Belhaven to Oriental

It was a great day on the waterway. We left Belhaven at 0745 with clear skies, bright sun and a brisk breeze. We were able to motor-sail much of the day on the wide and deep Pungo, Pamlico, and Neuse Rivers. Foreign Affair maintained her speed at over 6 knots and hit a high of 7.5 knots for a few brief minutes. We made the 45 mile journey in about 6 hours. To top off a great run, we were able to secure a complementary slip at the Oriental Town Dock. It was the last one open and we got there just ahead of two other boats. It is so shallow in at the dock, we are barely afloat. But we are afloat and very happy to be at dock in this very friendly small town. It has a lot to offer for cruisers on the ICW.

Fresh Seafood in Oriental

Our first task after tying to the dock was getting fuel. Dwayne used the 5 gallon fuel can to carry 14 gallons from the Oriental Marina which was immediately across from us to fill our tank. We then locked up the boat and headed to Marsha's Boutique to see what might be on sale. Dwayne's favorite sister-in-law, Janet along with a friend also named Janet, spent a fortune there buying Christmas gifts when we were here over Halloween weekend last year. Carla found the perfect wash-and-wear, no-iron, white blouse on sale and helped improve the local economy.

We learned that Marsha, the shop owner, is also from Wisconsin and sailed scows out of the Oshkosh Yacht Club. She has a sister living not far from Dwayne's sister and mother. We spent some time with Marsha recalling the Wisconsin we knew and loved in our younger years and how much has changed since we left the state many years ago. Marsha graciously provided us a ride so we could replenish our food stocks. We now have enough food on board to last us until we get to Georgetown, SC.

Oriental Marina - October 2015 (Still the Same Today)

Small craft warnings went into effect again for the evening and tomorrow. We'll stay in Oriental another day waiting for the weather to improve and temperatures to go up another 10 degrees which are forecast when the wind shifts and comes from the south. The northerly winds are cold and strong.