Mile 205 Morehead City

We left Belhaven and went down the Pungo, across the Pamlico, down Goose creek and through a canal where we officially entered shrimping territory.  There are tons of these boats around now. Not sure why you need such a big boat to catch such a small critter but we took it as a hint to start ordering shrimp dishes and that has really paid off.

 

It was a medium long day so we kept going down Bay River around Maw Point and up the feared Neuse River.  We got to sail a bit of this as there was 6 or 7 knots of wind. We wound up at Oriental NC which turned out to be one of our favorite towns so far. We arrived on Ol' Front Porch Music Festival. It was so cool. Different bands play on different porches around the town at different times during the day.

 

Everyone rides their bike or a golf cart to the next group on the next porch.  We got out our folder bikes as well and toured the town but not quite all the way to the Piggly Wiggley.  People in the last few towns keep stopping and talking to us. Sometimes coming to a halt while driving the other way down the road and jumping out to walk over and talk. Really threw me at first but now I think that people in this part of North Carolina just really like to chat and we seem like as good as anyone to talk to. 

We stayed an extra day in Oriental and had a great evening cocktail and tour of the awesome catamaran of our new hurricane friends that we met in Portsmouth who also wound up in Oriental. Today it was back across the feared Neuse. Once again the section that everyone gets worried about - super calm.

 

More bridges today.  Here is the part where you wonder if it is going to work.

 

We also encountered major current for the first time. We had planned on making a quick run up a canal and were surprised to be poking along at ~4 knots at our high end cruising power of 2500 rpms. Finally, we noticed the water streaming past a nearby dock post and realized how fast the water was running against us.  Finished up at Morehead City. Found a canal-side restaurant where you can tie up for the night for $25 if you eat there.

 

205 miles experienced 1039 miles of things yet to see.