We arrived in Oriental before noon after a 4hr transit from Hobucken. It was well we got here early as within an hour most of the free town dock spots were filled up. With the very light winds, we were able to spin around in the narrow harbor and back into the dock. This will make an effortless departure on Monday morning.
Oriental now has two free docks and room for 4-6 boats. They have free WiFi and several restaurants within walking distance plus the "Bean" coffee shop across from our dock.
The "Bean" is the main rendezvous spot in Oriental, like the coffee house in Friends. It is directly across the street from our dock in the harbor - this photo taking from aft on our boat.
We watched a steady stream of customers, starting at 7am and still going strong at 7pm on this Sunday. We had latte's yesterday and standard coffee's today, plus a bagel.
On our port side is the Oriental Inn and Marina. It was full on Sat night but most all have left by Mon morning. They had a live band Sat night that entertained us.
Oriental has a lovely waterfront residential area with several public access parks and paths. The weather was perfect today for sailing and walking and forecasted to last until Friday.
Oriental advertises itself as the "Sailing Capital of North Carolina" and reportedly there are 800 inhabitants and 3000 sailboats here. It is a quick exit from the multiple marinas right into the Neuse River where the wind blows most every day. Of course, many days the wind blows too much for boaters and the river can be rough and dangerous, but today it was a gentle breeze and sunny skies.
Tomorrow marks the end of our North Carolina cruising as we head for New Bern.
