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Oriental’s Blue Crabs
ORIENTAL’S SAIL LOFT REALTY CRAB CAKES
by Suzanne Gwaltney, SRES
Blue crabs are plentiful in the Neuse River. The life cycle begins in the salt waters of the broad sounds where female or “sponge” crabs deposit their eggs between the first of June and the end of August. At birth the baby crabs are about 1/25 of an inch long and look like swimming question marks. This “zoea” sheds its shell many times and is called a “megalops” when it begins to resemble the adult. Crabs hatch from eggs in late June, usually pass through the larval stage by August, and begin to move up river during early fall, or until cold weather halts the migration. In the spring their journey is resumed and full maturity is reached in 12 to 14 months. In order to increase its size, the crab must molt, or shed, its exoskeleton shell home. As it approaches a molting it becomes a “peeler” and when it actually discards the old shell it is called a “soft shell”.
Crabmeat is delicious, and a favorite way of preparing is simple steaming. Diners do the digging for the sweet meat at the table, in much the same manner as lobster is enjoyed. If the blue crab is chosen in the soft shell stage, breading and sauteing whole is a delicacy.
Folks in Oriental NC love catching blue crabs, it is simplicity itself and anyone can do it. A common method is to tie a fresh chicken leg to a length of stout string, drop the leg into the water from your own dock, wait until a crab clamps on, then haul up the prize, always maintaining a healthy respect for those claws, of course. Crabmeat is a special delicacy in Oriental, NC, and since crabs abound in surrounding waters many residents set their own crab pots. In season the catch can be found daily. Ms. Anne Gwaltney always fixed the best crab cakes on the Carolina Coast. Ms. Anne, co-founder of Sail/Loft and mother of owner, Larry Gwaltney shares hers.
1 lb. back fin crabmeat (all shell removed)
1 egg
½ cup cracker crumbs
¼ tsp. dry mustrard
1 tsp. Worchestershire Sauce
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp pepper
Mix all ingredients and gently fold in crabmeat and sauté in a small amount of butter about 3 minutes on each side. Enjoy!
Fish so FRESH it bites you!!!!
Anyone wanting FRESH FISH? Its just a hop, skip and jump over the Oriental bridge to Fisherman Keith Bruno, owner and operator of Endurance Seafoods. Keith and his wife Marianne, with boys Ben and Zach moved to Oriental in 2003 from Long Island, NY.
Keith was a former lobster fisherman. They brought real estate and settled into life in the slower lane of Oriental North Carolina. Keith offers an assortment of fresh fish, shrimp, oysters, and pretty much anything that comes out of the Neuse River and surrounding waters. It goes from the Neuse, to Keith’s boat, to consumers. He has holding tanks with tempting fresh fish swimming around. It doesn’t get much fresher that that. I call and ask “What fresh fish is available” and he has it ready when I get off work. He also offers his wares to our local restaurant “The Sea Shanty”.
If you are every in Town and have a hankering for fresh seafood, and don’t want to catch it yourself, stop by and chat a while. Click on the link below to view our video.
Real Estate in Historical Oriental NC
By Suzanne Gwaltney, SRES
Oriental North Carolina itself is a quiet place to live, a place where the air is crystal clean and the waters are still pure and the people see no reason why they shouldn’t be friendly, yet modern shopping centers, historic attractions, and beautiful resorts are only a short drive or an easy voyage away. With less than 900 residents, Oriental is a village on a bank of the Neuse, the widest river in the nation (five miles wide at Oriental and never, never crowded).
We are 6 miles up the river from the Pamlico Sound, second only in size to the Chesapeake Bay along the entire east coast. To the east, across the wide Pamlico Sound, lies the 125-mile necklace of barrier islands called the Outer Banks, with miles of uncrowded beaches, charter fishing fleets, campgrounds, nature trails, wildlife refuges, the tallest lighthouse and the highest sand dunes on the coast, the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Museum, and the famous outdoor drama, “The Lost Colony”. You can go out to the islands by private boat or state-operated ferry.
To the northwest, about 25 miles from Oriental, there is the city of New Bern, which offers complete shopping facilities and unusual attractions such as the historic TryonPalace restoration, and a tour of a dozen fine old homes that line the tree-canopied streets.
We are pleasantly aware of the four seasons, but our fall is long and warm, and our winter is only occasionally dusted with snow and mild enough to allow year-round jogging, tennis, golfing, and boating on miles and miles of meandering waterways. Many people know Oriental as the “Sailing Capitol of the Carolinas”.
We have a great many acres of fine land left, much of it on creeks, canals, and rivers. Our traffic flows freely and nobody waits in line for anything, and so our people are relaxed and happy, and we’re taking every precaution to keep things that way.
