B&B Annual Messabout
The ANNUAL B&B MESSABOUT is APPROACHING FAST!
When: October 23–25, 2026 — SIGN ME UP (it's free to attend)
Join us Friday night at Little Italy for our favorite Italian buffet dinner. $15 per person — buy tickets.
Where: At the B&B workshop. 342 Chapel Creek Dr., Bayboro, NC 28515
We have a great site for small boat sailing, including a launch ramp with its own launching dock, a 10' dock and a floating dinghy dock. Your shallow draft boat will happily snuggle alongside the dock for tying up and camping, or you can anchor out for the night. We have 5 acres of waterfront to camp on (room for one RV possibly — contact us if interested).
How Much: FREE for the Messabout, and $15 per person if you want to join us Friday night at Little Italy (kids under 12 free). Otherwise you pay your own food and accommodations; we provide the water, the dock, the space, and Saturday's catered meal. (BYOB, we provide sodas.) Don't forget to sign up for the dinner so we have an accurate count for the buffet.
Who: All are welcome. Don't have a B&B boat? No problem — bring what you have and come sail with us.
Here is the list of boats that will be in attendance this year.
Click here to see all the pictures and videos from past Messabouts. Also on our YouTube Channel.
And don't forget to join our B&B Builders Facebook group and share your pictures.
Rough Schedule of Events (very informal)
Friday
Feel free to arrive anytime on Friday for the start of our informal gathering. Launch your boat, go sailing, hang around the shop, or just relax. There is plenty of parking available. You can leave your boat tied up on our dock.
Friday Evening
We will be gathering at Little Italy Italian restaurant for dinner around 5pm. Dinner will be buffet style (salad, pizza, stromboli, etc.). Alcoholic beverages to be purchased separately. Alfredo, the owner of Little Italy, has been a great supporter of B&B over the years and we always enjoy bringing our group to them for their great food and to support a great local business.
Saturday
Meet and greet and mingle; sailing of course, and maybe even a race if there is interest. A catered meal at the shop, so make sure you get on the roster of attendees. (BYOB, we provide sodas.) An afternoon how-to session on topics of interest — CNC machine demo, or other demo suggestions welcome! Saturday evening will be on your own and hanging out at the shop. We'll round it up with a "dark velvet" after-dinner sail for those who were not completely sated during the day.
Sunday
More sailing and schmoozing. For those who have no schedule, carry on through Monday/Tuesday, whenever — you are welcome to stay into the week if you have the time. Many make a whole week of it, but the shop will be back to work on Monday!
More Info
In The Area
If you would like to bring family or friends who are not totally into the sailing scene, there are plenty of things to do and see in this area (you will need a car). If you are interested in history, we are steeped in it, and have a great local museum you can see exhibits on the way in or out of town. There are multiple tourist sites in New Bern, including Tryon Palace, the only royal palace in the whole USA! Tryon also has wonderful gardens, and we have a history center very close to the palace.
A little further afield we have a wonderful NC Maritime Museum, a great aquarium, and ocean front beaches. Check out the following sites for more planning information:
- www.nceast.org — an incredible site!
- www.pamlicochamber.com — local information about everything you want to know about Pamlico County before visiting. You can link to the Pamlico County website from the Chamber site.
Lodging
Oriental Marina and Inn — 103 Wall St., Oriental. www.orientalmarina.com, 252-249-1818. 1-2-3 bedroom suites with kitchenette rooms that overlook the water at the harbor; rooms have either queen or king beds.
River Neuse Suites — Mildred Street, Oriental. www.RiverNeuseRentals.com, 252-249-1404. Beautiful suites with fold-out sofas as additional space and kitchenettes.
Lazy River Cottages — 513 Oriental Rd., Oriental. 252-249-2261. Each cottage sleeps 6, porches overlooking the water, cooking facilities.
There are chain hotel/motel accommodations in New Bern, 30 miles away from our site: Comfort Suites, Hilton, Hampton Inn, Travelodge — check through national websites. Additionally in New Bern: The Bridgepointe Hotel, 252-636-3637, is a large hotel but not a chain.
Camping
Feel free to pitch a tent on our property. There is also the Rivers Edge Family Campground, 149 Tempe Gut Rd., Maribel. 252-559-3603, www.riversedgefamilycampground.com. A scant 2.5 miles from our site, a great family-owned campground on the water with dock and launching ramp and all hookups and amenities. Quick sail to our dock!