On to Oriental, NC

Weather: We continue to be blessed with outstanding weather. Sunrise was spectacular. We awoke to a calm morning with a temperature of 66 degrees and nary a cloud in the sky.

Comment:
0750 Generator is on!
0810 Engines on!
0815 Anchor up and underway!
0850 Motor sailing
0925 Roll up the jib, Willis.

Another glorious day! We had breakfast on the fly today. Willis, Lucille and I shared watch and steering duties today. The boat handled well and when we arrived at the Nuese River, we unrolled the jib and hit 8.2 mph. The boat took off like a freight train and after a couple of hours we caught up with "Reflection," the Marine Trader Trawler that we have been traveling with since Elizabeth City.

We decided to take a dock at the Oriental Harbor Marina, compliments of Willis and Lucille. After tying up and checking things out in the marina, we walked a couple of blocks to town. We met the crew from “Kallista,” “Canvasback Too,” “Reflection,” and “Tally Ho” and had drinks and meatballs at the Tiki Bar. It was mens’ night at the Tiki and the barbeque meatballs were free for the taking.

We bid farewell to the crews we have been traveling with as we will be leaving tomorrow and they are spending the day in Oriental. We will surely see them again as we travel down the waterway.

We saw several pods of dolphin along the way and found another PDQ for sale in our marina.

While motor sailing on the Neuse River, I heard the S/V Piccolo being hailed over the radio. We knew a "Piccolo" that sailed out of Cedar Creek on Barnegat Bay. Knowing that "Piccolo" retired to New Bern, I hailed "Piccolo" and inquired about the possibility that it was the same "Piccolo" As luck would have it, it was old friends and sailing associates, Bill and Olwen Jarvis!! They were most happy to hear from us and invited us to meet them in New Bern in four days as they were on an outing with their Fairfield Harbor Yacht Club friends.

Tthat won't work this time as we need to be in Emerald Island in a couple of days.