We are loving it here in Vineyard Haven. That’s the name of the harbor. The town is called Tisbury, and this was one of the earliest settlements on Martha’s Vineyard. This is where the schooners stopped on the dangerous run from Boston to New York.
If we look to our right, we see what looks to be a town of 250 people, and if we look to our left, we see schooners and mega yachts. One of the schooners is flying a huge flag with the Black Dog logo. Also, notice the guy on the hydro- board in the foreground, flying a foot off the water on a winged keel
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We planned to eat at the Black Dog Café, but this was a work day, and we’re tired. But the boat is clean and reprovisioned, and we’ve made an attempt at repairing the dinghy. It’s been a problem since I bought the boat – the davits that hold the dinghy in position are glued to the rubber hull, and one has come completely loose. Fingers crossed that our repair holds.
So tonight, we have chosen to make shrimp and rice onboard. I’m sure it will be delicious – Lynn has the touch. She can always make something great out of nothing.
Tomorrow, we’re off to Nantucket, and I’m happy to see that the forecast has improved. It’s just 25 miles – about 2 hours, and I’m hoping for a more comfortable day.
That’s it for tonight – just wanted to let you know that all is well.
Lynn decided we should do a post about loss. Would you believe it if I told you that – since the trip began – we have lost
• Two coolers
• Three credit cards
• A sandwich
• And a cell phone
Fed Ex lost the first cooler and gave us a refund. They then lost the second cooler. Then they both showed up on the same day, so we got one for free. One is at Lynn’s house, and the other one was delivered to Metedeconk. It’s on board now, and it is great.
Our waitress in Rock Hall dropped the first credit card through the cracks in a wooden deck. We left the second one in a bar in Cape May. (We were out with Dana and Doug, and we were seriously overserved). We cancelled that card, had a new one mailed to us and held for our arrival at Saybrook Point. We used it for dinner at Saybrook Point and (wait for it…) left the card in the restaurant. They are mailing it back to Lynn’s house. Are you starting to see a pattern here?
Now…about that sandwich…Yesterday we had a spectacular day on Martha’s Vineyard. For $5 apiece, we bought one-day passes and rode all over the island on their amazing bus system. First stop: South Beach, where we sat on a huge driftwood log and ate our lunch, and watched some seriously heavy surf crash against the beach. Serious rip tides as well. They have lifeguardstations every 500 feet, and we watched one girl get rescued just after we arrived. Beautiful lifeguards, by the way…it looked like an episode of Bay Watch.
Anyway, as we sit on our log, Lynn feels something smack into her head from behind, and suddenly her sandwich is gone. As the gull flew away with her lunch, we realized what had happened: it smacked her with one of its wings as it made a dive for her sandwich. And that’s how we lost the sandwich.
Back on the bus, we rode to visit the two other towns on the bus route: Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. Each is totally different from the other, and each is totally different from Edgartown. Edgartown is posh and polished. The houses all feature white clapboard or gray cedar shakes with white trim, and blue hydrangeas are a critical part of the color scheme. The Edgartown Yacht Club members all wear full formal outfits on Friday night (white captain’s hat, blue blazer, white pants. Almost a caricature – made me think of Caddyshack.
Oak Bluffs, in contrast, is Victorian – like Cape May but tacky. Edgartown has boutiques; Oak Bluffs has T-shirt shops. Yes, the waterfront is spectacular, and yes, they have restored the oldest carrousel in the US. Just very interesting to see the distinct contrast with Edgartown.
Then, back on the bus, for a short trip to Vineyard Haven. Again, a striking contrast: very small, relatively undeveloped, and home to a famous wooden boat repair firm. Much more organic / authentic. Also, the original home of the Black Dog Café’, the progenitor of all those wonderful Black Dog Boutiques.
Our reservation in Edgartown ends today, and we will move over to Vineyard Haven for one night. It’s a good opportunity to clean the boat and reprovision before we jump to Nantucket Sunday morning.
Oh yes…the lost cellphone. You thought I forgot, didn’t you?
We were pulling into Edgartown on the bus, at the end of a long day, and Lynn realized she didn’t have her phone. We had a large canvas bag with us that held our lunch, two sodas, two beach towels, etc. But no phone. So Lynn – clever girl that she is – checks in at the Edgartown Depot to inquire about Lost & Found. No luck. So then she says, “Let’s get back to the boat. I’ll use your phone as a wi-fi hotspot, connect my iPad to the Internet, and use my ‘Find My Phone” app to locate the missing phone.” And she did.
And it was moving! We watched as it left Church Street, took a left onto Pease’s Point Way, and then slowly passed the cemetery. We realized we were watching the bus we had taken to the beach, and that the phone was still on board. One patient phone call later, and Lynn had the dispatcher contact the driver, and the phone came home. Well done, Lynn!
