| SUMMER CRUISE 2000 July 15 – 29, 2000 From the Log of AKERS AWAY Boats in Company: AKERS AWAY – Hunter Legend 37; Paul & Colleen Akers SAY WHEN – Pearson 35; Kirby & Paula Akers MARSHA II – Nonsuch 30; Mack & Rosalie Manuels SUMMER SOLSTICE – Irwin 37 CC; Jeff & Sue Soares Destinations: Town of Gosnold, Cuttyhunk Island (Elizabeth Islands of Massachusetts) Town of Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, MA Town of Nantucket, Nantucket Island, MA Saturday, July 15, 2000 The other three boats departed on Thursday evening to stage at Sachuest Point for a Friday morning departure to Cuttyhunk. On Friday, they completed the 20-mile open ocean transit to Cuttyhunk. AKERS AWAY’s planned Saturday departure for Sachuest Point was delayed due to high winds and heavy seas and was forced to stay in the marina. Our new plans were to make the 40-mile open-ocean passage to Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard and rendezvous with the other boats on Sunday, but they also had to stay in port at Cuttyhunk. Upon contact with them, they decided to wait another day at Cuttyhunk and we would rendezvous there. Sunday, July 16 Conditions cleared and we departed at 1200 from Brewer’s Sakonnet Marina bound for Cuttyhunk. The weather was now sunny with a light wind on the nose as we headed south down the Sakonnet River. At the mouth of the river we would turn east towards Cuttyhunk. We motor-sailed the distance over calm waters and favorable tide and arrived at our destination at 1700. Enroute, we encountered many fish swirling in the water and also spotted a Portuguese Man-o-war, a poisonous jellyfish, which begins to arrive in this area at this time of year. We rafted with Marsha II for a quiet evening as we prepared to depart for Martha’s Vineyard the next morning. Distance covered: 5 hours, 27 nautical miles (NM). Monday, July 17 Departed Cuttyhunk at 0800 under overcast and breezy skies and motored with the 2+ knot tide for Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard. We passed through Quick’s Hole (a break between the Elizabeth Islands of Pasque and Nashawena Islands) into Vineyard Sound and passed east of Middle Ground, a sand bar in the middle of Vineyard Sound. We won’t pass this side of Middle Ground again since we had to fight the tidal set that pushed us towards the shallower waters of Middle Ground. The wind was on the nose all the way so sailing was not an option. We rounded the north side of Martha’s Vineyard and headed East for Oak Bluffs. At this point we spotted a high speed, turbine powered (water jet) ferry arriving in Vineyard Haven. We arrived at Oak Bluffs harbor at 1200. We walked the town strip to “check things out”, since AKERS AWAY hadn’t been to Oak Bluffs for 5 years, and bought a new MV burgee to fly in the spreaders of the mast. SAY WHEN had developed alternator problems on this leg and AKERS AWAY had discovered a stripped alternator pivot bolt. SUMMER SOLSTICE developed a leak in its main fresh water tank that also needed attention. MARSHA II also developed a split in its holding tank pump diaphragm that required replacement. Distance covered 4 hours, 20 NM. Tuesday, July 18 Weather sunny, warm, windy evening. Stayed in port at Oak Bluffs and bought unlimited bus passes to ride around the island ($5.00 each). We were also running separate errands to tend to our individual problems – Kirby for an alternator, Jeff for a sink fixture, Mack for a pump diaphragm. I had resolved my alternator pivot bolt problem, but needed an air/noise reduction filter since I was concerned about my diesel engine smoking more than it should. We visited the Black Dog store for T-shirts in Vineyard Haven then took the bus cross-island to Edgartown to look around at the boats there and where the ladies did a little shopping. Colleen bought a MV sweatshirt. We guys visited the Wharf Tavern for a beer where the ladies joined us later on. Upon returning to Oak Bluffs, we went to the Season’s Restaurant for appetizers and drinks. Later on, we returned to our boats for supper and a relaxing evening. Wednesday, July 19 Today we prepared for the 30-mile open ocean trip to Nantucket. AKERS AWAY topped off water (20 gallons) and diesel fuel (10 gallons). Marsha II took on 50 gallons of water. I had lunch at Stanley’s Hamburgers with Colleen and Rosalie (Stanley’s originated in Central Falls, RI where Colleen was born. Stanley’s daughter opened in Oak Bluffs 16 years ago). Mack stayed with Jeff to help isolate his “no water” problem. The day started sunny then changed to rain so we hung out on our boats for the remainder of the day. Since rain was threatening, we would all speak via radio early the next morning to discuss our departure for Nantucket. Thursday, July 20 Stayed in port today due to high winds. We will need a 12 hour weather window to head for Nantucket. Had breakfast with Mack & Rose at Linda Jean’s in Oak Bluffs then took a walk through the neighborhood of Gingerbread houses. The ladies then went shopping while the guys hung out on Say When after Jeff completed repairs to his water system. Mack & Jeff took the bus to Vineyard Haven to get needed parts. Took a walk to check out the water in the outer harbor (Nantucket Sound) and it was tumultuous. There were no boats headed for Nantucket. We made the right decision. We met other cruising friends, Steve and Elaine DePaola, disembarking from the