Here's the latest about our upcoming cruise to (Little) Washington on Sept 20-23. If you'd like to attend, please be sure to sign up on our SCOO website. (For logistical reasons, we will not be going to Bath as a group.) We are your cruise leaders, Jeff and Ann Boswell, and look forward to this trip together! We have a Catalina 350 called Heels Me.
If you have already reserved a boat slip at Washington Waterfront Docks, excellent! If you haven't, we urge you to check out their availability. (*See below for more info on that.)
If you plan to go, please text Ann at 919-593-9806 with your boat name, attendees' names and cell numbers to confirm. This will help us create a text thread that will help us communicate efficiently with everyone during the trip.
Here's the trip in a nutshell:
Sun, Sept 20: We plan to leave our dock at 9 am. Feel free to hail us on Channel 16, and then we can go to another channel, as needed. Fly your SCOO burgee! We will anchor on way.
Mon, Sept 21: Arrive by 3-4 pm. Meet for a potluck meal at 5:30 pm at the marina picnic tables. Bring your own drinks, plates, cutlery and bring a main dish or side dish to share. We can always go out somewhere for ice cream or dessert afterwards.
Tues, Sept 22: We will be very close to shops, restaurants, the NC Estuarium, the Underground Railroad Museum and the town boardwalk. Enjoy the day as you wish. At 4pm, we'll meet for drinks and shared appetizers. For dinner, we'll pick a few restaurants and go out in smaller groups, to keep it manageable, but inclusive of everyone!
Wed, Sept 23: Because a local railroad trestle closes at 8am, blocking our path home, plan to leave well before 8am OR sleep in and leave after 11:30 am. This bridge will impede our exit M-F from 8-11 am.
*Re: Washington City Docks. They have limited transient slips with power/water, so call ASAP to make reservations. There is also some free bulkhead dockage (w/o power & water), but call in advance to ask for this. There may be room to anchor in front of the docks as well. Call 252-944-6661 to reserve. They have city water, pump out, and two courtesy bikes.
While each vessel’s captain is responsible for the safety of their boat and crew, we will help as much as possible, including monitoring the weather. If you need to cancel, please text Ann at 919-593-9806 or Jeff at 252-670-6322. This should be a fun and safe cruise for all.
Fair Winds!
Jeff and Ann Boswell
Please join us for the Full Moon Cruise October 6th through the 8th at Southwest Creek at the end of South River. Please note that due to timing, it will be a waning crescent moon this year.
There’s plenty of room to anchor and we can raft up if weather allows.
We’ll start the cruise off with welcome drinks aboard Kindred Spirit at 5:00. Please bring a snack to share.
We will be exploring the marshes during the day, so please bring a kayak or paddle board if you have one. There’s lots of good fishing so bring your gear if you’re so inclined.
October 7th we’ll share a potluck meal aboard Kindred Spirit. Please bring a dish to share.
Bring instruments if you have them and we’ll play some music on the flybridge after we eat if people are interested. If not, we can have a movie night on the flybridge.
If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact Tracy Vail at 919-818-9731 or Robert Pugh at 919-749-4147.
Tracy Vail
M/V Kindred Spirit
SCOO’s MumFest Cruise
MumFest Cruise in New Bern
When: Friday, October 9 to Sunday, October 11, 2026Where: New Bern, NC
Boats + Mums = MumFest Cruise! Cruise to New Bern on Friday, October 9th, attend the MumFest on Saturday, October 10th, and return home on Sunday, October 11th.
CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS:
After cruising to New Bern, delight your fellow sailors on Friday night at the Grand Marina with your culinary skills as you share your favorite light hors d’oeuvres.
On Saturday morning, rub the sleep from your eyes and have breakfast with fellow cruisers at a local eatery. See who needs to consume the most coffee before uttering a coherent sentence.
On Saturday, enjoy MumFest, an award-winning festival with about 300 vendors, music, and exhibits throughout the day. (Link to MumFest website)
Saturday night, break bread with your fellow cruisers at a local restaurant in New Bern. As you can imagine, dining reservations during MumFest are a challenge. SCOO secured a reservation for 10 people at 5:30 PM at Morgan’s Tavern and Grill. Currently, we have six available slots. The first six members (arriving by boat, please) to sign up for the cruise can join your Co-Captains at Morgan's. Share your great finds and purchases made at the MumFest. Sea stories optional.
Dockage is available at:
New Bern Grand Marina – complete the attached dockage agreement (see below). Reach out to New BernGrand Marina as soon as possible to see what is available. The dockmaster will attempt to dock SCOO Members as close together as possible. Note discount rates for members of BoatUS. The Marina phone number is (252) 638-0318.
Galley Stores Marina – Dockwa manages Galley Stores Marina slip reservations.