It’s time to wrap up this post – we must get ready to move to Vineyard Haven. It looks like a good day to be on the water. Calm and sunny. I wish this were our travel day for Nantucket. That takes place tomorrow, and the Windy app warns that it will again be sloppy… Oh Well!
Another sloppy day at sea. 15-knot winds and 2.5’ swells. On our beam. We made a course change about halfway through the trip, choosing to run up Buzzard’s Bay instead of continuing into Vineyard Sound. That put us in the lee of the Elizabeth Islands, and the swells diminished appreciably. But then, we became enveloped in fog. Thank goodness for Radar.
The fog burned off as we ducked through Woods Hole and into Vineyard Sound, and we once again battled with the wind and swells for the last hour into Edgartown.
Despite all the above, we made it to Edgartown in exactly 4 hours, as planned, but it was an uncomfortable ride. Now we are safe and dry, secured to a mooring ball in Edgartown Harbor. The brisk breeze is nice, and the sun is shining.
This afternoon, we’ll go into town for some sightseeing and dinner.
The Waterfront District in Newport is lots of fun – tons of restaurants and galleries and shops built out on the huge piers that extend perpendicular to Thames Street. Bowen’s Wharf; Bannisters Wharf, etc.l
But we wanted to see more of Newport, particularly the Mansions and the Cliff Walk. Since we had not booked a tour in advance, we were dismayed to learn that all the tours were fully booked. But Uber saved the day! Our driver – Harry – was as personable and knowledgeable as any tour guide. Plus, it was a private tour…no annoying passengers and unintelligible loudspeaker system!
We didn’t go inside any of the mansions – just a drive-by. The buildings and the grounds are magnificent. And the views from Ocean Drive are as spectacular as any in the world.
We also managed to:
Do the laundry
Do the food shopping
Walk the dog
Top off the engine oil
Buy more oil
Enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch from the Smoke House.
Pack the new cooler with 20 pounds of ice.
Tonight, we’re off to the Clarke Cooke House Candy Store and Bistro for supper. No, I did not make that up. It was highly recommended by friends. AND, it’s on the National Historic Register.
I know you’ve had problems with photos not loading – I believe the problem is on our end. The Internet is so crappy that we haven’t figured out a foolproof method to transfer the photos from our cameras to WordPress. As Michael Myers character famously said in some Alaska hockey movie, “It’s not Rocket Surgery”! Lynn’s pretty smart, and she’ll figure it out when she gets a moment, but (alas) no photos tonight.
It was a rough trip over today. Fortunately, the wind and tide were in our favor, but the swells were almost 5′. The boat would strain to climb them and our speed would drop to 16mph; then the boat would surf down the front of the swell, and our speed would increase to 19mph. Disconcerting, and not good for the boat. Plus the swells kept pushing us off course.
We finally got the boat speed synched with the swell speed, and we had a much more pleasant ride. But it seemed longer that the 4 hours actual travel time.
But finally, we’re here, in one of the prettiest seaport towns on the east coast. Very chi-chi. Here’s a photo of the church where Jack and Jackie tied the knot in 1953:
Newport is, however, authentically maritime. Here’s a photo of a beautiful schooner we passed in the harbor:
Plus, the 12-meter America’s Cup defender “Intrepid” is tied to the end of our pier. Really! You can charter her and experience for yourself what it feels like to captain an America’s Cup defender. I did it in New Zealand 40 years ago, and it was FUN!
Tomorrow, we’re going to tour the town and drive by the famous mansions on Ocean Drive.
We played 2-handed Pinochle, read our books, and walked the dog between showers.
Here’s a photo of a wonderful plaque we came across on the walk along the river:
That says it all, doesn’t it? I don’t think I could find a better expression of MY attitude!
Saybrook Point is a charming hotel and marina in a very pretty spot at the mouth of the Connecticut River – I think it may be the longest river in New England, with its source near the Canadian border. They care a lot about history here, and the adjacent parks are filled with stories about the first fortifications, the early railroad, the ferry to Lyme, etc. Charming.
We had a yummy dinner in the restaurant, and then early to bed.
Today we traveled almost the entire coast of Connecticut – from Norwalk to Saybrook Point. As my faithful blog followers already know, this is one of my favorite marinas:
First-rate restaurant
Outdoor dining on flower-filled patios
Yummy beverages
Friendly well-trained staff
A park in which to walk the dog
A cute town to visit by bike
It was hot on the Sound this morning, so rather than anchor in Ziegler’s Cove tonight, we chose to get here a day early, and spend two nights in air-conditioned comfort.
Our visit with Emily was great fun. She and Chad and their three kids live in a seashore neighborhood that is retro in its openness and connectedness. Their house, which is undergoing extensive upgrades, overlooks the beach and the park. Dozens (literally dozens) of kids play under the bemused gaze of their parents, who are sitting on the rooftop deck entertaining guests. Friends walk by a call hello. Children eat at one-another’s homes. It’s a real neighborhood!
