Tongue Tied

We arrived in Oriental., North Carolina last Sunday and now it's Thursday.  I haven't posted because the internet at the boat is so slow, it's too tedious.   But today I brought my computer up to the office and can get on.  So here goes . . . .

We had a lovely ride through southern North Carolina, traveling about 72 miles in one day.   Most we motored, but when the current ran against and the wind ran with us we put the foresail out and picked up some speed through the Beaufort area.   We saw lots of birds.

Someone  has bought an island for themselves and built their dream home on it.   They want to be sure it's seen from the waterway.

It was a Sunday.   In the most southern parts, where water was shallow on both sides of us, people were out everywhere along the way, finding ways to enjoy the water.

 

 

 

We spent the night anchored out about seven miles south of Oriental, our destination.  Then motored along what they call Adams Creek and we would call the Arkansas River 'til we came to the Neuse River, what we would call the ocean.   It's five miles across.   Local literature states that it's the widest river in the United Stated.  We started across the river toward Oriental and (remember it's Sunday) what did we see?

 

 

 

 

Boats everywhere, most headed in the same direction!  It was a sail boat race, the second day of a two-day race, we learned later.

 

 

Knute, the owner, manager  here at Whittaker Creek Yacht Harbor, coached us in through a narrow channel where we since have seen several boats go aground.   He put us in a slip closest to the river and we for the first day or two exulted in the views.   The next four pictures are what we saw from the four directions from our boat:

 

 

 

Then, one night, just as Knute had said it would, there was a south wind and the boat (and I) spent the night nervously pitching from side to side so that I couldn't sleep.   So yesterday we gave up our outside slip for one farther in, tucked among others so that the boat will sit quieter.   

 

Since we've been here, we've bicycled everywhere.   This isn't a gloriously scenic place where everywhere you look you want to send a picture home.  It's a gloriously simple place where the plants are varied and green, the homes are mostly small and meticulously kept.   And best of all, it's small, only 975 residents!    There's only one of most things:  one coffee shop, one grocery store, one hardware store, so you know if you lived here, you'd see the same people again and again.  People are walking and bicycling most places - of course the land here is level so it's easy.

 

We're slowly checking out the restaurant scene - so far we've been really pleased with the two we've been too - wonderful food and very reasonable prices.   And when we went to the coffee shop, we immediately met a couple who have  cruised for eleven years,  just heading up to their home in Carthage, North Carolina to deal with some rental properties before they head out again.   They, like others we've met, say they stay mostly on the boat, but take months or longer for side excursions, like a camping trip to Alaska or renting a barge on a French canal with some more cruising couples.  They make it sound so good.    

 

This little town is nice and the most likely spot to stop if we wanted to, but we seem to keep thinking of things we can do for the boat so I guess we're sticking with her for the foreseeable future.

 

During our month here, we plan to sail more, probably with an instructor, and do as much for the boat as we can.   We'll keep you posted re both.