Edgartown Town Moorings
“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”—Henry David Thoreau
Another beautiful day in the Vineyard. Today we took the “Chappy” ferry across the entrance of the harbor to Chappaquiddick. The ferry only carries three cars at a time…luckily it’s a very short ride. We spent the morning biking around “Chappy” (over 10 miles, mostly on sand roads) exploring the countryside and walking on the beach.
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July 15 – Edgartown, MA (Martha’s Vineyard)
Ordinary Day
Just another ordinary day in the boat shed. Tabbed in the main bulkhead. Got tired of it moving around and having to remeasure every time I stepped over it.Tabs going in to hold main bulkhead in place.I’ll go over these tomorrow with the sander and fin…
There She Goes…
This morning aCappella pulled away from the Zimmerman Marine dock with Daddy at the helm. She is being hauled out for bottom paint and a couple of other projects to get her ready to sell. Sadly, the crew was not onboard. Dylan and Dee Dee were banned t…
July 14 – Oak Bluffs, MA (Martha’s Vineyard)
Edgartown Town Moorings
“I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be.” ―Albert Einstein
Today we took the bus over to Oak Bluffs to do a little shopping and exploring and enjoyed lunch over looking the ferry dock. Oak Bluff is a very quaint little town that is noted for its “gingerbread cottages” and well-preserved late-nineteenth-century buildings, but it’s definitely more touristy than Edgartown or Vineyard Haven. The ferries brings tourist by the hundreds to the docks here to enjoy the beaches, boats, parks, boutiques and cafes…there are tourist everywhere.
Oak Bluffs is well known for the Methodist Camp that was developed here in the 1830’s. The Methodists gathered in the oak grove each summer for multi-day religious “camp meetings” held under large tents and in the open air. As families returned to the grove year after year, tents were replaced by small wooden cottages. Over time the cottages grew more elaborate. Porches, balconies, elaborate door and window frames became common, as did complex wooden scrollwork affixed to the roof edges as decorative trim. The unique “Carpenter’s Gothic” architectural style of the cottages was often accented by the owner’s use of bright, multi-hue paint schemes, and gave the summer cottages a quaint, almost storybook look. They became a tourist attraction in their own right in the late nineteenth century and many of these charming cottages are still owned by the same families.
Oak Bluffs was settled by Europeans in 1642 and was part of Edgartown until 1880, when it was officially incorporated as Cottage City. In 1907 the town’s name was changed to Oak Bluffs and it’s the only town on Martha’s Vineyard that was consciously planned and developed specifically with tourism in mind. Nineteenth-century tourists, arriving by steamer from the mainland, could also choose from a wide range of secular attractions: shops, restaurants, ice cream parlors, dance halls, band concerts, walks along seaside promenades, or swims in the waters of Nantucket Sound. Resort hotels lined the waterfront and the bluffs.
These pictures show just of few of the cute little gingerbread cottages in the campground area of Oak Bluffs
Lots of restaurants over look the Oak Bluffs Harbor
Park and beautiful home over looking Nantucket Sound
July 13 – Edgartown, MA (Martha’s Vineyard)
Town Moorings
“If you’re not barefoot then you’re overdressed.” –Author Unknown
We started our day slowly having breakfast on the flybridge enjoying the cool breeze and the sights in the harbor off Edgartown. Later in the morning we took our bikes to town and spent the day exploring Edgartown and South Beach near Katama.
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July 12 – Edgartown, MA (Martha’s Vineyard)
Town Moorings
“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks…is a departure into unknown lands.” ―Sir Richard Burton
We had a great cruise from Block Island to Martha’s Vineyard and arrived just as the wind picked. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the mid 70s and lots of sunshine.
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Deer Island Treatment Plant
The Deer Island Treatment Plant is the second largest sewage treatment plant in the country, treating 350 million gallons per day with a peak capacity of 1,310 million gallons per day. The $3.8-billion plant is the centerpiece in the successful Boston Harbor cleanup effort. The plant’s unusual egg-shaped digesters are distinctive landmarks on entering Boston…
There will be blood
Back in the shed again this morning before the heat starts to rise. I wanted to get the main bulkhead located and marked so I can tab it in place tomorrow.Lining up the main bulkhead.I hot glued some small pieces of 1/2″ ply to the sides of the hull on…
July 11 – Block Island, RI
Great Salt Pond
We’ve covered a lot of ground in the last week and we’ve started our days very early so we could catch the favorable tide, and now we’ve arrived at our summer destination….New England. Where the days are pleasant and the evenings are cool. We spent today at Block Island catching up with friends on Amici and Magnolia. It was a beautiful day for a walk on the beach, happy hour on the back deck of Amici and dinner at The Oar overlooking Great Salt Pond.
Marathon
Like coming home.
We left Miami early in hopes of catching favorable currents that would put us into Marathon before closing time. And, we made it. At exactly 5:00 PM we were greeting Dennis, Marathon Marina’s manager, and tying up. They gave us a great slip.
I’d already finished desalting Istaboa and we’d walked the boys, just in time to catch a famous Marathon sunset. We’ve forgotten how pretty this spot is.
Over the years we’ve spent much time here. Faro Blanco Ocean Side Marina was shelter in our early days of cruising, it’s long gone now. Nothing left but the bones of what was once our offbeat hideout in the Keys.
Faro Blanco was homeport to some of the most interesting folks we’ve ever met. Live-aboards from all walks of life and different parts of the world inhabited this weathered old marina.
The official Happy Hour on the dock started everyday at 4:30 and ended when the sun disappeared behind 7 Mile Bridge. -BYOB- It made no difference if you were old, young, rich or poor; or if your boat was sail or power, big, little, —new (like our fancy SeaRay) or old and barely floating. If you cared to sit and drink and sincerely get along you were made to feel welcome.
Almost always ending with a discussion about the mythical Green Flash and “Happy Days” was the final toast as the gathering dispersed.
I think it was Hurricane Wilma back in 2005 that destroyed much of the marina and finally lead to it’s closing. By chance, we happened to be there for their last week as many of the long time live-aboards were sadly moving on.
Not, “Happy Days”.
But not all has changed. The skeletal remains of an old wreck still lies in the shallows just to the west of the marina; it’s the gathering place for the many Cormorants and Pelicans, who like those at the Faro Blanco happy hours, seem to casually coexist.
We’re, once again, TCB and enjoying our surroundings while we do. The Keys are fairly sleepy this time of year. The large groups of boaters have all migrated back north leaving The Keys quieter and friendlier. Local folks aren’t so busy and have time to breath and enjoy themselves so the vibe is definitely more laid back.
Though it’s mighty hot, we find pleasure in the peaceful summertime at Marathon.
Key West is up next — So much for peaceful.
Happy days,
Nordhavn Exumas Abacos Bahamas trawler Caribbean Pickwick Boat dogs
Memphis Downtown
Memphis Downtown
