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Boaters travelling in to the slips around Oriental’s harbor may not be touching bottom as they have in recent years. Thanks to a dredging crew that has been at work for the past week, there should be 6 feet of water to float in at Oriental Yacht Club, Oriental Marina and at the Town Dock.

Dredger with a full barge of bottom spoil taken from slips and waters near Oriental Yacht Club.

The dredging crew scooped out 100 cubic yards — literally a bargeload — from the area around the Town Dock alone. This is what 100 cubic yards of muck looks like

The dump trucks have made dozens of runs to fields nearby that wanted the spoil for soil

The owners of the OYC and the Oriental Marina and the Town of Oriental, which owns the Town Dock, paid to have the years of sediment taken away.

The yellow flexor arm and bucket has become a familiar sight in the harbor as Eric Pake of Beaufort and his crew first scoop the oozing sludge on to the barge, and then in to waiting dump trucks.

In addition to the sediment lifted from the waters near the Town Dock, Pake says he took about 7 bargeloads of spoil from the Oriental Marina, which faces the Town Dock, and 9-1/2 bargeloads from the OYC.
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Just as those property owners have been paying for their share of the job, the town of Oriental, too, is paying for the dredging and the 6 foot depth. The cost to the town is approximately $1,600, according to Town Manager Wyatt Cutler.

It’d been seven years since the OYC had its waters dredged, according to OYC member, Tommy Manning who was busy Sunday morning maneuvering boats back from temporary stays at the Oriental Marina

Eric Pake, with his youngest daughter Kaylee, who helps out.

Not all of the harbor is being dredged. The waters in front of the two seafood operations — Garland Fulcher and Point Pride — were said to be deeper than 6 feet already; the churn of the larger props on the trawlers push thru the bottom when it gets shallow and in an informal way, that maintains the channels for the bigger boats. Of course, that sediment has to go somewhere, and over time, it builds up in other parts of the harbor. Which is where the dredging operation comes in.

While he’s surrounded by muck, Ernie Boyd takes a wisk broom and keeps the cab clean

Eric Pake, sending more muck on its way on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

It’s estimated that the dredging job done this winter will last 4 years or so. Eric Pake says they should be finished this week.

Posted Monday January 14, 2008 by Melinda Penkava