15. Oriental

We had read that there was a town dock in Oriental where you could tie up for the night. We looked through our binoculars and saw a long dock which we assumed to be the town dock. We pulled up and there were several guys that helped us tie the boat and then told us to check in at the marina. We asked about the town dock and were given directions. We followed those directions precisely but there was a shoal which everyone swore later appeared out of nowhere just off the marina dock.



We were stuck in the shoal and there was no way that Roman could use the engine to get the boat clear. It became a project to get us clear. Several dinghies came out to try to pull us to no avail. Then the guys at the dock tried to pull our boat clear while we let out our jib but there was not even a tickle of wind.





Finally we took our spinnaker halyard and gave it to one of the dinghies who pulled it; the guys on shore heaved; one of the dinghies pushed and the other dinghy tugged at a line and we got clear!

Chad and LeeAnn caught up to us just before we were freed and took these pictures. I hope you can see the guys pulling the line on the docks.





Free atlast!



We did not want to approach any other docks and anchored out in the bay opposite the town. We spent the next day in Oriental.

I spent several hours in The Bean Coffee Shop working on my blog while Roman explored the nautical shop and hardware store. He bought odds ends one of which was a great funnel that needed. From Norfolk on, the gas pressure at the pumps is much greater than at home and it is simply impossible to pour the gas into the boat without a very long thin funnel. We had been using a makeshift funnel that I had made a out of a water bottle.

Oriental has only about 1000 people living in it full time. During the summer, the population swells astronomically. They have a very lay back attitude about life. While at the coffee shop the young man working there told us about how the town was originally named Southport. When there was a lot of confusion as there was another town in North Carolina with the same name, the post office told the town that they had to choose a different name. The story is that the mayor was walking along the beach and found a piece of driftwood with a nameplate of Oriental on it. Oriental was the name of a steamboat which had sunk off the coast some miles away. The piece of wood was taken to the post office and the question asked “Will this do?“ Thus the town was renamed Oriental. Interesting history!