Oriental 



Q, 



Small-Town Charm 

 and Smooth Sailing 



By Rachel Wharton 



a Sunday afternoon in 

 Oriental, things are quiet. 



A few fellas gather in the Harbor 

 Side Grocery, watching Kyle Petty 

 race on a little television that sits 

 above the produce. The windmills at 

 Red Lee's Grill spin lazily, waiting 

 for Monday when the regulars return 

 to devour the 25-cent burgers. 



Oaks and crape myrtles rustle at 

 the Tar Heel Inn, which is virtually 

 vacant. A few folks are about, 

 watering lawns, admiring their 

 impatiens, leaning against a railing 

 and watching the Neuse River. On 

 this calm day, a lone trawler chugs 

 along, followed by a powerboat or 

 two. In Raccoon Creek, the old town 

 harbor, a sailor sits on his boat 

 listening to rock and roll. 



But on a windy day, look to the 

 river. That's where he'll be, jibing 

 and tacking. 



Oriental is a sailing town. At 

 least eight creeks meander through 

 Oriental, located at the end of N.C. 55 

 in Pamlico County. The town is 

 formed where five of them (Greens, 

 Smith, Raccoon, Kershaw and 

 Whitaker) meet at the Neuse — one 

 of North Carolina's primary coastal 

 rivers. From there, the Neuse flows 

 miles wide into the Pamlico Sound. 



With about 800 residents, 

 Oriental has fewer people than 

 sailboats. 



Locals say 2,000 of the wind- 



powered vessels float in the canals, 

 marinas and slips that dot Oriental. 

 Although that's not certified, a drive in 

 most directions ends in an army of 

 gleaming boats, their masts reaching to 

 the clouds. 



Most are from Oriental; some are 

 from New York or even San Francisco. 

 There's the Hootenanny and Risky 

 Business, the Bets, Misbehavin , the 

 Alibi and Duck Soup. 



John and Madeline Sutter, who 

 live on Whitaker Creek, sail the 

 Madeline, a 38-foot Charles Morgan 

 yawl. On blue, beautiful days, they 

 wave to their neighbors, engage in 

 informal drag races, appraise the new 

 boats on the water and giggle at the 

 less experienced sailors. They like a 

 little stormy weather too. 



"We don't choose it," says John, 

 "but when it comes, it's exhilarating." 



The Sutters moved from St. Louis, 

 Mo., eight years ago. Like many of 

 their neighbors, they retired in Oriental 

 from bigger cities and different lives. 

 Although they may enjoy the excite- 

 ment of the wind and waves, they like 

 the easygoing attitude of Oriental. 



"Oriental's really a state of mind, 

 not a geographical location," says 

 Madeline. "Everybody welcomes you 

 with open arms. It's just an amazing 

 town. Where else can you ride down 

 the street on a bicycle and not get run 

 over?" 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 3 



