River Dunes

We are underway by 8:00 AM and are in the protected confines of the ICW. We are heading out onto the Pamlico Sound. Lots of wind and we are booking along with just the head sail and engine off. The weather is not looking too good for the next couple days with wind, rain and thunderstorms predicted, so we decide to cut the day short and head into River Dunes Marina, Oriental, NC. They are the most highly rated marina on Active Captain (Trip Adviser for boats), so we had to give them a try. Lots of other cruisers had the same idea. We run into a number of familiar boats.

They have a very knowledgeable dockmaster. I learned a new method for gracefully parallel parking a boat to a face dock when the wind is pushing the boat from the dock. His instructions were spot on for a graceful docking.

This place has the fanciest bathrooms of any marina we have ever been in or hotel for that matter. Huge shower, can even use it as a steam shower. Not sure why anyone would want that in an area that is usually rather steamy outdoors much of the year. But some people love it.

Our good friends Bill and Sandy Drechsler who live in New Bern, near by, came over for a visit. We first met them two years ago in Florida heading to the Bahamas. Bill who has sailed to the Bahamas numerous times is a wealth of knowledge, so we latched on to him, on the last trip south

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Linda & Sandy

River Dunes this time of year, normally, only serves food on the weekends, but since they have so many cruisers here, they are serving a different small buffet each night. Bill and Sandy take us to dinner a short walk from the boat, instead of driving into Oriental for the evening. 

Upstairs dining area, River Dunes