Oriental marina docks

Oriental anchorage

"Shrimp boats tied up to the pillings..." - Buffett

Oriental inner harbor

Oriental dinghy dock

Oriental may not be the sailing mecca of Annapolis or Newport, but it remains a popular departure and destination port for serious long-term sailors. The village is known as the "Sailing Capital of the Carolinas" and generally speaking you'll still find more boats than residents within the town limits. This is a village of nostalgic enchantment untarnished by the modern trappings of urban sprawl, interstates and cheap tourism. This humble fishing community embraces the cruising sailor with celebration and reverence, sharing the warmth of her people with all who take time to recline on her front porch. Framed by the rivers and streams of the lower Pamlico Sound, this secluded town overlooks the Outer Banks, with her face towards the sea and her soul linked to the traditions of coastal exploration.

Shrimping, farming and a flourishing boating community give life to this town, as they have for decades. Oriental is more than a just a cruising destination; it's an experience. Walk through town and chances are you'll spend most of your time returning a nod or wave to the residents strolling along Oriental's city streets. The town remains a biking and walk-about community, more comfortable with Fourth of July Parades and waterfront bizarres than strip mall shopping centers. Marinas still out number stoplights by a large margin, (6 or 7 to none, depending on your definition of a marina) and the closest thing to fast food is Scoot's Pizza.

The golf and condominium crowd have yet to carve out their slice of this fertile landscape, even though the creeks and tidal acreage lend themselves to such development. Local farmers still own the larger chunks of land and seem content with maintaining their sovereignty. The principal road through town is Highway 55, one long, meandering loop that links the village to the rest of the county and urban civilization.

There's an ATM at the First Citizen Bank now and the town added a new post office a few years back. You'll find that the volunteer fire department is staffed by the same folks who haul your boat, serve you dinner and cast off your dock lines when you're ready to sail south or north. But then, not everyone leaves Oriental, and that too, is part of its charm.

This is truly a boating community. A series of deep and narrow creeks penetrate the Neuse River waterfront, offering protection and solitude for the skipper who can secure a berth out back of someone's home. For those who can't find a friend with a dock or just prefer the amenities of a full service facility, there are several nice marinas in town. An overnight stop in Oriental is never enough yet that is how most cruisers discover her charms. Pushed for time and not wanting to reach Beaufort after dark, many of the winter transients heading south along the ICW enter the broad mouth of the Neuse River as it meets the Pamlico Sound and elect to spend an evening in Oriental. You may find that after a week of sailing around Oriental, you'll become a "new native" too.

- Eddie Jones