Monday July 25th - Cuttyhunk to Vineyard Haven. We sail downwind across Vineyard Sound. With Doug’s help trimming the sails and adjusting the traveler we end up making over 12 knots under sail, a new record for us and our boat. I enjoy it because sailing downwind you don't heel.
Its amazingly hot. We go into town for dinner at The Beach Road Restaurant. We have oysters (so-so), lobsters (pricey), clams (not bad), and an amazing German chocolate cake for dessert. The rose is good, and so is the port, from what I hear.
Tuesday July 26th - Vineyard Haven. In the morning I go for a run. Martha’s Vineyard outside of Vineyard Haven is pretty, shady, surprisingly hilly. I run two miles to a lighthouse and back, then take a shower. The Harbormaster's facilities are pretty disgusting, old, no benches, high traffic, dirty.
For lunch we eat more lobster rolls at the Net Effect. This is a fish market with outside seating. These rolls are much better than last night, and cheaper too. We get ice cream on the way back to the boat. It is So Hot. The others go to the beach, but I stay on the boat, getting in the water to cool off. Then it's pleasant to sit on the boat, write, read. Dinner is halibut steaks grilled on the boat.
Wednesday July 27th - Vineyard Haven to Edgartown. Still very hot and no wind, but its only a short motor sail from Vineyard Haven to Edgartown. Edgartown is a very pretty old New England town. I wear my new Hillary tee shirt and get lots of positive feedback on the island, might get things thrown at me at home....lunch, then back to the boat to hang out for the afternoon. I rig up a sheet as a Bimini; the resulting shade makes a huge difference in the temps.
We go into town for dinner at The Port Hunter. The bluefish cake appetizer is really good. For dinner Sally and I share a whole fish - fluke. The food is great but we have a long wait for a table. The people at the table that will eventually become ours are just sitting there hanging out long after their food is gone and the check has been paid. I have an urge to perform an Asian maneuver and go stand behind their chairs staring pointedly until they leave. Although if this really was Asia, it wouldn’t have much effect.
When we get back Heather has pooped in the boat. Oh Heather. Poor thing, I guess her latent anxiety got the better of her. If there was a way to crate her on the boat we would but the space is just too cramped. The others take the dogs in to go potty and Harper gets away from Lee and finds a skunk. Its not a direct hit but traumatic nonetheless. We scrub her with “the cure” (1 quart hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 tsp Dawn. Rub this mixture into dry fur, rinse and wash as normal). Even after deskunking the poor thing a slight oder wafts through the boat and reappears periodically throughout the rest of the summer.
Its very very humid. When we wake in the morning everything is damp.
Thursday July 28th - Last day in Edgartown. I go for a run and then get a breakfast sandwich. Then we rent bikes. Its fun, there are bike paths all over this end of the island so we don’t have to share the road with cars. We ride to one beach on the Atlantic side, stick our feet in the water, then ride to another beach on the Vineyard Sound side. Some of us (not me) jump off the “jaws” bridge, an icon from the famous movie.
Then its back to the boat. I get in the water and then take a shower. The marine forecast is predicting rain and wind tomorrow. We debate the best course of action while eating dinner on the boat. Stay tuned!
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