Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Sorry to leave Ocracoke Island this morning, but must head South. Weather from the West today and tomorrow, but likely to get Thunderstorms on Wednesday so we headed out of Silver Lake about 8:00 a.m. Eased our way out Big Foot Slough Channel and back into Pamlico Sound.



As we were making our way toward the end of the Channel, it looked like we had to cross a brown median strip. What we saw was literally a mile long strip of birds; mostly Brown Pelicans and Cormorants, but with a smattering of larger American White Pelicans. Some sitting idly, but great flocks flying South just inches above the water. As we sailed past, I was almost certain that one would fly into the cockpit enclosure on the Starboard side and (hopefully) exit on the Port side.


With the wind on our nose all day, we trudged through the Sound toward Oriental, the Sailing Capital of North Carolina. As we approached marker “NR” for the Neuse River, we spotted a long line of boats heading South. We had intersected again with the great ICW migration. Surprising (and likely because it was still early afternoon), most seemed to bypass Oriental and head toward the Adams Creek anchorages or even as far as Beaufort. Since we are near to the end of this part of our trip (Uncle Ed won’t let us go much further before November 15), we chose to see Oriental. It’s our last stop before New Bern from whence we head home pending our release date.

I was certainly surprised that the anchorage in Oriental is not as large as I expected. Having heard so much about the town, I expected a huge mooring field or anchorage; like Camden or Rockland, Maine. The reality is a somewhat narrow fairway behind the breakwater with a line of boats anchored (pretty much cheek-by-jowl) in the center (about eight or ten in all) and not much room to swing or maneuver. We drove through the harbor, confirmed that the two Town Dock slips were taken (one by Whispurr from the NC Visitor Center and Elizabeth City), and then anchored out by the Robert Scott Bridge off the bulkhead of the Oriental Harbor Marina. For those of you have been here, we are just off the marker that says “Hazardous Area”. What could they mean by that? As we finally decided we were secure another three or four boats anchored in front of us, closer to the Bridge and the channel under it (it has 45 feet of fixed clearance).



After chores (me at my office and Tess applying a second coat of Cetol to the “eyebrow”), we dinghied into the Town Dock for a stroll. Quite a pretty little place, with well kept (and some enormous) homes and everyone seemingly selling the abutting lot. Tomorrow we check out the Marine Consignment Store. After that, …



we head South.