We arrived in Oriental easily enough, I was nervous about the channel to the marina, but the wind had been from the north and blowing more water into the area so there was an extra foot to make the approach easier.

Due to our spot we ended up needing to go stern (back) into the slip so the bow (front) would point out and be able to take any waves that might come up from time to time. Since our lovely lady backs up like a drunken hippopotamus we pulled up to the outside next to our slip tied off on the face dock and walked the boat around the end with just the lines.

The two boys handles the lines and I was in the boat with the motor off to keep us from slamming into the dock as they pulled us back and around.

We’re going to be at Whitaker Point Marina until the end of the calendar year. So we’re likely going to be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The marina only charges $550 a month for a spot if you’re living aboard and transient. This is about half of what Marker 8 Marina in St. Augustine Florida charges so we’re investing the savings into Liam’s captains license course and Ryan’s SCUBA certification.

That and we’re doing a whole lot of work on the boat. The most expensive will end up being having a new dodger sewed for us. We’re expecting Nicole Edwards from https://SailorsSeamstress.com to come visit us in a few days to get us an estimate and with luck I’ve put enough money away to cover the cost.

We also broke down and purchased a new anemometer which is the wind sensor that is mounted at the top of the mast. That one was about $500, then some extra solar panels, and other random items.

Our “November and December” saving money by being in a less expensive marina is turning out to be quite expensive indeed.

The marina is shockingly nice though. Super clean, with some great bathrooms and showers, and they even have a courtesy car that you can just sign out.

This has made it super convenient to get to stores and pick up supplies.

Unfortunately the marina is a bit “off the beaten path” so random trips to the café a few times a day isn’t very practical. We did discover though that it’s only a 1.5 NM run in the dinghy to get to the town dock which is right in the heart of “downtown” Oriental NC. I put downtown in quotes because there still isn’t much there but there is at least the most important place which is The Bean Cafe!