[Rhodes22-list] I'm Back! Comments on Oriental - Ocracoke

William E. Wickman wewickman at duke-energy.com
Mon Aug 15 11:16:16 EDT 2005


I'm back on the list after taking myself off during an extended 4 week trip
to Europe.  That's right, I got off and back on the list all by myself!  I
don't see why some people have problems.  It is really simple to do and
keeps your emails from piling up while you are gone.  I simply read through
the archives when I returned from my trip to catch up.

For those considering making the Labor Day weekend trip from Oriental to
Ocracoke.
Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to make it, but I highly
recommend the trip.  Yes, the water can get rough (see my travel log from
earlier this year), but the Rhodes can handle it and when the weather is
nice the area is pretty hard to beat.  The sailing area is big.  Maps and
charts belie the expanse of water that exists in the Nuese River, Pamlico
Sound, etc.  At the same time, it is pretty hard to get lost if you keep
your eye on your charts and take position fixes periodically.  What was
most amazing to me was how such large areas of water could be so shallow;
especially Core Sound, but then you will not be sailing there.

A few observations from my trip to Oriental.  First, whether you go by the
north route (through Raleigh) or from the south it is a long way from the
major interstates.  It will take you longer to get to Oriental than you
think.  If you follow my timeline and get there late in the evening, I
would recommend getting a hotel in New Bern; making the short trip to
Oriental the next morning.  Oriental does have a decent looking hotel at
the marina, but it was closed when we got there at about 10pm.  The only
employee that we could find was the bartender who said that the only thing
he could sell us was a drink.  Apparently, the hotel office shuts down at
around 8pm or so.  There is absolutely nothing else between Oriental and
New Bern.  So, your options for late arrive are 1) stop for a room in New
Bern, 2) make a prior reservation at the marina hotel, or 3) go to the
launch ramp and get a few hours of shut eye in your boat (unless you want
to launch in the dark).

The wildlife launch ramp in Oriental is excellent.  The ramp has docks on
both sides and two boats can be launched simultaneously.  You are not
supposed to tie up to the dock overnight, but there are plenty of places to
anchor nearby.  A local told me that they were getting ready to build
condos right next to it which may take away from some of the parking, but
for now there is plenty of space to park, although I cannot attest to how
crowded it will be on a three day weekend.  My guess is that if you get
there Friday evening or Saturday morning there should not be a problem.
There is a sign by the ramp that says that the parking of trailers is
prohibited, but I believe that the sign is there to discourage people from
storing trailers there.  I left my truck and trailer there for 4 days
without a problem.  In fact, the morning that we launched I parked right
next to the state wildlife officer's truck & trailer.  On my return, their
truck/trailer were gone and there was no note or ticket on my truck so I
presume that it was OK.  I guess property can be stolen from anywhere, but
I was told that parking here was safe and found that to be the case.
Oriental is an excellent starting point because from there you can go to
Ocracoke, or to Beaufort, or toward New Bern depending on the wind and
weather.

There may be someone local on this list that has better insight than me.

Bill Wickman



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