New England Tour
Friday, 8/29. Our crews arrived at Fort Adams State Park in Newport to board our twin Beneteau 41.1 yachts from Bare Boat Sailing Charters, Summer Dreams and Summer Magic, and prepare for our 6-day cruise on the waters off Rhode Island and Massachusetts. On board Summer Magic were Skipper Mia McCroskey, Jan Cornelius, and two newcomers to the Club, Joanne Phelan and Cathylee Healy. Joanne and Cathylee are experienced sailors, but it has been a few years for them, so they were a little apprehensive about their skills. They needn’t have worried, as both settled in quickly and proved to be great crewmates. Aboard Summer Dreams was Skipper Bob Rainey, John Francischetti, Mary Ann Gordon, Martha Haines, and Kathy Oburg. Kathy is a long-time member, but it has also been a few years since she’s been sailing, and it’s great to see her back.
We started loading the boats with gear and provisions via dinghy around 5:00. It took some time, since they are kept on moorings quite a way from the dock. But by 8:00 we were pretty much settled in.
The weather report for the week called for temperatures in the 60s to 70s and blue skies but light winds, tapering off to almost calm by mid-week. This turned out to be quite accurate. Not only were the winds light, but they seemed to always be on our nose, no matter which direction we were headed.
Saturday, 8/30. We left moorings at 7:00 a.m. in order to arrive at Block Island in time to grab one or two of the first-come-first-served moorings that the Town of New Shoreham maintains. We should have stayed in bed, as all the balls were taken when we arrived at 11:00 a.m. Apparently, people arrived Friday and were staying the entire Labor Day weekend. We cruised the crowded harbor for a while, hoping that someone would leave, but finally gave up. We headed to the anchorage on the far side of Great Salt Pond, where we rafted up with the usual hullabaloo that accompanies this process (“Watch the spreadahs!” as we say in New England). Tired from generally poor sleep the first night aboard and our early departure, and discouraged by thought of a three quarter mile dinghy ride to the town dock, we decided to stay aboard and forego the sights of Block Island. We dined on appetizers and enjoyed the relative tranquility of the anchorage.
Sunday, 8/31. A second early departure started us on the 40 NM trip to Cuttyhunk. It was another beautiful day with light winds, but we were able to sail for an hour or so on the way. We arrived around 2:30 and picked up our reserved moorings. After a short walk around town, we ordered oysters, shrimp, chowder, and clams from the Raw Bar, which were delivered to the boats at 6:30 p.m. The first game of Farkle was played aboard Summer Magic, where Joanne displayed some beginner’s luck by crushing the rest of the crew.
It’s getting dark and the anchor lights twinkle on the Great Salt Pond
Monday, 9/1. We left Cuttyhunk at 9:00 a.m. on our way to Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. Motoring all the way, we arrived at 2:30 p.m. and picked up town moorings. The harbor was very busy on this Labor Day. Summer Magic’s crew took the town launch in for a good supper on the deck at the Seafood Shanty. Summer Dreams crew stayed aboard for an appetizer party and wicked game of Farkle.
Tuesday, 9/2. Lay over day in Edgartown. Mia, John, and Jan rented e-bikes and rode to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, which featured an exhibit commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the movie Jaws. It was fun and interesting. The movie really changed Martha’s Vineyard from an agricultural and fishing island into the tourist destination it is today.
Cathylee and Joanne’s friend Margarite (maybe another future member!) came out to the boat to visit. After finding a couple of restaurants closed for the season, we went back to the Seafood Shanty for supper.
Summer Dreams crew went to town, and after much discussion, settled on a light lunch at The Shanty, followed by a walk to the lighthouse. They also had supper at the Shanty, then headed back to the boat for more Farkle.
Wednesday, 9/3. Another beautiful, windless day. We arrived in Menemsha around 3:00 p.m. and took two of the 16 transient slips. The current in the harbor was substantial and swirly, and First Mate Jan had some difficulty backing the Summer Magic in between the pilings. The Harbormaster is used to such goings-on, however, and used the padded bow on his launch to nudge our boat in the proper direction. No damage was done, and there were polite attaboys from the neighbors when we tied up safely. Summer Dreams got a slip at the quiet end of the dock and didn’t have as much trouble.
Summer Dreams' provides a photo op.
The vibe in the port of Menemsha feels a world away from the rest of Martha’s Vineyard. It is still a commercial fishing village instead of a high-end tourist/summer spot, and the small number of transients are all friendly and laid back. There is a small beach that attracts visitors, and it is well known for the sunset, which was on full display that day we stopped there. No green flash, but there could have been! We all got supper to go at Larsen’s Fish Market to enjoy aboard
Thursday, 9/4. We left Menemsha at 9:00 a.m. on our way back to Newport. Miracle of miracles, we got some reasonable breeze from a favorable direction! Most of the day we were on a beam reach, and the boats showed good response, with speeds up to 6.5 Kts on winds around 10-14 Kts of wind. One good day of sailing, especially at the end of a trip, makes up for a lot of days of motoring. We were back on the ball in Breton Cove by 3:30 p.m. and enjoyed our must-go/emergency supper on board. A pleasant end to a beautiful week.
Cathylee, Jan, Joanne, Mia, Bob, Mary Ann, and John (absent: Martha).
