Cruising
In warmer months, many vessels anchor in the harbor, waiting a turn at the Town Dock, keeping their eyes trained for any indication a vessel is getting underway...then the sound of anchor chain being hauled and in a few moments the space is filled for another couple of days. Because our Town Dock is such a nice place to linger, once in a while our Police Chief might have to nudge someone along to allow others a turn.
For those at anchor...we have a dinghy dock conveniently located near most of our restaurants, hotels, and stores. Our harbor provides good holding ground for larger sailboats, and under the bridge in Smith and Green Creeks there is ample anchorage for boats that can get under the bridge's it's 45' high span.
There are a number of marinas in the area that will accommodate transient boats. See the list of Marinas to the right on this page for phone numbers or hail them via VHF Ch16 as you come into range. All marinas that host transient boats have showers, electric service, water, laundry facilities, and a variety of other services. Some have restaurants, shops, entertainment, and one even has a very well attended Tiki Bar (in season) overlooking the harbor and the Town Dock.
Within walking distance you'll find an a fully stocked grocery, a wine shop, a sailmaker, marine supplies, and a doctor and a dentist.
If you need to leave your boat for a while, in the water or "on the hard" you can get to anywhere via New Bern Airport which is just 35 miles away providing connections to Charlotte (USAir) and (soon) Atlanta (Delta). For rental cars, Enterprise Rent-a-Car in New Bern will deliver a vehicle to Oriental.
From Oriental it's an easy sail to New Bern, Beaufort, Morehead City, Ocracoke, Cape Hatteras, Washington, Bath, Kitty Hawk, Manteo and most of the Inner Banks. In two days, a cruiser can get to Coinjock, Elizabeth City or Edenton and with just a tad more time be in Norfolk and the great Chesapeake Bay. For offshore sailors, just run out the Baufort Inlet and head South for Florida (about three days) or the Bahamas (about five days). For the moe intrepid, Bermuda is about six days East.So, if you're heading for the islands for the first time, the Straights of Magellan or the Maldives, heading home from a voyage, or just dropping anchor for an evening away from your own dock, stop by, we'll do everything we can to make you feel welcome