New Bern 1-4 Nov

 

   We arrived at the New Bern Grand Marina on the 1st after fueling up at the Galley Store marina just around the corner. We like visiting and leaving the boat in New Bern with its well protected harbor right downtown, close to all the amenities of New Bern. Unfortunately, the marina no longer enjoys the amenities of the adjacent hotel. Used to be we could use the facilities of the Sheraton Hotel but that arrangement no longer exists with the new Double Tree that bought the hotel.

   We had a nice sail up the Neuse River from Oriental to New Bern and were able to turn off the engine for most of the 4 hour trip. The winds were light but with our nice clean bottom after hauling out in September, we were able to make 4-5kts sailing up the river. After months of maintenance it was nice to be a sailboat again.

      The great part of stopping in New Bern is the marina is right along the downtown waterfront and New Bern is a large enough town to have lots to offer. We found a woodfired pizza restaurant nestled in the old Victorian residences and had some terrific pizzas. Rivah was very attentive but she doesnt get any treats from the table so was disappointed.

   I actually had the self-control to leave one large piece uneaten and had it for dinner the next day. That might be a first for me.

   Much of downtown New Bern is 1850 - 1915 homes, most of which are being maintained in very good condition, relatively unusual for most towns in America. This was Sue's favorite, although it actually is a Chapel that has been converted into a home. 

   One thing you don't see every day in most American towns is the train tracks running right down the middle of a street, and actually watching the trains use these tracks about once a day. One day the train actually had to stop for a traffic jam. The tracks connect New Bern to Morehead City Port Facility

   We had good weather for the three days we were in town and walked around town every day. Soon, however, it was time to return to Yorktown and prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

   We put Tides Inn to bed in New Bern for a couple months and will return the end of December to continue our trip south to the Bahamas.

Oriental, NC - 30-31 Oct

  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.