Excerpts from Claiborne S. Young's Cruising Guide to COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA: Oriental Many thanks to Claiborne Young for contributing to our website. If you would like more information about his Cruising Guide Series, or wish to order any of his works, click here.

Oriental, which lies northwest of the ICW's flashing daybeacon #7, is one of the most unspoiled river villages on the entire North Carolina coast. Commercial fishing is still the principal occupation of the local residents. In fact, a commercial fishery occupies one side of the harbor. Happily, there does not seem to be an odor problem from this facility. One of the most lovely walks you will ever take is along the banks of the Neuse in Oriental. Beautiful old houses, many exhibiting down-east architecture, line South Avenue, which parallels the river. It is easy to see why Oriental has attracted such a horde of resident pleasure craft. Oriental preserves the delightful atmosphere of earlier days. Its residents are usually far more interested in how the fish are biting than what's happening in the larger world. If you want to unwind, don't pass Oriental by. Oriental's entrance channel from the Neuse River is deep and quite reliable, maintaining at least 8 feet of water. At flashing daybeacon #8, the cut skirts around a rock breakwater and turns hard to the east-northeast on its way to the sheltered inner Oriental Harbor. As you enter this quaint basin, a wonderful facility will come abeam to starboard. Oriental Marina, Motel, and Restaurant occupies the southeastern banks of Oriental Harbor. It welcomes transients, offering well-sheltered dockage at fixed wooden piers with water and 30- and 50-amp power connections. Depths alongside run 6 to 7 feet. Slip space is sometimes at a premium, so call ahead to check on availability. Clean showers and a laundromat are available at the motel office. Diesel fuel, gasoline, and some mechanical repairs via independent contractors may also be purchased. The adjacent, full-line Harborside Grocery (see below) is very convenient. A marine-equipment supplier is also within an easy walk of the docks. For those who need a break after a hot day on the water, the adjacent swimming pool is open to transient dockers. The on-site restaurant and upstairs lounge are highly recommended for excellent seafood. Oriental Marina, Motel, and Restaurant has undergone a change of ownership during the last three years. Though the new management seems quite friendly and anxious to please, Waterway veterans will look in vain for the smiling face of former owner Brenda Harris. Nevertheless, Oriental Marina is still a real standout. You simply cannot do better than to coil your lines here, whether for an overnight stay or a week's stop. Oriental also offers a small city-owned pier occupying the inner harbor's northeasterly tip. There is just room enough for two 35-foot craft to tie off to this fixed wooden structure. Depths along the outer portion run 5 feet, with 4-foot soundings immediately adjacent to the shoreline. No power or water connections or other marine services are available. The nearby Trawl Door Restaurant (919-249-1232) serves some memorable repasts. A new addition to the Oriental dining scene is the M & M Caf (919-249-2000). This three-meals-a-day dining attraction is housed on South Water Street (which parallels the harbor's northwesterly shores) in what looks to be a private home just beside Truitt's General Store (see below). The locals swear by the food here. Breakfast is of the continental variety. During the summer months, some screen-porch dining is available. Truly, there is little fear of gastronomic boredom in Oriental. The cool, white walls of the Inland Waterway Treasure Company (919-249-1797) gaze out over the northeastern shore of Oriental Harbor. This firm features one of the most extensive collections of marine equipment, publications, and coastal clothing on the North Carolina coast. Be sure to check out the book section! If you dock in Oriental Harbor and are in need of any marine paraphernalia, then by all means spend a few minutes browsing the store's shelves. Interestingly enough, Inland Waterway Treasure Company maintains a courtesy car for the exclusive use of visiting cruisers. Ask any of the staff for help. Cruising chefs will be interested to learn that the proprietors of Inland Waterway Treasure Company, Jay and Paula Winston, are now the owners of nearby Harborside Grocery (300 Hodges Street, 919-249-1707) as well. Paula has done a magnificent job of turning this once rather ordinary grocery operation, located at the northwestern corner of the harbor, into a real gourmet food store. The selection of baked goods (especially the home-made chocolate chip cookies), meats, and seafood is outstanding. Even if your galley isn't in dire need of restocking, don't miss Harborside. Cruisers can step back in time with a visit to Billy and Lucille Truitt's general