The capitol city of Raleigh is only three hours away, and the mountains are within reach for a vacation weekend any time.
If you’re planning a visit, email us at sgwaltney@ sailloftrealty.com or call 800-327-4189 and our team at Century 21 Sail/Loft Realty will help you arrange accommodations. If you’d like, we’ll be happy to offer you a tour of our beautiful area. Give us a call to learn more about Oriental and PamlicoCounty.
WHY You’ll Love Retirement in Oriental, NC
By Suzanne Gwaltney, SRES
I asked a friend, Nancy Karl, to share why she and her husband, Fred Karl, chose to retire to Oriental, NC. Here’s what Nancy told us.
“My husband and I heard of North Carolina’s sailing capital quite a few years ago from friends that had homes here and those that cruised the intracoastal Waterway. They had urged us to take a look at Oriental, a small town with a big boating population. We knew it was the place for us upon our first visitand finding the right real estate came easily.
“Our move to Oriental signaled the fulfillment of the dream of retiring on the coast in a sailing community. When we arrived at our new waterfront home, we were led by the gentle breeze to the back of the house where the Neuse River,glistening in the sun, greeted us as well as the sailboats taking advantage of the wonderful weather. Several days later, dolphins put on a show for us and it was as if they were saying, “Welcome to Oriental!!
“Oriental, NC is known for the friendliness of its people. Soon, we became acquainted with members of SCOO (Sailing Club of Oriental) and knew right away that we would like to be part of this active sailing club. SCOO is open to any full time resident who owns a boat (sail or power)
which boasts a cabin with a galley and a head. Another requirement for membership is to complete two overnights on your boat at scheduled sailing events. There are about twenty such events each year. Besides water events there are land events where the delicious food is plentiful and the camaraderie not to be beaten.”
Another club for sailors is ODC (Oriental Dinghy Club). Despite the name, it’s for sailors and their sailboats who enjoy racing. If you don’t want to race your own boat, you may crew on someone elses. Captains are always looking for enthusiastic sailors to help them compete and even win now and again!! My husband crews on a boat and eagerly goes off to each racing event. Besides the sailing, he looks forward to the sumptuous lunches prepared by the captain’s wife.
ODC has weekly races during three seasons of the year. The winter, although milder than other sections of the country, are a bit too cold to enjoy sailing to the fullest so during that time, many a sailor thinks about what he should do to win in the next season! The boats range from day sailors to 40 plus feet. The races are managed by a whaleboat which has been dubbed the “African Queen.” The enjoyment continues after a some races with a land event where great food and racing stories abound.
The enthusiastic spirit of Oriental is also evident in the new sailing school for children The Stern Youth Sailing Program. This program was made possible by many residents volunteers who actually built the sailing prams that are used by the young sailors. What a wonderful testimony to the spirit found in Oriental!!
Besides the boating clubs, there are many other activities to enjoy. The Pamlico Musical Society brings to town wonderful concerts throughout the fall, winter and spring. Also, for lovers of opera there is OOPS (Oriental Opera Preservation Society) and the list continues with book clubs, breakfast and dinner groups, biking and kayaking groups and more! AND, the Pamlico Community Chorale is always looking for voices to add to the seventy plus members.
The relaxing times are special, too. The beautiful Neuse River and the many creeks calm the soul and renew the spirit. If you want to be on the coast of North Carolina, come to Oriental which truly is a special place to be. It’s a small town with a heart as big as the water that will greet you.”
Suzanne Gwaltney, SRES
Blackbeard Loved Hiding Away in Oriental NC.
By Suzanne Gwaltney, SRES
More than one famous sailor has cruised the creeks of Oriental. Legend has it that Greens and Smith Creeks near Oriental were sometime haunts for the infamous Edward Teach, better known as the pirate Blackbeard. Blackbeard was rumored to be hideously ugly, wearing his beard in braids that looked like writhing snakes. From Teach’s Cove, at the intersection of the two creeks, Blackbeard would hide behind a huge oak and watch for potential targets sailing down the Neuse. According to legend, Blackbeard left a captured princess near Oriental and buried the booty from her ship under the oak, never to return. Blackbeard was beheaded in 1718, and Teach’s Oak fell during a storm in 1958. To date, no one has found the treasure.
If you wish to explore the charm of the waterways that beckoned Edward Teach, visit Oriental, NC. You can anchor one night in the stillness of South River, or one of the many smaller creeks that lead to places like Vandemere and Lowland. You will find many of the surroundings unchanged since Blackbeard prowled them.
For more information, email Suzanne Gwaltney
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