Friday 10/202017 - Goose Creek to Oriental

What a great day!  We were up at around 6am and on our way at 7.  We motored for about 5 miles through two cuts that empty into the Bay River (a tributary of the Neuse River).  We sailed the last 2 or 3 miles to the Neuse then sailed up the Neuse for about 3 miles until the wind shifted to where it was on our nose. With winds of only 4 to 8 knots, the sailing wasn't fast so turning the motor back on and dropping the sails was almost a welcome change.  We pulled into Oriental at about noon.  It's good that we did because we had our pick of the free docks.  We went to the first (long) dock on the South side of the harbor.  It's a very nice dock and big enough for two boats on each side.   It has a free pump out and very nice public bathrooms.  There are no showers but for $5, we were able to use the showers at the Oriental Marina right next door. 

We had a great lunch at the restaurant on the grounds of the marina and were able to keep an eye on True Blue while we ate lunch.  We met a local outside the restaurant who works as a sail maker at the local Doyle loft.  He gave us some good tips on things to see and do in town.  We went for a walk with the Red Rooster as our destination but it turned out being too far to walk to.   We returned to the boat and hung out for a while, used the pump out, and chatted with our neighbors on the trawler next to us (who live in Ft. Pierce FL).  I told them I was planning on leaving the boat at Vero Beach City Marina over the holidays and they recommended I consider Causeway Cove Marina in Ft. Pierce.  It is a new marina that has moorings and is not yet in any of the chart books.

We went for a late walk down the waterfront and saw a number of beautiful homes - some on the back side of the water and some on the front side.  On our way back, we stopped to talk to one of the local home owners who was outside watering her flowers.  Her family has lived in Oriental for several hundred years.  She lived and worked in Fairfax VA for many years but came back and moved into the home her parents left when they died several years ago.  She is very active in town events and a real promoter of Oriental. 

We returned to the boat as the sun was going down and then made the short walk to the Bean for ice cream.  I'm getting pretty concerned that Phil may gain several pounds on the trip - I know he'll blame every pound on me.

Tomorrow it's on to Beaufort and from a look at the weather, it looks like we will be going offshore from there to Masonboro.

Goose Creek shortly after "First Light"

True Blue

                                                                       
   The Bean at the end of the harbor