Newport ,Martha's Vineyard Trip

[seadaddler]

Has any one made the trip to Martha's Vineyard Long Island sound,Greenport.
I am thinking of making this trip in my 36 Hunter 5 ft draft.
Will be leaving from Greenport sometime in August.
What stop off points should I consider for this trip,time not
a problem.
Any suggestions and info making this trip most welcomed.
Nick

 

[jviss]

I've done it

I would consider Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Tarpaulin Cove on the way to (I assume) Vineyard Haven/Oak Bluffs/Edgartown. You might also consider stopping in Westport, my home port, on the way - very pretty, great beach, restaurant on the river (where you would moor).

 

[jviss]

more

Just a week ago I sailed Newport to Edgartown - about 50 miles I guess - on one tack! It blew 13 to 17 out of the Sout/Soutwest all day, and picked up late. Took 9 hours.

 

[Rob]

2 - Day trip

Hey Nick -

Ive done that trip from Mattituck via the peconics. I would give yourself 2-days both ways with a stopover at either Block or CuttyHunk if you want to push through. From Greenport, Cuttyhink may actually be a good call. Make sure you have the tide going with you through Vinayard Sound otherwise you can lose several hours on the trip trying to motor against the current. Vineyard Sound can be rather tricky so do some research on that passage.

Where are you staying at Martha's? Vineyard Haven is a nice harbor but a little quiet and a dry town. You may want to look at Oak Bluff if you want to be in the center of the action (but they do triple you up on a mooring there so that may not be what you are looking for). Restaurants are a jump off the boat though.

Good luck and have fun!

Rob

 

[seadaddler]

Suggestions

I have never been by boat,last time their was with motor home
many years ago and we loved it.
We did a lot site seeing on Martha's Vineyard.
Hey Rob
Where did you stay I am not in hurry.
I can do Mystic or Block,Newport,Martha's Vineyard,does not matter.
If you don't mine where is good to stay on this trip.
I am waiting for wife to say when we have two weeks available,
we may be going to Mystic this sunday for a few days with her adult kids.
I am open to any suggestions.
Nick

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

have been doing this trip every year it seems

Nick
If you have the time, you won't be disappointed by spending some time in Nantucket as well. There is a great (and relatively cheap) mooring field there as well with good launch service.
If you do to the Vineyard, I'd stay away from Oak Bluff as it is too busy and crammed with power boats for my taste. Vineyard Haven has two marinas and a mooring field, great restuarants and easy access to public trans.

On Block, the marinas all raft except BI Boat Basin, moorings are first-come, first-served so timing is everything if you go there.

If you do Newport, consider Conanicut Marina's moorings rather than Newport which can be a zoo this time of year. Conanicut is on the Jamestown side of the harbor with all the conveniences except the traffic and bars but you can easily get to both with the launch service.

 

[jviss]

Is it me? Maybe...

Don, I beg to differ on Nantucket! I have sailed to Nantucket and moored there every other year over the last 8 years. Nantucket has the MOST EXPENSIVE, and most restrictive moorings in the area! How can you say relatively inexpensive?

Nantucket Moorings is the sole operator, charing $60 per night plus 5% tax (the only guys in the area who add the tax, by the way), with a two night minimum, three nights during peak periods. Tough cancellation policy - don't expect to get any of your paid-in-advance money back if you can't make it or leave early. Fuel is very expensive there, too.

On the other hand, Edgartown is $40. Right, that's 2/3 of Nantucket, and no minimum stay (two day max. on first-come moorings, two week per month on reserved moorings). Cuttyhunk was $35 last time I was there.

In Newport, there is plenty of room to anchor, but it can be deep, so bring a lot of anchor line. Block is great for anchoring, big field, shallow, sandy bottom. Anchoring is free.

Vineyard Haven is dry, and the restaurants there are expensive, apparently making up the lost alcohol revenues on the food prices. You can bring your own, but some restaurants charge as much as $15 "corking fees." Rip-off. Couldn't get a mooring when I went, and no place to anchor in the inner harbor. Anchored out, lousy ride with ferry and freighter wakes seemingly all night.

Edgartown is my favorite. Anchor outside the harbor, free, close to town dock with free showers, close to the beach, also served hourly by the launch. Or, anchor in Katama Bay, South of town, longer dinghy ride and a launch up-charge, but the best place if its blowing from the North or Northwest. Lots of bars, restaurants, shops, Edgartown Yacht Club.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

jviss

It is a "relatively cheap mooring field" with respect to dock fees (the ONLY alternative). It's unrealistic to compare moorings at Nantucket with MV and particularly unrelaistic to compare with Cuttyhunk at which there is besically nothing except quiet.

 

[jviss]

I see

So when you said "relatively inexpensive" moorings you mean so compared to slips? Not the only alternative, either, you can anchor on Nantucket, too. I don't understand the "unrealistic to compare to MV" comment. How about comparing to Newport? Newport is $45. Or Block Island, $40.

Doesn't matter, apples-to-apples, when you are choosing place to go in Southern New England, Nantucket is clearly the most expensive for EVERYTHING!

 

[John B.]

