Martha's Vineyard

We did a 160-mile run overnight last week from Tenants Harbor, Maine to Buzzards Bay, MA to take advantage of NW winds, sailing as opposed to motoring (i.e. pounding) into prevailing southwesterlies. We had a full moon that night which made keeping a watch for other boats much easier. Not totally reliant on radar, as can be the case  This is the moon rising in the east as the sun set brilliantly in the west.

 We sailed in brisk winds the length of Buzzards Bay to Quissett, a favorite little harbor with excellent protection from nasty weather, Which we had for two nights in a row with spectacular thunderstorms and high wind. But during the day the sun shone on all the little Herreshoff 12 1/2s in the harbor as kids practiced their sailing skills for an upcoming regatta. Here are a couple of them, maybe 9- or 10 year-olds, max? it's so cool to see kids into sailing on their own at such a young age.

 While in Quissett we got together with our friends Donna and Kevin who live nearby. We met them for lunch in Falmouth which is very accessible from Quissett Harbor by local trolley. Also did the regular boat chores of restocking the cupboards, doing laundry, recharging the electronic stuff at the library that doesn't charge with 12V power on the boat, filling up on water, etc. Donna and Kevin recommended we try Lake Tashmoo in Martha's Vineyard as a next stop, so we did that. It's very shallow, with only inches to spare at low tide, but with a forgiving mud bottom. And absolutely lovely!

Here are a couple of photos from Lake Tashmoo. In the first, those folks in the little boat are large adults. Think they need a bigger boat? Nah, probably not - they looked like they were having a fine time. In the second photo are swans and their goslings who came begging for food. I had to get Jim to distract them with crackers while I snuck up with with my IPhone, since one adult was determined to chomp my fingers right off if I got too close. Such hissing and lunging! What I REALLY need is a little tiny camera with a good zoom lens. When I use my IPhone I'm always too far away from everything, and going up and down on waves to boot. Lots of blurry photos as a result.....

From Lake Tashmoo we gently sailed around West Chop Light, below, to Vineyard Haven Harbor, another favorite spot on the island.  

Vineyard Haven is the home of the two Black Dog schooners that take guests out for sails daily here. As always, we dropped a hook just near the ferry dock and these schooners. So here I sit in the cockpit, writing to you, sipping a gin and tonic as a ferry approaches from the mainland and the schooner above goes out for a sunset sail. 

Each town on the Island has a distinct character. Here are a few photos of Vineyard Haven. Spaghetti church supper? God, no. We have lobster rolls here.  

Local Jeep. Many pointed messages in stickers. It had lots more, but you get the idea.

This is the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, which graciously offers us reciprocity as Eastport Yacht Club Members. We like to go there for lunch and watch all the kids (they start 'em at 6 years old) learning to sail in the stubby little Optis you see here on the beach. Dozens of kids. It's a trip.

Last night we took the bus to Oak Bluffs to have drinks and dinner with our friends Joanna and John, who we met sailing last year in Florida and the Bahamas, and who we visited at their gorgeous home in Colorado on our camping trip last summer. Above is one of the spectacular homes  built facing the common at the center of town. After dinner, we decided to go check out Back Door Donuts, a local institution. There ia a line out the door every night. 

Jim got a Charlie Special (a donut-ice cream sandwich with whipped cream and chocolate sauce). John and Joanna showed more restraint with a Boston Cream donut apiece. Joanna asked me if I ever felt embarrassed being with Jim (note the nifty paper towel roll bib he fashioned to keep his shirt clean). I said, well yeah, sometimes, now that you mention it...

Oak Bluffs has a distinct kitchy feel - very touristy. Lots of fried food. Lots of t-shirt shops and so on. Below is a photo inside the Arcade. Are we having fun yet???

 Oak Bluffs graced us with a fabulous sunset before we called it a night.  The sunrises and sunsets are a real joy here. It's the height of summer. Warm, breezy, perfect. More to come in a while...