Oriental

We have now sat in Oriental for 7 days.  After a week of hard cruising, early up and stopping as late as possible, we took Monday to recover.  On Tuesday, Seacoast Marine Electronics (Pete) came by to investigate the autopilot.  As soon as we lit if off, it worked fine.  But by now, Elena has had enough of an erratic autopilot, and started to point other times when it has not acted the way it should.  I knew that if it became a problem again, I would never hear the end of it.  So discretion being the better part of valor, we bit the bullet and ordered a replacement unit.  It arrived Thursday and Pete spent Friday and Saturday installing it.  It works with out updated network (NMEA 2000) that our GPS uses improving out interoperability between the chartplotter/GPS and the autopilot.  It was a pretty penny (about 5 boat dollars), but worth it.

 

 

 

During the stay here, I completed install the hard rails on the bow.  Elena was very happy with the result, giving us additional handholds and support when we are forward.

We met up with Vickie and Butch Rasmussen, marina mates from Herrington Harbour who have moved here.  Vickie lent a car to Elena, who then got to see New Bern while I was busy with Pete and the autopilot.  She found New Bern quite quant and worth the visit.

I have found my next boat when a shrimp boat pulled in to offload its catch.

 

On Friday afternoon, we drove the 14 miles to the nearest Walmart,  My only reaction to the ride in the countryside was “Elena, we are not in Reston anymore”    Miles of farm fields and lots of poor folks.  Definitely Trumpville.

Oriental itself is more of a retirement village of somewhere between 300 and 900 people depending on how you count them (full time, weekenders, vacation homes).  Very quant, somewhat quirky, and very quiet  Many homes built around 1900.  The Tiki Bar right next to our boat seems to be center of social activity with about a dozen folks sitting around every night, some seemed to be regulars.

We will top off fuel and water today, stock up on food today, check out the autopilot underway on Monday, and receive a new emergency beacon that Pete recommended we replace. On Tuesday morning we will proceed to Beaufort/Morehead City and provided we have a good weather window, begin our first offshore leg on Wednesday to Wrightsville Beach.