Cuttyhunk in 2018

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Cuttyhunk must be our favorite island in Southern New England. We've dropped our hook in the 'pond' more than a dozen times over a couple decades or visits from Maine. This past season, due to demands from family onboard, we stopped twice on our way through Buzzards Bay. We know the island having hiked the trails and combed the beaches extensively.

Thankfully, nothing much has changed. Our favorite spot to anchor is not far off Copicut Neck where we anchor in 4'1" at LW. It's amazingly private away from the mooring field.
Big sky_.jpg

A big change (our last visit was 2012) was a new town wharf. About the same as the old town wharf but a little bigger. Taking in the local fare, we had a lobster and steamers at one of the tables. Despite being the beginning of August, all the tables were open.
This Dad dinghyed in and plunked his barbie and deck chair, right on the wharf and started cooking hot dogs for his kids. Everybody got it - the kids don't like steamers or oysters on the half shell. Obviously not a newb to the island.
Grilling in town.jpg
Despite being remote, Cuttyhunk always has what we need for a good life on the water: Fresh food and block ice. You need patience with islands. Watch the ferry dock. When golf carts begin to cue up there, a few hours later the store will be stocked. Feast or famine in here: You need local knowledge on island stores.

Store bulletin board.jpg

Check with the ferry operator on block ice availability. It's the real stuff from New Bedford, not the frozen slush found in most Southern NE coolers.

There are a few options to dine on Cuttyhunk. Soprano's, more like a David Lynch movie than a restaurant, is still making pizzas.

Sopranos_.jpg

Small islands are fun to visit but I've never found one I would like to live year round on. The isolation could inspire you to make a bulletin board out of wine corks, that you seem to have enough of.
Store bulletin board-2.jpg

After a full day of hiking (you can go for miles with local knowledge), swimming, dinghy sailing, beach combing (beaches are endless), a good day at anchor ends outs on the pond. We took a mooring on our trip south. Moorings are fun but you'll be surrounded by engines running and generators throbbing all night. Southern NE has more motorboats and they run engines.

We like to cook onboard but love to take advantage of the Cuttyhunk Raw Bar. It was a busy night on the pond. 3 kids shucked our oysters and prepped shrimp cocktails for our happy hour.
Raw Bar.jpg

Off Copicut Neck I'll often photograph the (5:33 am)sunrises,...
5-33 am.jpg

and sunsets (7:58pm) on the pond.
Cuttyhunk sunset_.jpg
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,075
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Nice pictures. Been there many times. My favorite view is of the Newport bridge from "the dump"
 
Aug 4, 2018
55
Pearson Yachts 39-II Punta Gorda, FL
Thanks for sharing, Tom. One of my lifelong favorites, as well, back when my home port was Mattpoisett, then later Red Brook Harbor. We most often cooked aboard and walked about ashore, but there was a very nice restaurant named Allen House in those days. I still make occasionally a cold-plated lunch of fish, raw veg., and fruit that I refer to as the "Allen House Lunch". My Padanaram friends and I loved rafting up early for the most entertaining "anchoring follies"!
 
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ToddS

.
Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
Been twice so far this season, and weather permitting will visit again Columbus Day... we sail from Red Brook Harbor... so around 3.5 hours from our mooring. I've anchored there a million times (with some difficulty) and have more recently switched to mooring rentals... either can work depending on your boat and the weather. Such a magical place. NPR just did a story on Cuttyhunk a couple weeks ago, and how they just got a new family that moved to the island increasing their K-8 school population from 1 student up to 2 students. (I've met the 1st, but not the new one). My only complaint is that they had to stop cooking fresh (and fantastic) doughnuts on the dock a few years ago for safety reasons. :(
 
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Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
Thanks for sharing, Tom. One of my lifelong favorites, as well, back when my home port was Mattpoisett, then later Red Brook Harbor. We most often cooked aboard and walked about ashore, but there was a very nice restaurant named Allen House in those days. I still make occasionally a cold-plated lunch of fish, raw veg., and fruit that I refer to as the "Allen House Lunch". My Padanaram friends and I loved rafting up early for the most entertaining "anchoring follies"!
And how we miss the Allen House. Back in the day with our Pearson 30 "Yare" arriving in Cuttyhunk on a dirty day and anchoring (before the moorings went in), then heading for the Allen House, a hot shower, and hot dinner. Those were the days.....
 
