If you’ve spent any time in Oriental, sooner or later you’ve gravitated to the Town Dock. It’s where you can see the trawlers docked at the shrimp plant, where you can see what new boats have come in to town, and more than likely catch up with someone you know.

It is with that same spirit that TownDock.net brings the Town Dock to you. We hope you'll join us here at TownDock.net when you want to find out about upcoming events in Oriental, to get the local weather forecast, the marine weather, or to catch a view of the harbor in real time, with HarborCam.

If there is anything that defines Oriental, it is the water and the vessels that come in off of the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound. Many of them are fishing boats, mainly shrimp trawlers. Some hail from here, others come by to drop off their catch. But they are not the only boats in town.

Sailboats mostly -- but a few power vessels too-- are always coming and going, as sailors take a break from the IntraCoastal Waterway and drop anchor inside the breakwater… or tie up at the Oriental Town Dock, one of the few places on the ICW that offers a free 48 hour stay. You'll see boats from NC but also boats from around the world - Switzerland, Britain, Canada, France... Australia. Wherever they sailed from, every boat and every crew has a story, and some have very good ones. Read about these visitors in The Shipping News.

As much as boats are talked about a lot in Oriental, dogs get a lot of attention here too. They're as much a part of the landscape as the trawlers towers. With that in mind, TownDock.net brings you Pet of the Month -- which is open to canines and all other pets in the Oriental area.

The folks behind TownDock.net

TownDock.net was launched in August 2002 by Keith Smith and Melinda Penkava. Keith and Melinda have been visiting Oriental for 15 years (so much so that they got married here in 1991). They moved here in Spring 2002. You may have seen their odd looking dog Ceilidh (pronounced "Kaylee") around town.

Melinda is a journalist with public radio. Keith is a consultant for satellite communications companies.

Columnist Ben Casey joined TownDock.net starting with the second week of publication (Ben made his successful pitch to Keith standing near the Town Dock while Keith was walking the dog). Ben is a published author and photographer. The column “Casey At Bat” will remind you why you love Pamlico County.

Eddie Jones has been writing "Hard Aground" for over 15 years. You may remember reading his column in the magazine Carolina Cruising (later called Coastal Cruising) in the late 80's and early 90's. "Hard Aground With Eddie Jones" is about boats, but really more about people.

In the "Nautical Bookshelf" Carol Standish reviews a book every month...always with a nautical bent. It could be about cruising, boat design....cooking onboard or even tying a salty knot.

Joel Arrington takes amazing photographs of the beautiful spots around Oriental, and allows us to share them with you on Town Dock.

Laura Turgeon uses a pencil instead of a camera - her drawings are a recent addition to TownDock.net. Laura's quirky interpretations of dogs, boats and life are in "Drawing The Town".

Community Involvement

TownDock.net enjoys being an active part of the things that make our community great. We are proud to offer free web hosting and publicity to many local non profit groups and clubs, including:

SCOO (Sailing Club Of Oriental)
NYRA (Neuse Yacht Racing Association)
NSA (Neuse Sailing Association)
Oriental Dinghy Club
The Oriental Cup Regatta
The Hope Clinic
Oriental Express Bike Club
The Oriental Tarpon Tournament
The Pamlico Paddle

Contact TownDock.Net at:

email info@towndock.net
phone 252-249-2040
P.O. Box 892
Oriental, NC
28571