NC Marinas

[mkjhartmann]

OK, sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I could not find where to post it.

We are leaving Central America and heading back to the US, yeah!!!

I have a 44 foot Bruce Roberts Offshore, with 6 foot draft, that I am taking up to North Carolina.

The family will live in Charlotte, I will spend about 10 days a month on my boat. Where would you recommend I get a slip? I have been looking at New Bern and Oriental, but am aware that Beaufort is a great place also.

Any ideas, insights, suggestions, etc would be very welcome.

Pricing is a consideration, but not the main driver of the decision. I would like a place that is relatively easy to reach, and where one can walk to stores, bars, etc.

Thank you.

Mike

[djmarchand]

The New Bern Grand Marina has great winter specials. So does the Beaufort Town Dock. Both have easy walking access to what you want.

Downtown Oriental is more pricey. But maybe Sailcraft marina would be reasonable although about a mile walk to stuff.

David

[mkjhartmann]

David,

thanks for the insight. It was also suggested to maybe leave the boat down in Florida until the spring. I am used to sailing in cold and rain, so I guess NC would not be so bad, but maybe I am sadly mistaken?

Mike

[djmarchand]

Mike:

I live in Oriental, NC. Boating here almost shuts down after Thanksgiving and doesn't start again until April. Maybe its us old farts who live here ;-).

You can get some nice 65 deg days in January/February, but you can get some days like a few days ago (and forecast for Thanksgiving) where the temp doesn't get above 45 all day and hits 25 at night. But those days are almost always crystal clear. So if you like that kind of stuff, come to NC for the winter.

David

[Sand Castle]

I keep my boat in Oriental and there are several good spots to keep your craft, but many are somewhat shallow, typical of the Neuse River area. However from Oriental you are (less than a day by sail or diesel) close to New Bern, Beaufort, Ocracoke, and Belhaven, which are all wonderful spots. Ocracoke is a jewel. Oriental is very well-oriented toward the needs of the sailing community with many services and parts supplies.

In Beaufort you would have the inlet and ocean sailing. Also a fantastic location, bigger and more diverse than Oriental.

Good luck!

[tropicalescape]

Wilmington,Topsail Island(find a homeowner or real estate company that has a house on one of the 'canal streets" and rent a slip from them)less than 4 hrs drive from Charlotte...good luck

[lancelot9898]

We moved to NC from the Annapolis area about 2 years ago, and like you have a sailboat with close to a 6 foot draft. We are a little north of Charlotte in the mountains. I considered moving the boat to the coast of NC, but much prefer the Cheaspeake for sailing so I moved the boat further south from Annapolis into the Deltaville, Va area. It is a 6 hour drive from here so about an hour longer than keeping the boat on the Pamlico Sound or on the Neuse, but I think the sailing is better. If I was to keep the boat in NC, I would go to River Dunes.