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eekends have been busy in Oriental’s harbor this summer as shrimp trawlers offload their catch. By law, the vessels have to have their nets out of the water from Friday evening until Sunday evening, so this it the time many of them return to port. Not only is the shrimp unloaded, but routine maintenance is performed and crews have a chance to visit with their families.

Tight quarters. Usually trawlers are not tied up three across from the left side of the harbor channel, but the vessels that are part of the Point Pride Seafood fleet formed a wall of red last Friday and Saturday. Given the small passageway, few boats ventured in to the Town Dock or Oriental Marina.

Some weekends this summer there’ve been around 2 dozen trawlers, offloading their shrimp and then waiting out the weekend tied up along the edges of Oriental’s harbor. Last weekend, the numbers were fewer —about 20 — but the rafting up of several of the bigger boats made an imposing sight.

The view from the anchorage looking into the harbor. While technically possible to get between the vessels, it was daunting. Few boats appeared to pass thru and tie up at the Town Dock and Oriental Marina on the other side of that gap.

On Friday evening, shrimp boats were packed in tightly not far from the Town Dock. While there have been as many vessels rafted together before, rarely have they been this large – or left so small a gap for other vessels into and out of the harbor.

A visiting boater intent on visiting the Town or fuel docks would have needed to pay extra attention while passing the narrow opening to get to the Town Dock or Oriental Marina. That point was driven home Saturday morning when some of the few boaters who spent the night at the marina tried to leave.

Here, a visiting boat who spent the night at the marina approaches the tight gap between the shrimp boats.

With great care at the helm, and a hand at the ready on the foredeck, the vessel squeezes into the slot. The vessel had to move straight ahead first …

…then veer precisely to port to avoid the transom of another parked vessel.

TownDock staff took a boat ride in Webster, the news vessel, to go thru the gap and get a closer look at the parked trawlers. Those photos follow…

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While a small sailboat like this 22-footer could pass between the rafted trawlers, a larger, beamier one, would have had to do so with great care.

Visiting skipper’s view: this is what a sailor motoring between the vessels would have seen overhead. The shrimp boat’s outriggers hanging over the only passage into and out of the harbor don’t leave much room for error.

Once thru the opening, there was a chance to get a closer look at the vessels that spend most of their time at sea.

There were boats from all over North Carolina to be seen. These trawlers hail from New Bern, Oriental and Sneads Ferry and were tied up on the right hand side of the harbor at Garland Fulcher Seafood.

There was colorful fishing gear, too, such as these red plastic baskets visible through a steel scupper

While many commercial vessels are namde after women, some, like Alex, could also have been named after a man.

Other boat names, like Shrimp Stalker, took their inspiration from a more nautical source.

Beginning Sunday night, the shrimp trawlers had gone back to fishing. The first day of the working week found the harbor nearly emptied of commercial craft.

Back to sea for the working week: Bound for the shrimping grounds, the trawler “Papa’s Girl” passes a small fishing boat just outside the Oriental anchorage.

While the movements of shrimp boats are as unpredictable as their quarry, chances are good the trawlers will return to Oriental toward the end of this week. To keep a look out for returning shrimpers (or any other vessels visiting the harbor) as seen from the anchorage, drop by AnchorageCam. Or, for the bow-on view that includes the Town Dock, visit HarborCam.

Monday morning things looked quite different. The scene is subject to change as the new weekend nears…

Posted Thursday August 19, 2010 by Bernie Harberts