6.30- Croaker & Fishing Pier

I dropped by the new Fishing Pier at Lou-Mac Park today and found four visiting fishers enjoying themselves despite the low number of keepers they were pulling in.

Fittingly as Croakerfest approaches, one of the men caught the Croaker featured in today's slides. And yes, it was croaking loudly in protest.

By the time I left, there were 8-10 men, women and children fishing from the pier while about seven shrimp boats plied the waters over Garbacon Shoal, across the Neuse River.

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6.28- That Boat Won't Float...

The annual Oriental Cup Regatta race was held today, despite a small craft advisory. A squall came through the area around the time the race was finishing up and boats were headed back to Oriental Harbor and Whittaker Creek, bringing gusts up to 50 knots, rain and plenty of lightning.

One boat was struck by lightning, and another boat (not in the race) capsized and sank in the channel into Oriental Harbor. Captain and crew got off safely with the help of a sailboat returning from the race.

These pictures were taken between about 3:15, soon after the squall passed through, and about 8:00 pm, when the boat was finally floated and towed to Whittaker Creek.

The salvage effort by "Tow Boat U.S." involved the Oreintal-based Tow Boat U.S. team, and a Tow Boat U.S. crew (diving team) from Beaufort.

The salvagers first cut the halliard and lowered the sail, then dragged the boat away from the channel and into shallower water. Dive team then installed a bladder under the boat, filled it with air, and began pumping water out of the boat until it floated. All of this happened with steadily increasing winds (note the chop in the pictures) of 15-20 mph.

This being Oriental, news of the sunken sailboat traveled fast, and there were plenty of spectators on the Dinghy Dock, the end of Wall Street and (pictured here) on the Point Pride Seafood Co. property.

Several boats in the anchorage dropped second hooks as the SE winds continued to blow straight into the harbor at a fairly steady 15-20 knots.


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6.09- Oriental Optimists

Here is the new Optimist fleet in its first week of action here in Oriental. About a dozen boats built by local craftsworkers with local business sponsorship, these little vessels went to work this week teaching the next generation of sailors to tack and jibe.

First picture shows optimists being pulled out at the Wildlife Ramp... Second picture is Optimist fleet cruising up Smith's Creek past two larger boats at anchor in the harbor.

Still 10-12 big boats at anchor in and around the harbor... today's Dinghy Dock shot:



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06.08- Itinerant season

Itinerant boater season is at flood tide here in Oriental... more than a dozen boats at anchor in the harbor and Smith Creek. Here are the seven visible from the Dinghy Dock this evening:



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6.04- Return of the Tern

Found two Terns sitting on the old Neuse River Hotel pier... one flew away before I could approach, but this one was much more of a ham.

Today there were about ten boats anchored in the harbor, but you can only see six of them in today's dinghy dock shot:



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6.03- Cownose Ray

I think this is a Cownose or Bullnose Ray. I noticed it splashing/swimming/hunting in the Neuse River between ten and thirty feet off the South Avenue waterfront.

Some people have told me that when you see the double fins cutting along the top of the water (actually the tips of the 'wings') that it is a Skate. I don't think so, though, because Skates are bottom-dwellers, and the Rays swim, hunt and even jump above the water according to my internet research. The bit of the head that is visible in the first picture and the coloring of the creature also point to a Cownose or a Bullnose Ray.

As you can see, this one did a bit of splashing at the surface while I was watching. I have seen these creatures just under the surface while sailing or walking along the Neuse, but this is the first time I've seen one splashing and moving with both wings sticking out of the water. You can't see it in the pictures, but this creature was cruising around a large school of small fish, and I saw a number of them jumping out of the water around this Ray.

Today's Dinghy Dock shot was taken after sunset:


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6.02- Mimosa Flowers, Snakes, Red Winged Black Birds and Fisherman

The flowers have sprung on the Mimosa tree near the Dinghy Dock.
See earlier shots of this tree:
-- 5.29- Mimosa Flower Heads
-- 5.22- Mimosa leaves
-- 4.13- Mimosa Tree Budding

While taking pictures of the tree, I spotted these two snakes swimming by... the first and darker one was maybe 14-18 inches long, the second and browner one was more like two feet plus. These pictures are more evidence that these snakes are water snakes, and not the venomous Water Moccasins (see 5.21 post, "Harbor Serpent")... notice how the brown one looks like it is sinking as it swims, unlike a Water Moccasin.

Caught this pair of Red Winged Blackbirds (female in foreground, male in back) in the reeds near the Kayak Pier next to the Wildlife Ramp.

This guy was fishing off the new Fishing Pier at Lou-Mac Park. Notice the Pelican flying over the river, also fishing.

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6.01- Optimists Named and Blessed

The new fleet of 11 "Optimist" class sailing dinghies, all funded by donations and handmade with volunteer local craftsworkers, stand ready for training the 7-15 year old sailors of tomorrow. The "Bow-to-Stern Sailing School’s Youth Sailing Camps" will begin teaching kids to sail on June 9.

Captain Larry, in full summer whites, presided over the naming ceremony, at which "libations" (club soda) were doused on all the new Optimists.

Today's Dinghy Dock shot is taken from video... capturing lightning strikes with still pictures proved too difficult. The lightning strike is somewhere across the Neuse river, and it is not hitting that boat in the harbor:



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5.31- Carpodacus Mexicanus

While hanging out with Capt. Roy on the porch of the Captains' Quarters Bed & Breakfast, I noticed these two birds anxiously flitting about, moving between the eaves above us and the power lines nearby.

Capt. Roy told me they had a nest and eggs in a hanging plant on the porch, but we were not allowed to go poking around that plant under orders from Madame Annick.

After downloading the pictures, I quickly identified the birds on the internet: they are male (red) and female (brown/gray) House Finches, or carpodacus mexicanus (or is that mexicanii?)

Today's Dinghy Dock shot:


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