Who The Heck Is Martha?

And where’s her vineyard?

We left Newport for the 42 mile sail to Martha’s Vineyard. There were four-foot waves hitting our stern quarter. However, we’re pleased with how Fregata handles wind and seas. It would have been somewhat uncomfortable on True North, which would roll, pitch and yaw in these conditions, but Fregata takes it in stride with only minor rolling.

By the way, if you’re not familiar with how boats are affected by waves, there are 6 distinct motions.

Heaving, surging and swaying are linear motions up and down, forward and aft and side to side respectively. Rolling, pitching and yawing are rotational motions around different axes. Rolling is around an axis from bow to stern. Pitching is around an axis stretching from side to side, and yawing is around a vertical axes midship. These motions often combine, making for a potentially uncomfortable ride, and unfavorable circumstances for those prone to seasickness.

But we digress. After crossing a gap in the Elizabeth Islands, a chain of islands extending southwest from Cape Cod, we entered Vineyard Sound and found calm water thanks to the islands on both sides. With 15 knots of wind, and the gennaker flying, we had a great sail into Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard.

So, back to the question of who the heck is Martha and where’s her vineyard? Martha was the daughter of Bartholomew Gosnold (who comes up with these names?), who led the first recorded European expedition to Cape Cod in 1602. Presumably, this paved the way for the pilgrims, who first landed on Cape Cod before moving on to Plymouth in 1620. But that’s another story. And as far as vineyards are concerned, we sure didn’t see any! But then if you discover a place, you can name it whatever you want.

Martha’s Vineyard is an island that’s popular with tourists. It’s much more sedate than Newport or Block Island. It tends to attract more young families and retirees than 20-somethings looking for a wild time.

The town of Edgartown is truly charming. Tree-lined streets are home to beautiful Greek Revival and Georgian houses. They are all either white or gray, with meticulously maintained gardens and white picket fences. The shops are quaint but not kitchy. And there are historical churches and lighthouses dotting the area. Edgartown Harbor looks like something out of a Winslow Homer painting.

The “Chappy” Ferry connects nearby Chappaquidick Island to the rest of Martha’s Vineyard. It can only handle about 2 or 3 cars at a time and a handful of passengers. Two such vessels criss-cross the short run of water all day long.

Like many peaceful, idyllic places, Martha’s Vineyard also has a dark side. The movie, “Jaws” was filmed here.

And the it was here that Senator Ted Kennedy drove his car off of a bridge on Chappaquidick Island leading to the death of his companion in 1969.

2 Responses

  1. What a great spot. Unfortunately, not on our list of places to go. Fortunately, we’ve been there several times previously, but not on our own boat. Jeolous that you so easily managed 4 foot seas. They can be a bit much on QE II.

    1. It is, Larry. We should soon be in range to cross paths with you. We are now in Hyannis. We move to Nantucket tomorrow for a few days. We then will round Cape Cod outside to Provincetown where we’ll stay a little while, before crosssing to Salem or similar. From there we head on up to Maine. How about you two? Anxious to hear about your trip in person! D&S

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