Boat Trip: Little River, SC to Plattsburgh, NY – DAY 4: Oriental, NC

Today was a fantastic day. We were able to stick to “Plan A” and everything clicked like clockwork. We left our slip in Morehead City early, eager to beat the crowd and get a free town dock at our destination…. Oriental, NC.

Before very long, we approached a bridge crossing…. or actually a double bridge crossing. As Captain Mark drove, Sidekick Sue looked up information in the Navionics app to see what we had to do to request a bridge opening (if we needed a bridge opening). One bridge was tall… 65′ clearance…. no problem for the Wayward Explorer. The other bridge had only a 4′ clearance, but turned out to be a railroad bridge that is left in the open position, unless a train is approaching, so we breezed right through.

Most of today’s trip was through a well-defined channel of the Intercoastal Waterway which turned inland away from the ocean, keeping the water relatively calm. We finally motored out from under the cloud cover to beautiful blue skies. The final segment of our trip was a 3 mile crossing of the Neuse River. Like previous river crossings, the water became rough under heavy winds and wild waves. For the first time, we had water crashing over the bow. Sidekick Sue had gone downstairs to warm up, and was frantically running (or falling) around the boat (as it lurched from side to side) securing loose items and latching cupboards that hadn’t been properly latched (we get a little lazy on the trawler because we aren’t used to such rough water).

As we turned into the harbor in Oriental, NC, the water was suddenly calm. Our plan was to get a spot at one of the two free docks, provided by the town. There was a boat in front of us that looked like they were searching for somewhere to park, and we patiently waited at the opening to the narrow harbor, with our fingers crossed, that they wouldn’t take the spot we were eying. Luck was with us again, as they circled several times and finally pulled in somewhere else. We happily pulled into our desired spot, bow first again, as it was a tight spot with “Chaz’s Toy” next to us. We pulled the boat forward to make room for someone else to part behind us, excited to be at our destination by noon, with plenty of time to walk, sightsee, and take care of a few chores.

While taking a quick break, a sailboat pulled in behind us. The sailor was alone (besides his two dogs) and didn’t have his fenders or lines ready for docking so we ran out to help him get tied up (and keep him from ramming into our boat LOL). As it turned out, the docks filled up quickly; we had arrived just in time. Once settled in for the day, we took a long walk, stopping at a cute marine provisioning/general store (to gets some parts for the alternator) and out of the town center to Piggly Wiggly to get some eggs and pizza fixings.

Returned to the boat to take care of some chores. Mark fixed the alternator, which wasn’t properly charging the batteries while the motor was running (requiring us to run the generator for several hours a day). Sidekick Sue applied some opaque film to the window in the boat shower, because she was super grossed out by the fact that there was a fabric curtain inside the shower stall (who does that?). There was free pump-out and water at the dock, so of course we took full advantage.

Finally, we found a cute Café for dinner, since we aren’t supposed to run the generator at the town dock (so no cooking in our Ninja Foodi or our hotplate). The menu told us that the curious name of Oriental was given to the town (originally named Smith’s Creek) in 1899 when the postmaster’s wife found the nameplate from the wrecked sailing steamer “Oriental” on the beaches of the Outer Banks. Apparently, she decided it would be a more fitting name for the town. I guess the postmaster’s wife was a powerful position.

Settled in for the night, very satisfied that everything ran according to “Plan A” all day long (well except maybe the crazy rough water). I guess that makes up for the future days when we will have to go to “Plans B, C & D”.