After a stop at Dowry Creek Marina, we pulled into Sailcraft Service, our home away from home, in Oriental for a short haul. Everything looked great after a thorough pressure washing by Bert so we went back into the water and cruised around to "downtown" Oriental to stay at the Marina & Inn for several days. The town had been hit hard by Irene so not everything was back to normal and may not be for quite some time. Our friends, Brenda & Geoff, came over from Morehead City one night and told us they may be back on the water as they are looking at trawlers. Can't wait...

On Monday, September 12, we left Oriental and arrived at Marina Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach on Wednesday, September 14. We had dinner with Joe & Dale who brought us Jim's SUV, spent the next few days packing stuff, and drove to the condo on Sunday, September 18. We plan to return in early October, organize all the stuff we bring back, and then head south for the winter.