Onward’s Cruise Journal 2009
Cruise in New England

August 2009

1 Aug 2009; West I, Buzzards Bay

  • This morning I was visited by the Fairhaven Harbormaster as he motored by. His opening statement: You’re not going to anchor here overnight - I don’t allow people to anchor.” I must have looked dumbfounded. I then told him I’d come in because of the storm on Friday and asked why there was an anchoring restriction in the rather open bay area - something I had not encountered on the Chesapeake. He made some statement that there were plenty of places with slips and moorings so there was no need to anchor. I told him I couldn’t get through the channel to the marina and then he said OK. This is the first time I’d encountered a rather officious harbormaster who was trying to push his influence beyond his legal authority. In any case, I think I will learn about the local laws.
  • I attended the annual Full Moon party at Earl’s Marina where Kelly has Kwitcherbitchen on his private mooring.

2-3 Aug 2009; Hadley Harbor, Naushon I
  • Onward & Kwitcherbitchin set out for the short trip to Hadley Harbor where one of Kelly’s friends, Jack and Sandy Noble, had secured one of the moorings in the inner harbor. We all rafted up and enjoyed the warm weather and pleasant environment.
  • Jack and Sandy are preparing to head to the Bahamas this Fall and Kelly and I kept their pens busy with suggestions and experiences.

4-5 Aug 2009; Oak Bluffs, Marthas Vineyard
  • We set off through Woods Hole to Marthas Vineyard and found a mooring in the Oak Bluffs harbor that had a single boat on it. They allow up to 4 boats on a town mooring so Kwitcherbitchen rafted up and Onward joined.
  • I finally got to see the gingerbread cottages and tabernacle that I had read much about - they are delightful. We finished the evening up by a quiet dinner aboard.
  • Kelly helped me prop up the dinghy on the beach and scrape and clean the bottom. The amount of small barnacles that had covered the bottom was amazing. We finished the day with Pizza and ribs aboard Onward with friends of the Greggs, Jessey & Deb.
  • 6-7Aug 2009; Lake Tashmoo, Marthas Vineyard
  • After a quick trip for breakfast and food shopping ashore, Onward & Kwitcherbitchen departed Oak Bluffs and sailed for Lake Tashmoo.
  • On the sail over, I got to play good samaritan. As Onward rounded the point at West Chop, I checked my AIS for large vessels and I saw two > 100’ yachts moving E toward Nantucket. I then noticed the first, Hooter Patrol IV, was heading directly for the 5-6’ sandbar in the center of vineyard sound - they and apparently missed the R&G buoy marking its W end. I immediately warned them on VHF 16 that they were heading for the bump. I then saw the yacht which had been traveling at top speed come to a stop and make a sharp R turn.
  • This was my first visit to this area so I followed Kelly into Lake Tashmoo. The entrance through the jetty was easy with one 8’ spot but mostly depths to 10’. We proceeded to the very E end of the lake where we snared an open mooring. The tides here are about an hour after Cedar Point to the SW.
  • I took the opportunity to move the cleats for my flag halyards from the side stays to the mast as in their original location they have caused problems in snaring the genoa sheet and once the sail itself. After a rain squall came through we walked into Vineyard Haven for dinner.
  • Shearwater with Jim & Deb Dalton joined us on the mooring on Saturday. That afternoon we dinghied in to the old waterworks at the E end of the lake where we attended a presentation of “The Taming of the Shrew” by the Tisbury Players in a natural amphitheater. It was great!

8 Aug 2009; Cuttyhunk
  • Onward & Kwitcherbitchin departed for Cuittyhunk along with Shearwater where friends of Kelly & Deb had secured us a mooring inside. I then got to meet several more of their great friends.

9 Aug 2009; Greenwich Cove
  • Onward Onward departed Cuttyhunk at 0830 and picked up a 10-12 kt SW wind for a delightful sail back to RI. The day was spectacular - like yesterday until about noon when high clouds moved in. I sailed up the W Passage and under the Jamestown Bridge before turning to the iron genny. I moored back on C83 at EGYC and found High Priority with Ingred & Ron Libitsky on C72. After I showered, Ron fetched me in his dinghy and we went into town for dinner and visited between boats. Ron and Ingred are making plans to go S this winter and we will try to coordinate our travels.

10-11 Aug 2009; Naragansett Bay
  • Joahna arrived by Air Canada from Toronto on Sunday night but her bag did not make the plane. She and her RI friend, Colleen, joined me in East Greenwich for breakfast after which we fetched the bag at the airport, did some quick shopping and returned to Onward. We quickly departed EGYC and had a pleasant sail N around Patience and Prudence Islands and then S to Jamestown where we picked up a mooring from Conanicut Marine for the night. The girls took the launch in for dinner ashore and dad rested.
  • On Tuesday there was no wind so we motor cruised through Newport and then along the Atlantic coast and back up the West Passage where we stopped at Wickford for a few hours taking advantage of an open town guest mooring. We returned to EGYC in the evening so Colleen could depart. Colleen works for Anheuser-Busch and she introduced me to their American Ale which is quite good.