Sailing - Looking for input on Wilmington, NC area

[summercamp]

We are looking at Wilmington NC as a potential place to live and getting ready to take a trip there to check it out.

We are looking for any input on sailing in the area such as typical sailing season? , any comments on marinas in Wrightsville Beach area?

Any comments are welcome.

Thanks

[Jcolman]

There is better sailing in and around Oriental NC. However Wilmington is a decent sized city while Oriental is a quaint village. Also, be sure to take a look around Beaufort and Morehead city before you make up your mind.

[FlyingScot]

Oriental is 'the Mayberry of sailing'. It's a very small town but appears to attract sailors from around the world.
Wilmington is much larger, but not a large city by most standards.
New Bern is up the Neuse River from Oriental and is a small city, cheap and not terribly far from Raleigh NC metro area. Of course you would have to transit the river to get to the Pamlico Sound.

I'm not a sailing expert so I hope others chime in. I did grow up in NC just outside Raleigh.

-Chris

[NCGunDude]

Grew up in Wilmington. Visited New Bern recently, same feel. The Pamlico offers lot's of sailing opportunities, as the other posters mentioned.

Wilmington/Carolina Beach/Southport don't have as much inland water, but they're on the ICW.

Add New Bern, NC, and Georgetown, SC, another popular spot with boaters, to your list.