Nantucket ferry and they indicated how difficult the water was out there. They were returning to their own boat. We invited Steve & Elaine to join us at the Oak Bluffs microbrewery for refreshments. Today, many sportfishing boats braved the seas and began arriving in the harbor for the annual Oak Bluffs Shark Fishing Tournament. All available boat slips filled up with these mighty fishing “machines”. We ate supper aboard and watched TV for tomorrow’s forecast. It was promising. Friday, July 21 We awoke early and all the sport fishing boats were gone. They had departed for the fishing grounds. The weather was calm and clear with a moderate wind from the SW. We prepared for a 0800 departure for Nantucket 30 miles to the East. It was a perfect sailing day. Our course was broken down into three legs that carried us from Oak Bluffs around Cross Rip Shoals and then to Tuckernut Shoals for a straight shot into Nantucket. Nantucket is the only location in the country that has the same name for the island, county and town. The trip was exciting because of the exceptional sail that the SW wind provided for us. We averaged 5+ knots for the length of the trip when we arrived at 1400 hours. Upon arrival, the four boats picked up two adjacent moorings where two boats rafted (tied together) on each mooring. We straightened out the boats and settled in to relax after the passage. We will go ashore tomorrow. Distance covered: 6 hours, 30 NM. Saturday, July 22 Inport Nantucket. Weather is partly cloudy. We took the launch service to shore and met up with the other folks. Colleen and I had never been to Nantucket before and were extremely surprised at how beautifully the town was preserved. Cobblestone roads abound throughout the main part of town. These were made from the ballast stones of whaling boats from America and England. Nantucket is rich in its whaling heritage. We walked the town, shopped and took an interesting, 1.5 hour van tour of the island. The island is definitely affluent and expensive. Residents, who live in very exclusive homes, include the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Wall St. presidents, baseball club owners, corporate executives, etc, etc. All the homes are built and painted to strict island covenants to preserve the look and architecture of Nantucket. The Nantucket airport is the second busiest airport in Massachusetts, next to Boston’s Logan airport. Many commercial, private, and corporate planes and jets are continually arriving on this weekend visit. 100’ – 200’ megayachts, ferries and private boats are everywhere in the harbor. It is truly a beautiful place. And it’s even better after all the ferries have left for the day and the crowds are smaller. Sunday, July 23 This was a relaxing day that started with boat chores. I topped off the water on the boat by carting the water in 5-gallon jugs from the town dock. I took a shower ashore at the harbormaster’s office. Colleen and I took a casual walk around town to visit various points of interest and made a visit to the Nantucket Whaling Museum where whaling artifacts, scrimshaw displays and a presentation of a whaling expedition was given. We met the group at the Atlantic Tap for drinks and then went for dinner at the Tap Room at the Jared Coffin House with Mack and Rose. It was Mack’s birthday. After dinner we did a bit of souvenir hunting and returned to the boat to prepare for a Monday departure from Nantucket. Monday, July 24 There are not many choices where to return by private boat from Nantucket, so we decided to return to Oak Bluffs for the evening and head to Falmouth on Cape Cod the next day. We departed Nantucket at 0800 in dead calm waters and hit all waypoints easily. Kirby’s alternator problems returned, as well as a water pump failure. We returned to Oak Bluffs at 1400 without incident and Kirby was able to move into a slip for the afternoon to charge his batteries from shore power. He would investigate the water pump later. Distance covered: 5 hours, 30 NM. Tuesday, July 25 Our plan to go to Falmouth, and repairs for Kirby, were dashed by the weather the next morning. Heavy Nor’easter winds would make departure uncomfortable. Kirby’s assessment of his water pump was that it needed to be replaced. He called a towing service for assistance and they decided that they wanted to take him in tow today, back to our marina, 40 miles. The towboat took him out at 1300 in rough conditions. Good bye Say When. Steve and Elaine were still in Oak Bluffs when we arrived yesterday. Marsha II and Akers Away rafted to their boat, The Depot. We spent the afternoon visiting with new friends Steve and Elaine. Boy could he make a TNT. Jeff & Sue shortly joined us. Steve & Elaine told us about a rib place in town named “Smoke & Bones”. We went there for dinner. Smoked ribs, chicken and brisket – excellent. Kirby and Paula were on our minds. Sue received a call from Paula at 2230. They had arrived safe and sound at the marina after a 10-hour tow. Their plan was to rejoin us wherever they could and stay aboard Summer Solstice. On the way home they had Cuttyhunk Island on their agenda to attend the annual pig roast on the island on Saturday. Wednesday, July 26 Weather worse – wind and rain. No chance to leave. Just hung around. We met in a coffee shop in town for coffee and newspapers and just biding our time. We drank cappuccino and then caught a matinee