Here’s a shot we took of the house. It’s a little fuzzy because we snapped it from the boat. But you can see the new rooftop deck (with railing yet to be installed). Very exciting to eat and drink there!
The trip today was idyllic: smooth seas and blue skies. We put the boat on autopilot and read our books the whole way here. Nevertheless, it was good to see the Saybrook Point lighthouse loom into view.
Tomorrow we get to sleep late, then grab some bikes to explore the quaint town of Old Saybrook. It’s an 8-mile loop, so I hope Guinness can keep up!
This post is 12 hours late because of Internet problems.
No matter how many times I sail into NY Harbor, I am always impressed by the sheer scale of it. Entering from the Atlantic Ocean, as we did, you pass beneath the iconic Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the US: over 2-1/2 miles across, with supporting towers that reach 700′ into the air.
The harbor itself was busy, as ever, with tankers and freighter, barges and ferries, and even small recreational fishing boats.
Once inside the harbor, the Statue of Liberty greets you,
and then, once across the huge harbor, you are face-to-face with Manhattan. WOW!
A right turn, and we headed up the East River with 3.5 knots of tidal current pushing us along. Stunning views of the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Smooth seas all the way. Safe and dry in Norwalk, CT by 1:30…a 6-1/2 trip.
Tonight we have supper with my niece Emily and her family. It is such a pleasure to stay in touch this way…
River Breeze is the name of our family home on the Metedeconk River. The Metedeconk flows east and empties into the Barnegat Bay at its northern end – Bay Head.
My father bought the house from a relative when I was quite young – maybe 8 years old, and my family spent every summer there. My brother Tom now owns the house – he bought the rest of us out – and he and Mary Jo invite my sister Jane and me down every summer to celebrate a bunch of birthdays.
The Metedeconk is about a mile wide, and the breeze typically blows from the south. Since our house faces south, there is always a breeze. And if you’re a sailor, you can sail all the way up the river and back again on a beam reach. Sweet.
We arrived at River Breeze this year about 2:30 on Thursday…6-1/2 hours after leaving Cape May. We had a very pleasant run up the Jersey coast. The seas were fairly calm, with low slow swells from the southeast. Once we adjusted our speed to the swells, we had a very smooth ride at a very fast cruising speed.
About halfway through the trip, the marine radio broadcast a warning that violent unexpected (popup) thunderstorms were crossing our path. We checked our radar app, and it showed that the storms were right on top of our position! Fortunately, it seems that we outran the storms, because we got only a few scattered showers.
Despite the smooth trip, I was knackered by the time we arrived at Metedeconk. I had a quiet evening of cocktails and dinner on the beach with Lynn, Guinness, Tom and Mary Jo, my sister Jane, and her daughter Amanda.
Every evening, a pair of swans visits River Breeze, with 4 cygnets. We were sitting up on the bulkhead, about 3 feet above the river, and the swans were at the base of the bulkhead. Guinness jumped into the river to get a closer look, and the male swan made quite a defensive display: spreading his wings, rising to his full height, and hissing and snapping.
I was in bed by 10, and I am told I slept like a log.
Today we refueled the boat, did some wash, and ran some errands. Tonight there will be another amazing meal from Mary Jo, and then we are off tomorrow for Connecticut.
It will be our third day of 6-1/2 hour travel time. I’m glad we had one day off today to rest.
Our trip could not have gotten off to a better start…calm seas, sunny skies, and we had a boost from the falling tide.
The trip up the Chesapeake was lovely. The trip through the C&D Canal was fun. And the trip down Delaware Bay was BORING (as usual). The final leg is the 2-mile-long Cape May Canal, which connects Delaware Bay to Cape May Harbor. We pulled into the marina right on time, and here we are, at the southern tip of New Jersey, ready to head north tomorrow. We’re staying at the South Jersey Marina, which is very nice. And I have a view of the famous Lobster House and their classic schooner America.
Tonight, we’re meeting Lynn’s friends Dana and Doug for dinner. They have a home and a boat here. They all worked together at Kidder.
Everyone at the marina loves Guinness, and several people remembered him from when we were here last year. He will come to dinner with us, of course. We’ll meet Dana and Doug on their boat, and then we’re planning to go to Mayer’s Tavern, which is dog-friendly. Yea!
Tomorrow, we’ll exit via the inlet on the eastern side of the harbor – into the Atlantic Ocean – and we’ll run north along the NJ coast to the Manasquan Inlet, and then through the canal to Barnegat Bay and Metedeconk. About a 5-hour trip, and the weather is supposed to be perfect!
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Before I sign off, I want to thank everyone who has commented on the blog, and I’m sorry I can’t respond to each one personally. Between lapsed cellphone coverage, poor Internet connectivity, and the duties of running the boat, it’s just not practical. (We ARE on vacation, after all!) But we LOVE reading them…it makes us feel connected to all of you as we travel.
Rod & Guinness' Amazing Adventures 