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Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
Been twice so far this season, and weather permitting will visit again Columbus Day... we sail from Red Brook Harbor... so around 3.5 hours from our mooring. I've anchored there a million times (with some difficulty) and have more recently switched to mooring rentals... either can work depending on your boat and the weather. Such a magical place. NPR just did a story on Cuttyhunk a couple weeks ago, and how they just got a new family that moved to the island increasing their K-8 school population from 1 student up to 2 students. (I've met the 1st, but not the new one). My only complaint is that they had to stop cooking fresh (and fantastic) doughnuts on the dock a few years ago for safety reasons. :(
Funny how it works. Your home port, Red Brook, is one of very favorite destinations...
 

ToddS

.
Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
We love it in Red Brook Harbor (actually Hospital Cove within R.B.H., but fewer people even locally really know it by that name). Our two favorite "go-to" spots are Cuttyhunk and Martha's Vineyard (mostly Lake Tashmoo). Tashmoo is a relatively quiet harbor on a busy island and conversely, Cuttyhunk is a relatively busy harbor on a quiet island.
 
Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
We love it in Red Brook Harbor (actually Hospital Cove within R.B.H., but fewer people even locally really know it by that name). Our two favorite "go-to" spots are Cuttyhunk and Martha's Vineyard (mostly Lake Tashmoo). Tashmoo is a relatively quiet harbor on a busy island and conversely, Cuttyhunk is a relatively busy harbor on a quiet island.
Yeah. Lake Tashmoo is really our most favorite port of call. However, you may be aware that the political apparatus in Tisbury completely messed up the dredging this year to the extent it didn't happen at all. Harbormaster was advertising 4-1/2 ft at low, which scared us off. When dredged, which they do every year, I don't worry about the tide. The fishermen who work out of Tashmoo were very angry.
Update: Latest dredging information
https://www.tisburyma.gov/sites/tisburyma/files/uploads/tashmoo_update_20180918.pdf
 
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ToddS

.
Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
Yeah. Lake Tashmoo is really our most favorite port of call. However, you may be aware that the political apparatus in Tisbury completely messed up the dredging this year to the extent it didn't happen at all. Harbormaster was advertising 4-1/2 ft at low, which scared us off. When dredged, which they do every year, I don't worry about the tide. The fishermen who work out of Tashmoo were very angry.
Update: Latest dredging information
https://www.tisburyma.gov/sites/tisburyma/files/uploads/tashmoo_update_20180918.pdf
Yes Rick, I followed that story as it progressed (or didn't progress) over the past year or so... we went anyway, but were limited to only arriving and leaving as the tides approached high, which gets tricky when we also have to time it with Woods Hole currents being favorable... We made it in and out 3 times this year playing that game (we draw 4' 11") and every time I was white-knuckled and stressed about running aground, but never had any problem. They're dredging now, so it should be better next summer. Keep the eelgrass protection efforts in mind when anchoring there as well, the available space in the southern 1/2 of the lake for anchoring is nearly gone and pushed more boats back to the shallows inside the entrance on the starboard/west side of the lake.
If the weather is cooperative on Columbus Day weekend we may sneak in one last visit to either Tashmoo or Cuttyhunk before hauling for the season.
 
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NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Looks magical! We wanted to get there this season but weather did not cooperate.... 2019!
 

John P

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Feb 11, 2017
11
Thanks for the memories, everyone. It's been 7 or 8 years away for me, still hope to get back to Cuttyhunk, Buzzards Bay, and all the rest when we get back across the pond in a couple years.
 
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