Our stay in Onset Bay was idyllic and a welcome respite from the noise and hubbub of Quincy, MA. We biked through the village of Onset - a very quaint area to live, with many homes espousing the 'Cape Cod' aesthetic - weathered shakes and shingles, with nautical accoutrements for decoration. The flowers in the gardens were spectacular - many hydrangeas and other perennials in full bloom - very lush!
The marina was well appointed and the staff were very helpful - a lovely spot dock. We enjoyed a visit with a very young sailor who was 'boat-shopping' - Isla, 5 years old - she could give our Clara a run for her money!! Her parents are 'Looper wannabe's' so we spent some time talking about their seagoing adventures - they have spent much time living on their sailboat and had their kids during this time. They now live closer to Boston, on land, but are eager to begin their own Loop adventure.
One of the beautiful beaches in Onset - nobody there as it was a gray day.
We made the decision to set off for Martha's Vineyard as our next port of call! To get there, we came out of Buzzard's Bay, crossing through Wood's Hole into Vineyard Sound. Below are some of the sights along the way (clockwise) - an osprey nest atop a bell buoy, Wood's Harbour moorings, a beacon in the channel, the ferry terminal at Wood's Hole, the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institute, my pick of the moorings at WH, the ferry coming into WH, a random house, and the rocks at the opening to WH. We did not stay here, as the weather was beginning to change and martha's Vineyard was calling.
The Vineyard Sound crossing was a little rough, however we arrived in Vineyard Haven harbour with incident. We originally had requested a mooring, so we tied up and dinghied into Vineyard Haven to get groceries. During that time the weather worsened - not a good omen for the night. After supper at the Black Dog Tavern (a fun place - good food, great staff), we returned to our boat with our groceries in the dinghy. our boat was being tossed side to side in the swell - not pretty to watch, and terrifying to try to board. As Greg will state, we could see the very bottom of the boat as he was trying to come alongside and was worried the dinghy would be caught as the boat swung down. However we got on the boat, and even got the groceries aboard.
Entering the boat - it looked like it had been through the washing machine. Although I had made an effort to secure things, what was unsecured was tumbled around the boat everywhere. We found Greg's sunglasses two days later! We swayed side to side as we put groceries away, then sat down to try to make sense of what was happening.
There was no way we would be able to sleep in these conditions. So, a call was put into the dockmaster (by telephone and VHF radio) for assistance - and he answered! To this day I will remain ever grateful that he came back to Vineyard Haven Marina and helped us tie up at the dock. We stayed for four nights, riding out Tropical Storm Debby - it did not bother us too much on the dock, but the outer harbour was rocking at its peak. It took 24 hours to appreciate the charm of the Vineyard after this rough beginning. But, enjoy it we did! To be continued!
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