New Bern

Back on the 20th I wrote that we would be spending the day at Bear Point - Tuckahoe Point on the Alligator River while same work was being done on the Fairfield Bridge. No sooner had we settled in for an afternoon of positively scintillating reading than we noticed a few boats heading down the canal toward the bridge.  I rushed below and turned on the VHF radio to 13.  Turned out that the work crews had poured their concrete and gotten the barges out of the way earlier than expected.  We upped anchor and proceeded toward the opening bridge.  We were able to make the 4:30 PM bridge opening.  Once through the bridge we hurried along as quickly as possible so that we could make the anchorage at the south end of the canal before dark.  Our timing was impeccable.  We were fast to the bottom just as the sun threw its last rays of light over the horizon.  As with previous stops, the anchorage was pretty crowded.  We counted 20 boats, many we had seen before.

On October 21 we had another windless day for the trip down the Pungo River, through the land cut into Bay River and onto the Neuse River.  It wasn't until we were about an 2 hours north of Oriental that we were able to hoist the sails for a little boost to the engine.

Oriental gets its own harbor highlight in the MAPTECH Atlantic Coast cruising guide.  The residents were friendlier than one could ask.  There is a great bakery in town.  But as a putative sailing capital it doesn't rival Rock Hall, let alone Annapolis.  The anchorage at Oriental right next to the bridge is very small and was crowded the night we spent there.  Only a couple of the boats were transients.  The others seemed to be locals that were enjoying a nice weekend on the water.

New Bern was our next stop.  There was not even a breath of wind on the Neuse river.  The motor ran the entire 20 miles.  It wasn't until the last two miles that the wind piped up.  We're staying at the Sheraton Marina.  In spite of the name, this is a great deal.  It is right in town, has the necessary amenities, and only costs $1.10/foot per night.

Although we made our way up the Neuse so that we could visit friends, New Bern is worth a visit in its own right if you have the time.  Maria took Diana and AnnaRuth to the Tryon Palace Gardens.  Seems that had a great day while I did boat chores.  Today, 10/24, I'll try to do some sightseeing.  Tomorrow we'll be leaving.