and exploration.
Clifton discovered the shipwreck at just 14 years old, an experience that set the course for his life. “I actually found my first shipwreck when I was 14,” Clifton recalled. “I started working that wreck and 40-some years later, I’m still working wrecks. I began researching archives in England and Ireland and eventually found the account of the ship that sank off our coast carrying that coinage.”
Coins recovered from wrecks like the Faithful Steward often emerge fused together after more than two centuries at the bottom of the sea. Clifton, who has developed expertise in artifact preservation, painstakingly restores them from his workspace at the Discoveries From The Seas Museum in Fenwick Island.
“We soak them in fresh water and change the water at least once a day,” he explained. “We’re trying to get the salt levels down to no more than a thousand parts per million.”
A pirate knife that has a hidden surprise. It is part of Dale Clifton's collection at the Discoveries From The Sea Museum.
The museum, filled with maritime artifacts, shipwreck remnants, and rare pirate relics, reflects the passion Clifton developed as a teenager. “I was about 16 when I decided that if I was lucky enough to find these things, I wanted to create permanent homes where people could not only hear the stories but see the artifacts that bring those stories to life,” he said.
Among those stories are the tales of pirates who once roamed the Delmarva coast. Clifton says legendary figures like Blackbeard favored the area because of its strategic position and lack of shoreline militias. “Those pirates came here a lot to plunder ships because they knew they could probably get away with it,” Clifton noted.
One of the museum’s standout pieces is a rare combination dagger and flintlock pistol — a weapon that captures the harsh reality of piracy on the high seas. “If you’ve ever heard the saying ‘never take a knife to a gunfight,’ this pirate had it covered,” Clifton joked. “Built into the dagger is a single flintlock pistol.”
Clifton’s collection has grown over decades, with some pieces on display, others on loan, and many still undergoing restoration. Each artifact contributes to a broader understanding of life, danger, and survival along the Delmarva coast centuries ago.