Easy Trip

Nick, it's a nice trip

I usually stop at Block Island

From there I go to Cutty Hunk, however, it has gotten very crowded there.

Try to stop at Menemsha, on the western tip of Martha's Vineyard

You need to call the Harbor master at 7:00 AM to get a mooring

There are only two moorings in the harbor and sometimes you will meet some nice people if the put two boats on a mooring

Take your dinghy and explore the ponds behind the docks, it is a graet dinghy ride, can take a little under two hours if you explore the whole area

Menemsha is a very small town, you can get lobsters on the dock or walk a little to the Clam Shack for a nice light, but a little greasy lunch.

After Menemsha travel east to Vineyard Haven, anchor outside the jetty, good holding and explore the dry town

I usually bypass Edgartown and go to Nantucket from there

enjoy, I sure miss sailing in New England

By the way, if you see Brian and Sharon this weekend, tell them I said hello

John

 

[Seadaddler]

Hi John

We saw them two weekends ago and they are doing
fine,we talked about taking them sailing this year
maybe Block for a weekend.
We are planning to go to mystic this sunday and
spend some time with her other son who works at
the casino.
Nick

 

[Nice N Easy]

WOW

45 Bucks a night for a mooring. I'm used to paying 1.25 a foot for a transient slip. High end marinas are 50 a night.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

WOW x 2

N&E
Count your blessings - at Nantucket, it's $5.50.ft plus $20/d for electric hookup - and it's usually full! As I said before, the moorings there are relatively cheap by comparison. You don't want to know what they charge for diesel...

 

[jviss]

Menemsha

Two moorings in Menemsha, and no anchoring I know of. At least in Cuttyhunk you can always anchor. Don't pass up Tarpaulin Cove, anchoring only and no services, but charming, about halfway up Vineyard sound, on the South of Nauson Island. Legend has it, the site of John Paul Jones' first naval victory.

I would not pass up Edgartown, either. To get an idea of what it looks like, this is where Jaws was filmed. Lots of great restaurants, bars, galleries, shops, etc.

 

[Seadaddler]

Thanks

Going sailing today, but keep info coming.
Nick

 

[Bob Reitz]

Some of this info is old

The Block Island anchorage area has been mostly covered with private moorings.
The Katama Bay anchorage has been closed for about 5 years, supposedly the grey water was contaminating shellfish. It is also now full of private moorings.
The last I heard Ida Lewis YC moorings in Newport are $65. I would go around and anchor at Dutch Harbor.
Since moving to NC I have really come to appreciate the many free town docks and the number of good places to anchor for the night plus the marina where I dock has much better service than I had at Mattituck NY for half the price

 

[jviss]

Excuse me, your info is old!

Bob,

I don't know where you get your info.

I anchored in Block last August, and the anchorage in the New Harbor (the Great Salt Pond) is today just as it has been for years. It's on the East of the Souther part of the pond, near the narrowest part of the island.

Katama was reopened for anchoring in 2007, after a storm in the previous winter opened a 300 yard breach, connecting it to the sea, and causing huge currents in the harbor.

I don't know what the Ida Lewis Yacht Club charges. Oldport's current rate is $45 per night up to 50'.

I know, I'M HERE. Get your facts straight before you so glibly contradict people.

 

[jviss]

references

Katama breach:

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070910/NEWS/709100308

Oldport moorings in Newport Harbor:

http://www.oldportmarine.com/mooring_rental.htm

Block Island:

http://www.blockislandtimes.com/articles/2008/05/28/news/news1.txt

(see paragraph 13; this article is primarily about anchoring in Old Harbor).

 

[Bob Reitz]

Sorry

Sorry I did not know they had reopened Katama Bay. I have only used Old Port once about 20 yrs ago every other time we were told they were full and they do not take reservations. That is why we went to Ida Lewis the last half dozen times we were there. Maybe the fuel prices have decreased the demand? To me Great Salt Pond is great but I still contend the anchroage has been reduced drastically, all the area on the east side used to be open save for the area close to town. The areas that are left get so crowded that a lot of people do not put out sufficient scope. When the wind pipes up in the afternoon after a current change boats start dragging. When a storm comes after dark many boats drag. These are facts that I witnessed. About 3 yrs ago a friend was anchored for a few days. One day coming back from the beach he finds a brand new mooring a few feet from his boat, he calls harbormaster and complains. Harbormaster tells him he better move because there is a boat on it's way to that new private mooring. Watch Hill/Napatree is a good stop on that route also just make sure anchor well set as quite a few drag there also due to grassy bottom in spots. I was last in those places in 2006 at that time I was told that a town mooring in Three Mile Harbor was $75 a nite, why anyone would use one I can't see as thre is plenty of anchorage

 

[jviss]

Block I.

I've probably spent 15 days on the hook in Block the last three years (none so far this year). I know the anchorage has gotten smaller over the last 25 years, but it's still huge. Many folks drag, I don't know why - it's a sandy bottom, so a Danforth should work well. I use a Bruce-clone with all chain rode, and I've sat through 35 kt. blows there and never dragged. But yes, I've seen a few boats break loose when the wind blows.

There used to be a free launch there - no more, too bad.