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Many TownDock readers should attend the boat show accompanied by an adult.

What’s a boat show without a few fish? Critter Creek Artistry brought theirs and are set up on the lawn of Oriental Marina & Inn. The Oriental In-Water Boat Show continues today from 10a – 3p.

Seeing a propeller at the boat show isn’t that unusual, except this prop (mixed among a lot of line) is an airplane propeller. It could look good on your wall. The 2024 Oriental Boat Show is underway…

From the 2023 Oriental In-Water Boat Show – shiny boat bits. These and other seafaring items – books, blocks, running lights, etc. – are for sale at this weekend’s In-Water Boat Show. The town free docks are already closed for vendors. Hodges Street will close to vehicle traffic Thursday at 5p.

Scenes from the 2023 Oriental In-Water Boat Show: Hodges Street lined with trailerable boats. It’s getting ready to look that way again this weekend, Friday, April 12 to Sunday April 14. (Click for the big picture and more)

At Dolphin Point, Tank Rahm took in Monday’s eclipse.

Caught between a piling and a vessel – where a fender (or three) belongs.

Melinda Penkava-Smith, 1959-2023. Melinda’s memorial is Saturday, 11a at Lou Mac Park.

SV Mithril at the town dock. She’s a long way from her home port of Duluth, MN. (Click for the big view and more.)

Walk in to M&M’s in April and you’ll see new artwork decorating the walls. The oil paintings are by Diana Solie, a part-time resident splitting her time between Oriental and Alaska. If you take a fancy to the work on the walls, you can buy it right there at M&Ms. Click for the big view and to see more of Diana’s work.)

Whittaker Point sunrise, as seen from South Avenue. (Marcia Ostendorff photo)

Josie will not be kept from her appointed rounds. Josie was one of 57 dogs Saturday at the PAWS Pet Parade.

Visiting the Oriental Marina Inn docks, Tug Sequoyah, hailing port Essex CT. (click pic for more views)

Winner of the 2024 PAWS Pet Parade Best Costume Award – Lillie – in costume as a Chinese New Year Dragon. Lillie’s human is Jean Jeannero.

Will today’s Pet Parade have dogs dressed in an Easter theme? From a 2022 file photo, Skipper, Squirt, and Daisy came as the Easter basket trio. The 2024 PAWS Pet Parade is today @ Lou Mac Park. Register your dog (or other parade ready pet) from 10a-11a, the parade starts around 11a.

Sitting outside the Inn at Oriental, a small statue of a Shiba Inu. That’s a Japanese dog breed. This statue honors one of the Inn’s newest residents – Brody. (Click for the big view, and scroll to see Brody with the Inn’s new owners.)

The Thursday morning wet town dock view. Wednesday a lot of work was completed – new pilings were put in, and much of the deck replaced.

Cahoon Construction began repairs on the town’s free docks Monday. Wednesday morning, they were at work on the town dock on Hodges Street. Worm damage to the pilings prompted the repairs. (Click for the big view and more)

Cahoon Construction began repairs on the town’s free docks Monday. They’ll start again Tuesday with the dock closest to the Oriental Marina & Inn. It needs the least amount of work. When that’s done, they’re moving to the town dock on Hodges Street.(Click for the big view and more)

Harbor reflections on Hodges Street. The sun is out and the weekend’s high waters have begun slowly receding.

Archie looking for his human, Don Hesselman, Saturday morning at The Bean.

Fishing Trawlers docked at Garland Fulcher Seafood. Take a closer look and you’ll see that outrigger belongs to the second vessel in line: trawler Blackbeard.

A Plieated Woodpecker hunts for a meal. Near the corner of Neuse and Factory Streets. (Click for the full view)

Embry Riddle sailor adjusts the boom on a downwind run. Five collegiate sailing teams took part in the annual Spring Break training and weekend regatta on the waters off Oriental.

University of North Carolina on the Neuse last Saturday. UNC was one of several collegiate sailing teams that took part in the annual Spring Break training and weekend regatta.

A Dragon half caught up in flames. The view after sunset at Saturday’s 2024 Dragon Burn.

Attacking chowder from both directions. Saturday’s Chowder CookOff had nine chowders, and three first place winners: Gary’s DownEast Seafood (Best Restaurant Chowder), The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office (Best Home Chef Chowder), and the Pamlico Christian Academy Mariners (Best Aspiring Student Chefs).

These FJ sailboats (Flying Junior) are rigged and ready for Saturday’s collegiate regatta on the Neuse off Oriental. FJs are 13’ 3” long, 4’11” beam and carry 100 sq ft of sail with a crew of two. Hosted by Bow To Stern, six colleges will race today.

What happens at The Dragon Burn? OK. You guessed it. Pamlico Arts 2024 Dragon Burn is Saturday night. Gates open at 5p. Be there 7-9p and you’ll see the good stuff. Tickets online, here.

Chowdah. They serve it at the Oriental Woman’s Club Chowder Cookoff. It’s Saturday 11a-1p at Oriental Marina and Inn. Tickets at the door.

On the Beaufort waterfront: A concrete seaman can handle a stiff breeze. (click pic for more crusty views)

It’s a smiling daffodil, on South Water Street. Smiling that Spring is just seven days away. (Click for more.)

He’s not old enough to drive, but he probably knows more about boats than you do. Meet Wes Barbour in The Shipping News.

After Friday’s rains, reflections on Factory Street.

This is Wes Barbour. He likes to talk about boats. He restores boats. He is 12 years old. Wesley’s story is coming in the Shipping News.

Crabby? Just look at this crab (spotted on maneuvers on Factory St).

Kinda wet today. It’s like someone upstairs is mad.

A March sunset off Teach’s Point (Christel Monmoine photo)

It wasn’t in a horse-drawn wagon, but Saturday’s parade did have the ladies of First Citizens Bank dressed in their yesteryear finest. (Click for the big view)

If you’ve seen a man and mule around town this weekend, it was Bernie Harberts and Polly. They were part of Saturday’s parade for the 125th Birthday Celebration.

Ladies in Oriental’s 1919 May Day Parade, at the corner of Broad & Hodges. We’re hopeful the ladies will appear again in 125th Birthday Celebration Parade on Saturday.

Under the seasoned docks of Garland Fulcher Seafood.

Saturday is Oriental’s 125th birthday. There’s a legend that says if you go down to Lou Mac Park at sunrise and squint just right, you might be able to see, appearing from the mist… one of Oriental’s historic mule-pulled golf carts.

Drew Cox, at Oriental’s water plant. Drew has worked for the town for 11 1/2 years. He’s resigning, saying some town commissioners have made it onerous to do his job. Here’s the story.