Pamlico Sound

Tug Pamilco pushing a loaded barge

Departing Belhaven, we sailed down the Pamilco Sound heading to Oriental, NC....BUT....we could not withstand the draw of the newest planned community called River Dunes! This community has the most beautiful marina, clubhouse, bathhouse, workout rooms, pool, hot tubs and manicured grounds in the area. Se we diverted and used our Buy one Get one Free card given to us at the Annapolis MD Boatshow for two nights of dockage and relaxation. Unfortunately the restaurant and bar are closed during the week and only open on Fri, Sat, Sun and we arrived on a Tuesday...oops! No worries, as we had the entire place to ourselves and they also provide a free car for your use if you dock here. So, we used the free car to run into Oriental, NC to see Penny and go out for a nice lunch at M&Ms where we also bumped into another friend and IP owner named John. John lives aboard in town and was at M&Ms when we stopped in. We enjoyed a nice visit and a wonderful lunch. Oriental is a popular sailing town and many cruisers retire to this town where they still can be connected to the cruising community. It is amazing how closely connected the cruising community is as we are always bumping into boats we recognize or people we know all along the way. What a great life....sail on...

Photos of the River Dunes, Pamlico leg...

We sailed in 20-25 knots downwind with a jib only, beautiful day

Tug Pamlico pushing a loaded barge

The floating docks of River Dunes, 45 feet long!

Our new club house at River Dunes, very comfortable

The new homes overlook the marina where we were docked.

Typical home that overlooks the marina. This single home is listed for $785,000

The canal entrance to River Dunes where all the canal front lots have been sold
This is the house on the point, 1.8 million dollars!

So after enjoying River Dunes for two days, we sadly departed and made ourselves move on. There are so many beautiful places along this ICW, and we are only 200 miles down the road with 800 more miles to the Florida Keys. We know how diverse and how beautiful it is, and we are enjoying the ride once again....