Date: April 26, 2013
Days on the Cruise: 32
From: Morehead City Yacht Basin, NC
To: Oriental Marina and Inn, Oriental, NC
Statute Miles: 24.5
Time: 2.8 Hours
Cumulative Miles: 1,044.3
On Board: Chuck, Susan, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut
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| We are in Oriental, NC tonight and tomorrow night |
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| The ring is around Oriental, NC and the purple push pin is from where we started today |
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| Oriental, NC |
We want to correct a picture that we posted yesterday. The ships that we identified as "Navy" ships are actually "Army" ships docked there in Morehead City. I never realized that the Army had ships until I did a construction project in the Azore Islands when I was in the Air Force. The Army handled the port and had several tugs and lighters docked there to assist ships coming into the port. They called the Army outfits Terminal Transportation Units. I guess there is a TTU in Morehead City and that is what we saw!
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| These are ARMY ships not Navy ships. Sorry! |
We left Morehead City this morning just after 10:00 and arrived at Oriental, NC about 3 hours later. Today was the shortest day yet at 24 miles, and it felt good to leave late and arrive early! We are at a small marina at the end of a "slough" right in downtown Oriental. It is a quaint marina with an Inn on the property. There is a small Town of Oriental "free dock" next to us. The Inn and marina where we are staying has turned into a happen'n place tonight as many smaller boats have gathered and it is "party time" on the grounds. Yee Haw!!!! (as my friend Melissa Jarrett would say)
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| Oriental Inn and Marina |
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| Along the dock at the marina |
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| The Inn at the marina |
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| The Inn at the marina |
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| "Blue Moon" docked amongst smaller boats |
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| "Blue Moon" at the Marina |
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| The marina and Inn |
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| Free dock in Oriental already occupied |
Oriental is a bucket list town for me. It is the sailing capital of North Carolina, and I have read about this place it seems all my adult life. I have always wanted to come here and I am not disappointed. The town has about 800 people, and is known for its sailing and fishing. It sits on the Neuse River which is the widest river in the United States and which we crossed coming from Morehead City.
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| Waterfront scene next to marina |
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| Waterfront scene next to marina |
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| Free dock |
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| Waterfront scene next to marina |
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| Waterfront scene next to marina |
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| Looking into downtown Oriental |
Coming out of Morehead City this morning, we cruised North through Core Creek and Adams Creek Canal. We passed a big tug with a barge that stopped and let us by, then he increased speed and wanted to pass us! Go figure. I just told him we would speed up and stay well out of his way, and he was fine with that. He never did catch us!
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| Looking out our front door this morning |
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| Tug and Barge letting us pass on Core Creek |
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| Tug and Barge chasing us down on Core Creek |
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| Quaint boatyard on Adams creek Canal |
The terrain up here is heavily wooded and very lush and green. We aren't seeing many marshes at all.
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| Lush greenery along the ICW |
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| Trees instead of marshes along the ICW |
Coming into the Neuse River was another experience like coming into Lake Okechobee last year. We saw the Neuse from more of a distance than the Lake, but the expanse of the river was unbelievable, especially to the East. We could not see land at all to the East. We will head that direction on Sunday. The wind was gusting to 22 mph and coming from the NE, so initially we got 2-3' waves on the side or the beam of the boat that rolled us a bit. We got used to it. After reaching the middle of the river, the channel turned NE so we were taking the waves on the bow. These were short period waves that tended to bounce us. Still, no problem. This was a good primer for what we will face in the Atlantic along the New Jersey coast (except we didn't have swells today). I frankly loved riding in these conditions as it felt like real sailing! I am looking forward to the big water cruise on Sunday!
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| The Neuse River looking East and not seeing land! |
Tomorrow we will stay in Oriental and check this place out. More pictures will be posted on the next blog!
Thanks for Reading!
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