store, located just off the harbor's northwestern shore on South Water Street. The combination of odd antiques and just plain junk makes for one of the most unique collections I have ever seen. If things are a bit slow, ask Billy and Lucille about their lives along the Neuse River. If fancy takes them, this salty couple can relate many fascinating tales. You may learn more about the surrounding region on the shop's steps than in all the books you might ever read. Oriental History In 1870, Lou Midgett was fishing on the Neuse when a violent storm suddenly approached. He took shelter in a harbor formed by the intersection of five creeks. After the storm, Midgett decided the area was a natural place to settle down. Soon, he returned with his family. Thus, the village of Oriental was founded. Others quickly saw the community's natural advantages for commercial fishermen, and Oriental began to grow into the quaint riverside community that still looks to the Neuse for its principal livelihood. Oriental was named in unique fashion. It seems that Becky Midgett, the wife of the village's founder, was visiting at Hatteras when she found the cabin nameplate of a vessel named the Oriental, which had sunk off the cape. She took the plate home. When the time came to name the new village, she suggested calling it Oriental. Apparently, Oriental was once a walled city. The wall was designed not for protection against a hostile enemy but to keep livestock from roaming the village streets. Anyone coming in or leaving had to open and close the gate. Whittaker Creek The well-marked channel to Whittaker Creek strikes northeast from flashing daybeacon #1 at the southeastern tip of the Oriental Harbor channel, located west of the ICW's flashing daybeacon #7. One large marina and two repair yards on this stream's shores eagerly await the cruising boater. Whittaker Creek's entrance channel currently holds minimum 6-foot depths, but it does require caution. At the time of this writing, plans were under way to dredge the cut in the spring of 1997, and depths will undoubtedly improve when the project is complete. The planned depth is 9 feet. Nevertheless, caution will always be required. Be sure to read the Whittaker Creek navigation section later in this chapter before attempting first-time entry. Whittaker Creek Yacht Harbor occupies the point separating the two major branches of the creek. This large, friendly facility is eager to greet visiting cruisers. It offers extensive overnight dockage for transients at fixed wooden piers with all power and water connections. Depths alongside run 6 to 8 feet. Clean showers and a laundromat are offered. Gasoline, diesel fuel, new waste pump-out service, full mechanical repairs, and a refreshing swimming pool are available, and the marina maintains an unusually well-stocked ship's store. Ask for Lila, and tell her I sent you. A courtesy car is available for ferrying visitors to nearby restaurants and grocery stores. Sometimes, transportation can be arranged through the local restaurants as well. The latest addition at Whittaker Creek is an on-site restaurant that was closed and undergoing a change of ownership at the time of this writing. Several potential proprietors were bidding for this site, so the restaurant may be back in operation by the time of your visit. While it seems that far more sailors than power-craft skippers call Whittaker Creek home, this facility can be unreservedly recommended to cruising boaters of either persuasion. It should also be noted that Whittaker Creek offers a sailcraft charter fleet of 12 vessels. For information, call 800-525-7245. I highly recommend this charter service to my fellow cruisers. Two large, full-service boatyards face each other across the mouth of the big offshoot making off to the southwest from Whittaker Creek's southwesterly fork. Deaton Yacht Service (919-249-1180) occupies the creek's southeastern banks. It offers full mechanical, below-the-waterline (haul-out), and topside repair services for even the largest pleasure craft. The yard's travel-lift is rated at 25 tons. Marine painting, repairs to hull blisters, gel-coat, and marine carpentry services are also available. Deaton's struck me as an ultramodern yard that can handle just about any repair problem you might encounter. Opposite Deaton's, the docks and travel-lifts of Sailcraft Service (919-249-0522) also wait to greet those who need marine service. In addition to all mechanical and below-the-waterline (haul-out) repairs, the yard specializes in fiberglass refurbishment and refinishing. The on-site travel-lift is rated at 16 tons. Thanks to Whittaker Creek Yacht Harbor and the two boatyards, Whittaker Creek can lay claim to some of the most extensive facilities on the North Carolina portion of the ICW. Considering all these advantages, cruising boaters, particularly those who need repairs, should think long and hard before bypassing this well-appointed body of water.

Oriental