movie, “Chicken Run.” 300 children pegged with energy and about 10% adults. Everyone had cabin fever. We returned to Mack and Rose’s boat for hor d'ourves. We went to bed early. Thursday, July 27 It rained quite heavily last night. Had to light the oil lamps on board to cut the humidity. Today started out cold and miserable. We had breakfast aboard and later met at the coffee shop for cappuccino and newspapers again. After coffee the sky began to brighten. We took a walk to the water and saw that things had calmed down. We decided to depart at 1500 for Cuttyhunk Island – a 20-mile trip. We were anxious to get off the island. We hastily loaded ice, water and diesel and were prepared by 1530. I discovered a starter button short as we were starting. We overcame that and were on our way. As we were enroute to Cuttyhunk the tide was against us. Mist and light fog were beginning to roll in and we were making limited headway. I turned on the radar. We were running out of time at this speed. By radio we agreed that we should pull in somewhere for the evening. Half of our leg was completed, but Tarpaulin Cove on Naushon Island (Elizabeth Islands) was 2.5 NW away to our West. In the lee of the island we each set our anchors up close to shore for the night. There were three other boats there. Naushon Island, quite and private (owned by the Forbes family), is a peaceful place. On shore we could see the intermittent lighthouse beam, hear birds, crickets and a variety of night noises. We had cocktails on Mack and Rose’s boat. Heavier winds were predicted to come off shore from the NW this evening, but they wouldn’t materialize. We could see the glow of lights of Vineyard Haven to our South. We plan to leave Tarpaulin Cove in the morning at 0800. Distance covered: 4 hours, 10 NM. Friday, July 28 We awoke to bright, high overcast skies and an offshore wind. We had 11 miles to Cuttyhunk. Colleen made a pot of coffee as we prepared to get underway. As soon as we got underway and into Vineyard Sound, we encountered favorable wind and tide. We motor-sailed 5 miles to Quick’s Hole and passed between the islands with the tide to the northern side of the Elizabeth Islands. We were now in Buzzard’s Bay. We turned west towards Cuttyhunk another 5 miles. As we approached Cuttyhunk, there were many boats departing the natural harbor. They must have been holed-up there just like we were in Oak Bluffs and itchy to get out. There was plenty of space there when we arrived at 0930. We straightened out and prepared for breakfast. Cuttyhunk is geographically located in the perfect place for cruising boaters. It has only one paved road. There are some vehicles, but most residents own golf carts for transportation. We walked around part of the island. Few souvenirs are available. Cuttyhunk is the westernmost island of the Elizabeths and juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. She forms the beginning of the split between Vineyard Sound and Buzzard’s Bay. An observation deck was constructed atop the highest hill on an old submarine lookout tower (circa WWII). The 360° view is spectacular. To the West we could see 13 miles to Sakonnet Point, our entry point to Narragansett Bay the next day. The 50 permanent residents (this swells in the summer) of Cuttyhunk are serviced by a small ferry from New Bedford. Kirby and Paula were planning to take the ferry out later in the day to join us and stay aboard Summer Solstice. We had guests aboard our boat this evening for drinks and snacks. Kirby and Paula did arrive by ferry. Mack and Rose, Jeff and Sue, Steve and Elaine had arrived from Oak Bluffs and Colleen and myself. 10 people in our cockpit. As we listened to raggae music and Jimmy Buffett, drinking TNT’s and Painkillers (compliments of Steve & Elaine), we recounted the experiences of our trip. We laughed, we took pictures as memories of the fun times. Jeff vowed not to return to Oak Bluffs for 5 years – 7 days there, altogether, was enough for a while. Vacation was coming to an end. Akers Away and Marsha II were planning to depart the next morning at 1000 for Newport to spend our last night aboard. The Depot was heading home. The extended forecast was calling for T-storms on Sunday, so we changed our plans to arrive home on Saturday. Distance covered: 1.5 hours, 11 NM. Saturday, July 29 Departed Cuttyhunk at 1000 bound for our home marina. The sky was high overcast, unlimited visibility, seas flat and a favorable tide. We motored in company with Marsha II the entire distance to the marina. We left Summer Solstice and Kirby & Paula back in Cuttyhunk because they were going to attend the Cuttyhunk Rod & Gun Club’s annual pig roast. This has become a big event on the island and many boaters show up to attend. Only 400 tickets ($25 each) are sold and it is prepared by a mainland company who brings everything over on the ferry. They provide everything including a DJ for dancing after dinner. We arrived at the marina about 1500 on Saturday afternoon and spent the rest of the day offloading the boat. Although we encountered a lot of poor weather, we did accomplish our ultimate goals of this vacation – visiting Nantucket and lots of relaxation. Distance covered: 5 hours, 27 nautical miles (NM). Summer Solstice rejoined us the next day at the marina. Total distance covered for the two-week period – 155 NM. |
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