[EXPIRED] Oriental, NC Is Still a WELCOMING Port of Call For the Cruising Community (Statute Mile 181)
There has been a LOT of chatter over the past several months about anchoring on the inner waters of Oriental, NC harbor. See /?p=117481, /?p=117903, /?p=117903, /?p=120018 and /?p=125276.
Virtually all this verbiage is centered around several vessels which have been camped out in the inner Oriental Harbor waters for months on end. The SSECN has nothing more to add to that subject at this time.
The purpose of this article/editorial is to heartily agree with the sentiments expressed below by Captains Pat and Laurie Stockwell, managers of Oriental’s “Inland Waterway Provision Company,” to whit that the charming community of Oriental, NC is STILL, and always has been, a very welcoming port of call that any AICW cruiser, or year round NC captain, should have red circled on their ports of call itinerary!
From all accounts, there is still room to drop the hook in the inner Oriental anchorage, AND the the local marinas offer plentiful transient dockage, including nearby SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSORS, River Dunes Marina and Oriental Condos and Marina. Local dining is outstanding, with a particular plug from this writer for both Toucan’s Grill and Fresh Bar and M&M Cafe. For FABULOUS deli food on the go, don’t dare miss Village Food Emporium.
So, as you wend your way south on the Waterway this fall, PLEASE visit this charming port of call, and help them recover from all this unfortunate publicity, which the community never deserved in the first place.
See you there!!!!
And, oh yes, the author of the story below, Captain Pat Stockwell, has been the victim of a bad check scam by one of the local anchorage squatters. SSECN strategic partners, Mark and Diana Doyle, founders and owners of “On The Water ChartGuides” (http://www.onthewaterchartguides.com/), hatched the commendable plan of “passing the hat” during the recent Hampton Snowbird Rendezvous, to help defray Captain Stockwell’s loss. The SSECN is kicking in $50 to this effort. Please follow this link to discover how you can contribute: /?p=125849
Oriental: Setting the record straight
by Pat Stockwell
Oriental, NC. The little village at MM 181 is still one of the most cruiser-friendly stops on the ICW. Waterway rumor may have it that Oriental isn’t as easy and welcoming as it once was.Not true!
The town has not passed any anchor laws or regulations. Our town dock is still free and open. A second free dock is now in the works, along with boater-friendly amenities (stay tuned). If we weren’t boater-friendly why would we be addingmore free dockage AND amenities?
Currently there is a lively discussion about four boats that have anchored, more or less “permanently” in our harbor. They are not cruisers. This is but one of the issues the Oriental Harbor and Waterfront Committee has been working on this summer and fall. There has been much input from public, private and government sources(yes even some cruisers). The final report hasn’t been written yet. But a major goal is to find ways to welcome traveling boaters and make their stay here pleasant and easy.
Oriental is proud of our well-earned reputation as a boater-friendly stopover. In Oriental, people stop to give cruisers a ride to the grocery store, pharmacy, hardware store or the boatyards. We lend people bikes and tools. We have youover for meals, even get you the the big city of New Bern for major provisioning or the airport. Many are current boaters, former cruisers, even a few circumnavigators. Others just enjoy hearing your stories.
We have dozens of skilled repair people, canvas workers and marine problem-solvers. None of that has changed.
You may have heard or read recently of a man in Oriental who was defrauded out of $3000.00 by one of the homesteaders in the harbor. That was me, and I learned a painful lesson. Yet I am still here helping cruisers, giving them rides, lending then things and generally helping in anyway I can.
My wife and I are former cruisers and we know what it’s like. Things break. Stuff happens. Simple things can get complicated when you live on a boat!
So the welcome mat remains out in Oriental. Stop by and see for yourself. We’ll leave a light on for you.
Pat Stockwell
(The writer and his wife cruised for seven years on their Freedom 38, Miss Pearl. She still waits for them on Whittaker Creek. They now live in Oriental. He is a member of the Oriental Parks and Recreation Board and was appointed to the Oriental Harbor/Waterfronts Committee. He has worked for the Inland Waterway Provision Company the past two and a half years.)
I would like to add my endorsement for the wonderful town of Oriental, which I first visited in 1985 on my first trip south. Wonderful people, great services, and a fantastic place to drop the hook or tie up in a marina. With regard to the problem anchorers, I would reiterate that there are almost always laws on the books to take care of folks like that, without resorting to adding new restrictive anchoring laws that impact all the legitimate cruisers. It is a matter of enforcement, not new laws.
John Kettlewell
Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Oriental Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Oriental Marina
Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For River Dunes Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of River Dunes Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Whittaker Pointe Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Whittaker Creek Yacht Harbor
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Oriental Harbor Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Oriental Harbor Anchorage
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