Day 73 - September 11th 2011 - Oriental - 35 01.495:76 41.744W
I needed to catch up on some much needed internet time and here at Bellhaven we have really fast internet so I worked until noon, it is hot and humid. I said our goodbyes to the owners and told them I thought this was the nicest stop over on our whole trip. Once untied we motored out of the harbour into the bay and across to Goose Creek, as we approached the ditch we were hailed by a passing trawler saying that there was a bunch of logs in the middle of the channel. We missed them and then into the ditch, another long canal. Out into Pamlico Sound, where the wind picked up and we were bouncing along for a couple of hours in short choppy waves, eventually the wind improved and were able to have a lovely sail round into the Neuse River and arrived in Oriental at 17.00, nice short day, the sun was shining and the town was so pretty at this time we could not see the damage. We were officially greeted by a very nice gentleman who told us all about Irene. Fortunately we were able to dock right in the town on the free docks alongside an elderly couple who had lived on their 1969 Morgan 30 for nine years. I spent an hour washing down the salt from the windows and stainless, this always makes me feel happy when Moma is shining again, little things are important. Cocktails were poured and we enjoyed the sunset, then over to the Oriental Marina for supper and a walk through the town. The damage here from Irene is dreadful; the streets are lined with garbage, mainly drywall and ducts from under the homes. The water had apparently come up nine feet; we have noticed here in North Carolina that all the homes are built close to and on sea level so they do not have a chance when the water rises of avoiding it. Most homes now days are built on stilts but the older ones are still at water level.