10.6- "Peace" headed south

Co-Capt.s Annie and Neville of Peace take on provisions

The James Wharram designed, marconi-schooner-rigged catamaran Peace continues to grace Oriental harbor as she does twice a year during the north-south migration seasons. Currently headed south, of course, towards the islands.

See my previous post of "Peace" in the harbor in April 2009 on her way north... the posting includes an additional photo of her in the harbor in April 2008. I have a feeling we will see her again in five months.

Godspeed!

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11.5- Mustang parts

Soybeans awaiting harvest near NC 55

According to the NC State University College of Agricultures and Life Sciences, soybeans are NC's largest acreage row crop, with 1.2 to 1.5 million acres grown annually.

Average farm-gate value of the state's soybean crop is approximately $200 million, ranking it 3rd behind tobacco and cotton.

There are many varieties of soybean plant grown in the area, with different colored flowers and different colors in their ready-to-harvest stage... I couldn't tell you whether these particular beans are "Croplan 4955," "Dyna-Gro 33C59," or "Progeny 5650RR," but these are a bit more of a rusty color than many of the fields around here.

The NC Soybean Producers Association http://www.ncsoy.org/ explains that in addition to "multitude of edible products [and] animal feed applications," soy beans produce oils and meal products used to make tractor body parts, newspaper ink, crayons, candles, machine lubricant

... and even the seat-foam in your brand-new Ford Mustang.

In 2008, North Carolina farmers were expected to plant nearly 1.6 million acres of soybeans. In 2006, North Carolina farmers produced 43 million bushels of soybeans on 1.4 million acres.

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11.4- Migrant season

Vessels at anchor in Oriental harbor as the sun sets

The fall boat migration season is in full swing...

Folks headed south to FL, Central America, the Caribbean, and other warm winter lands, are travelling down the Intracoastal Waterway this time of year, with cooler weather on their heels (or stern or transom, I suppose.)

For the past week or so, I have counted between 6 and 15 boats anchoring in Oriental harbor every night. Lots of boats from New England, Canada and Europe have been keeping Oriental harbor and area marinas busy lately.

Many cruisers can be seen walking and riding folding bikes for provisions, boat parts, or just to tour the town while stopping over, and the bars and restaurants are seeing a lot of new folks with odd accents each night.

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11.3- E-Day

Polling station for Oriental municipal elections

Nine candidates were competing for five slots on the Oriental Board of Commissioners... The current mayor ran unopposed.

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11.1- "Wan Fu"

Wan-Fu at the Fuel Dock

(click to enlarge)

While returning the Bauer Dinghy to the OYC today after last night's pirate festivities at town dock, I found this very pirate-y looking vessel tied up to the Fuel Dock at Oriental Marina & Inn on Raccoon Creek.

She is a 58.2 foot, three-masted, gaff-rigged, steel-hulled recreational vessel built in 1977. Word around the harbor is she is headed for Guatemala.

That is all I know about her... If you know more, please post a comment to this posting, or drop me an e-mail! (captainbenonc@gmail.com)

Here is another view of Wan Fu:

(click to enlarge)

11.2 ADDENDUM: Wan Fu was designed by naval architect Thomas Colvin, famed for his steel boat designs, many of which are junk-rigged, as, it turns out, is the Wan Fu (not gaff-rigged, as I had earlier guessed without seeing the sails up) ... Here is a picture of her under sail (no, not taken here in Oriental, nor by me) -

(click to enlarge)

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10.31- Sheet-faced

"Sheets to the Wind" celebrating Halloween at the Tiki-Bar

Pirates dominated the harbor area this evening, but this other nautical-themed costumed group cracked me up.

There were originally going to be only "Three Sheets," of course, but apparently the idea caught on...

There were a total of nine "Sheets" at the Tiki-Bar, but I could only fit six of them in the photo.

A hundred or more Pirates swarmed the shores and vessels along Oriental harbor and Raccoon Creek ....

One band of pirates created a new chapter in Oriental history by holding what is believed to be the first ever Beer-Pong tournament on Raccoon Creek, held aboard Low Rider (see yesterday's post) :

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10.30- Low Rider

Low Rider

Low Rider, a converted forty-foot Chesapeake Bay style fishing boat, tied up to town dock in Oriental this afternoon.

I dropped by to visit while sailing the Bauer Classic (background.)

Low Rider's lengthy working deck will host plenty of grog-swilling pirates tomorrow night.

Capt. Ralph says "bring your own chair."

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10.27- Barefoot Wade

Barefoot Wade's steel drum

Barefoot Wade, known for his lack of footwear, brings his one-man, many-instrument act to Oriental's Broad Street Grill every Thursday night.

Check out Wade's web site, and go to his facebook page to hear some of his music:

http://www.barefootwade.com/index.php

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10.24- Pig-pickin' and Hot Buttered Grits

Tennessee Ronnie choppin' up the pig
(click to enlarge)

Traditional eastern NC style Barbecue is often served up here in Oriental by Tennessee Ronnie... Tonight the occasion was a fundraiser for "Girls on the Run" held at the Oriental Marina & Inn.

"Hot Buttered Grits" performed excellent "experimental/funk/bluegrass" grooves on the Tiki-Bar deck while hundreds lined up for their chopped pork butt smothered with a spicy vinegary dressing under the tent nearby:

(click to enlarge)

I have featured "Hot Buttered Grits" before in my posting of Dec. 6 2008, when the weather was a bit cooler... You can see and hear more about Hot Buttered Grits and their "Cosmic Acoustic Soul & Funktional Trance-Missions" on their MySpace page.

... I have to repeat my comment then about how nice it is to hear a band that does not perform all of the classic rocks songs from the 60's-90's that is the usual fare... And this is indeed the only band I have ever heard play at the Tiki-Bar that does not do a version of "Sweet Home Alabama."

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10.23- Four-Armstong aux. motor

Paddling to the Wildlife Ramp

This crew found themselves a bit a-lee of the Wildlife Ramp at the end of Midyette St. in Oriental, and had to break out the four-armstrong motor to get back this afternoon.

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