A wave of warm weather lighted on the SE for a few days in early December so June and I took a little break and headed down to the NC coast for a few days. The plan was to combine sightseeing with checking out a few boats that I found online.
Oriental
We got up early on Sunday morning and a 4 1/2 hour drive put us in Oriental before noon. Oriental's location near the mouth of the Neuse River, proximity to Pamlico Sound, and the Intra Coastal Waterway has made it the Sailing Capital of North Carolina.
I showed June Oriental's town area and we had lunch near the town docks. The first boat I wanted to see was a 27 O'Day docked at Sea Harbor Yacht Club. Her owner, Bob, owns a sail shop in New Bern and we had talked back in the summer when I had looked at the 30 Irwin and wanted pricing on sail cleaning.
Bob has put a lot of work into his boat. His version has the galley on the starboard side and 2 quarter berths aft. The galley has a propane stove and oven and an electric refrigerator tucked into the stbd quarter berth. He had just completed a major power upgrade. A new heavy duty motor bracket supported a 2012 20 hp Honda 4 stroke outboard with electric start and tilt. He had also added a 20 gal aluminium fuel tank fabricated to fit in the port lazzerette. Because of the new outboard, the asking price, while fair, was well above much newer 27 footers with inboard diesel engines. June liked the boat but said that she thought something larger would be more comfortable - who am I to argue?
The 28 O'Day that we saw next was also considered 'cramped'. It was in the process of being reclaimed from a long period of neglect so I wasn't too comfortable with its history.
As for Oriental, June said, "It may be a great place to park a boat, but it's not such a great place to park a wife"
With that, I decided the best course was to take the Minnesott/Cherry Point Ferry across the river and head down to Beaufort for the night.
Beaufort
Now we were in June's wheelhouse! Beaufort is a beautiful little seaside town, filled with historic homes and towering oak trees. The shops and restaurants on Front St. were calling her name. It is not, however, a great place for sailing inland waters if you have a draft of more than 24". You have great access to the ocean but that's not the kind of sailing and gunkholing that I want to do.
We found a friendly little B&B named the Ann St. Inn and chatted with the Inn Keeper Donna and her guests before heading off to dinner. The Beaufort Grocery Company lived up to its recommendation. Great food and excellent service.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast at the Inn, I called the owner of a 27 Hunter in nearby Atlantic Beach. The shops in Beaufort had yet to open so we drove over to Atlantic Beach. The fog was so thick that you couldn't see for more than a block, so while waiting for the owner's return call, we went back to Beaufort so June could check out the stores that were now open.
It was 1:30 before we hooked up with the Hunter's owner. At about half the price of Bob's 27 O'Day, the Hunter had a lot going for it. It needed some TLC to bring it up to snuff but I enjoy that kind of work. Again, June thought it too small.
New Bern
I had promised to show her New Bern, which we passed on the way to Oriental, so we headed back up that direction and began searching online for a nice B&B. The breakfast menu at the Hanna House made the decision for us. Twelve delicious items to choose from and served at your convenience. Try it, if you're ever in New Bern. You'll return just for a shot at a new selection from the menu.
If Beaufort captured June's fancy, New Bern really got her attention! Nestled in the crook of the confluence of the Trent and Neuse rivers, New Bern was once the capital of colonial North Carolina. She's loaded with great restaurants and quaint shops. Locals like to brag that it is the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.
We spent the morning checking out all the shops in town and I managed to stumble across an ad for an S2 9.2C center cockpit 30 footer. It was out of my budget range but I wanted June to see the additional space of a 30.
Wow! I had no idea how much space a 30' boat could offer. I had been considering an O'Day 32 CC with the walk-over aft cabin but this baby had a walk thru aft cabin and if you can believe it, an aft head with a tub, although it was only about large enough to wash the dog. The high center cockpit offered great visibility and plenty of room, up and down. (June's comment - "too big") The dodger and bimini top make for comfortable cruising. The engine had been replaced with a 16 hp Beta diesel (Kubota) and only had 600 hrs on it.
I was awed. I have to learn more about the construction of this boat. Its 4'11" draft is about a foot more than I want but compromise is the name of the game. I might even consider giving up the sailing convenience of Oriental for the life style choices of New Bern. Happy wife - happy life.
