Oriental, North Carolina

The town of Oriental is called the "Sailing Capital of North Carolina" and is home to more sailboats than people. In the late 1880's, Lou Midyette was named postmaster of what was then known as Smith’s Creek. Lou's wife, Rebecca, however thought the town's name was dull and commonplace, so disregarding the town's extensive history, she applied to the Post Office to get the community renamed "Oriental" after a nameplate from a sunken steamship ship that she found washed up on a local beach...

...a beach in which, legend claims, Blackbeard the Pirate buried his blood-drenched treasure as he lived in a house located a short distance out of town.

After a somewhat rough and exciting day's cruise across the Pamlico Sound and down the Neuse River in windy, overcast weather, we reached port just as it began to gently rain. After tying up at the dock, a brand new sailboat pulled in beside us and a sharp bark was heard - A Corgi bound for the Bahamas announced her presence aboard the "Mandalay". I was later able to pat her as she regally strolled across the Oriental Marina and Inn's lawn for her evening post-prandial "duties".

She reminded me of a friend of mine and was the highlight of a most invigorating day.

By the old moulmein pagoda
Looking eastward to the sea
There's a Burma gal a settin'
And I know that she waits for me

And the wind is in those palm trees
And the temple bells they say
Come you back you mother soldier
Come you back to Mandalay, come you back to Mandalay

Come you back to Mandalay
Where the old flotilla lay
I can hear those paddles chonkin'
From Rangoon to Mandalay

On the road to Mandalay
Where the flying fishes play
And the dawn comes up like thunder
Out of China across the bay

Ship me somewhere east of Suez
Where the best is like the worst
And there ain't no ten commandments
And a cat can raise a thirst

And those crazy bells keep ringing
'cause it's there that I long to be
By the egg foo young pagoda
Looking eastward to the sea

- Rudyard Kipling as sung by Frank Sinatra


There is a small fleet of Shrimp boats in Oriental. Boats like the "James T. Gillikin", named for a long time member of the North Carolina Fisheries Association and reknown boatbuilder on the Eastern Seaboard.

Later that evening, the rain tapered off and I was able to walk around the quiet streets of this most pleasant town.


The next day, November 4th, while enroute from Oriental to Beaufort, I saw a pair of Dolphin gracefully jump from the water in front of the boat - and after a short time looking for them to resurface, I was pleasantly surprised by the sound of a big splash right off the boat's port (left for you landlubbers) side. The two Dolphin I had spotted were part of a larger group of about six. For the next fifteen minutes or more, they joined me, playing in the bow wave of the boat, racing along and leaping into the air to grab a breath of air.


They reminded me of a friend of mine - and were the highlight of my birthday.