Day 282, Year 7: A Day on Martha’s Vineyard
Date: Thursday, August 16, 2012
Weather: Beautiful Day, But No Wind for Sailing
Latitude: 41 27.723 N
Longitude: 070 35.641 W
Location: Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
It was a beautiful day from start to finish but we had to motor across to
Martha’s Vineyard instead of sailing. The wind was less than five knots and
that just wasn’t going to move Windbird. So on went the engine.
Regardless, we are back on Martha’s Vineyard for the first time this
cruising season and my question is, “Who was Martha?” I just Googled that
one and found that in 1602 an Englishman named Bartholomew Gosnold named the
island. He found the island covered in grapes and had an infant daughter
named Martha. He also had a mother-in-law named Martha who helped finance
his explorations. So from one or the other or both came the name Martha.
We arrived at 11 am and spent the next hour doing this and that on the boat.
Then we went ashore, bought all-day bus passes for each of us, and took off
for the old fishing village of Menemsha. We had crab cakes and lobster
rolls for lunch and then took off on a rather long walk to a place called
Beetlebung Corner to catch a bus out to the cliffs of Aquinnah. It was my
idea to walk and I thought it was about a mile. But by the time we got
there, Mark, Alan, and Helaine all assured me it was a bit longer. But we
made it, caught the bus, and arrived in Aquinnah. This area of Martha’s
Vineyard was called Gay Head prior to 1998, but was then named Aquinnah to
reflect its Wampanoag Native American heritage. There are breathtaking
views, but also lots of busses, tourists, and tacky souvenir shops. Yet it
is worth the stop just to see the view and look at the colors of the
beautiful clay cliffs. When we were at the lookout area, a young boy was
looking through the telescope and exclaimed, “Those people down on the beach
are naked.” His father didn’t believe him and said he wanted to look
through the telescope. As soon as he did, he exclaimed, “Well, they are.”
The beach is called Jungle Beach in honor of its wild, unclothed visitors.
The exchange between father and son was very funny, but they both kept
looking through the telescope! When we turned to leave the lookout area, we
noted the island offshore. Mark thought it was Nantucket, but I said, “No
way.” It just wasn’t in the right direction. After checking and rechecking
Google Earth on their phones, Mark and Alan had to agree that is was not
Nantucket but a little island known as No Man’s Land. I’m going to have to
do some more research to figure this one out.
Even though we didn’t get to sail today, it was a beautiful and enjoyable
day. The weather ended up to be sooooo much better than predictions a day
or so ago. Predictions for tomorrow look great for a sail to Nantucket, but
then you never know how things will really turn out. We have high hopes.
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| 120816 Day 282 Cape Cod, USA–Martha's Vineyard with Alan and Helaine |