NOTE: DOCKAGE AT BOTH MARINAS IS LIMITED. DO NOT DELAY IN RESERVING IF YOU WANT A SLIP.
Anchorage:
Ample anchorage is available on the Neuse River off of Union Point Park or on the Trent River west of the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge.
Note: Because so many people will be attending MumFest, restaurant reservations for large groups will be difficult to obtain. Regrettably, shore social events will be limited to registered cruise participants arriving by water.
Remember to register all of your crew.
Questions? Call your cruise co-captains:
Mark James & Darla Bolon, 614.578.6702 and 614.327.7209
Tom & Carole Brown, 703.405.7532 and 571.217.6970
See you on the water!
Click HERE for the Grand Marina website
Click HERE for the Grand Marina slip map
Click HERE for Gallery Stores Marina website
ANNUAL SCOO COMMODORE’S CUP
Notice of Race
October 13, 2026
Join us on the water as the temperature cools down and the sailing heats up!
You don’t have to be a racer to enjoy this great SCOO tradition.
Before the Race, SCOO POWER BOATS are welcome to parade past the Committee boat and around the course AHEAD of the racing fleet. Proudly fly your SCOO burgee and nautical flags. Power boats will start between the Committee Boat and Oriental #1 at 12:00 noon. Please clear the starting area no later than 12:10 and stay well clear of the racers.
SAILBOATS: There will be a “pursuit” start, and we will race around the government marks: Oriental #1, Adams Creek, and Garbacon. We'll announce start times in the Race Instructions.
We'll send registrants further details and Race Instructions via email before the event.
We’ll all get together at Silos at 4 pm. Order, pay, and pick up your food and drink inside and bring it outside to the Red Rooster area. The awards will follow. All members are welcome to join the after-race festivities!
All SAILBOATS AND POWERBOATS wishing to participate, please REGISTER!
Please make sure all your boat stats are up to date on your SCOO profile
Sign up now!SEE YOU ON THE COURSE
Ahoy, fellow SCOO members!
● Dates: October 19-22
● Destination: Ocracoke, NC
● Spectacular sailing and cruising across the Pamlico Sound
● Three-night stay at Ocracoke’s picturesque Silver Lake with beautiful sunsets
● Daily temperatures vary from the mid-50’s to the lower 70’s.
● Day 1 - Group happy hour at the National Park Service (NPS) picnic area at 5:00 pm; bring an appetizer to share, plates, utensils, and chairs if you don’t want to sit on picnic benches. Note: alcohol is not permitted in the picnic area; please be discreet.
● Day 2 – Explore the island; if you are a first-timer, pair up with someone who has been before. If there is interest, we can organize a dinghy ride over to the beach area near Teaches Hole. We will hold a potluck dinner at the National Park Service (NPS) picnic area at 5:00 pm. Note: alcohol is not permitted in the picnic area; please be discreet. The sun sets at 6:25 pm and is beautiful to watch from the Fort Ocracoke Monument, a short 150-yard walk from the NPS picnic area.
● Day 3 – Continue exploring the island and enjoying activities with fellow SCOO members. We will make reservations at Dajios for anyone who wants to join the group for dinner.
● The days will be open for island excursions; a tour to Portsmouth settlement; time to explore the village shops and food establishments; or venture out to the shoreline beaches to walk, collect seashells, or fly a kite.
● The island is very bikeable; pack your bikes or scooters to get around the island; bike rentals are also available through local businesses.
● Golf carts are available to rent through a couple of the island companies; note that the golf cart rental agreements will not let you go all the way to the ocean beaches.
● The island shuttle does not operate after Labor Day.
Ocracoke offers several ways to stay.
● Silver Lake Marina is run by the National Park Service; these slips are on a first-come, first-served basis; include power, water, and restrooms (no showers); paid daily through the Recreation.gov app. Recommend a fender board to help protect your boat.
● Anchorage Inn Marina: reservations are required; includes power and water; the cost is $3.50/foot. Call for availability and reservations. (252) 928-6661
● Ocracoke Foundation docks: located behind the Community Square; includes electric and water; a porta-potty but no showers. Text Scott Bradley at 252-921-0321 to check availability and pricing.
● Anchoring in Silver Lake is another option. There is a dinghy day dock available at the National Park Service docks (free day use) and a small dock at the Community Square.
● Additionally, there are several hotels on the island with NCDOT vehicle ferry service from Cedar Island and Swan Quarter if someone is so inclined.
Let’s make this autumn cruise one for your logbook! More details to follow.
Cruise Captains: Tom & Carole Brown on M/V Key 2 Cay
Mark James & Darla Bolon on S/V Paya Breeze
Copyright 2020 - Sailing Club of Oriental, P.O. Box 525, Oriental, NC 28571
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