On August 12, we set out from Vineyard Haven to make the crossing to Montauket. What a gorgeous day - the water was relatively calm, the sun was shining, and the lobster buoys were absent (for the most part). We passed a large wind farm installment east of Block Island, and had a lovely view of the Montauk lighthouse as we approached Montauk harbour along with a dolphin sail past. After 5 1/2 hours, we arrived! The docking system was new to us, but we successfully entered our slip (no boats were harmed in our efforts, although many insurance policies were reviewed as we were in progress) and will remain until mid-September (511, Dock 3).
Montauk Yacht Club is a beautiful place to weigh anchor for the summer. The dock facilities meet our needs; the neighbours have been very welcoming and very interested in out bikes; the resort facilities are all available to us (pools, gym, beach [below], showers, restaurants). The yacht club is located on Star Island, on Montauk Lake. It is only one of many marinas to choose from, and many beautiful boats to see. It seems we cannot rid ourselves of airport noise - the Montauk airport is across the lake and we are always seeing small planes ascend or descend, especially on the weekend! Our first night, we had supper across the road at Star Island Grill - some of the best fish tacos I have ever tasted!
Montauk harbour is home to many types of watercraft - both sport and commercial fishing boats, sail boats (not too many though), ferries, fishing charters, and cruisers (very large and small). One of our favourite things to do so far is to head to Gosmans' Wharf and have drinks on the 'lido deck' while watching the boats come in during the late afternoon - it truly is a parade of sail!! Gosman's is also where we can purchase fresh fish should we choose to cook that for supper.
We have biked Montauk - one of our first rides was into the town of Montauk proper (and only liquor store we have found). The roads and drivers are really biker-friendly - makes our efforts too easy. No hills have been too difficult, thanks to our well charged batteries - Greg ensures these are charged every night! No big box stores here, but many beach themed proprietorships, a hardware store (quite well stocked), many bistros, and a small but efficient IGA (with a seniors discount on Tuesdays).
We met Al - an ex-navy, ex-NYPD detective who at 93 has lots of stories and a soft spot for Canadians from Halifax - at the IGA, and again another day on another outing to the Fort Pond fishing pier (below). The pier seems to exist for fishing persons and swimmers wanting to jump into deep water. It is an eigth of a mile long - seems Al gets his exercise here by walking it 4 times out and back - a mile a day. He recognized us - "It's the Canadians!". Should we meet him again, we will take his picture!!
On another day we biked to the Montauk Lighthouse. This lighthouse was commissioned by George Washington in 1796 (https://montaukhistoricalsociety.org/montauk-point-lighthouse/) and much effort has been put into preserving it, not just from the usual wear and tear of a building, but from the erosion that, without control, would have seen the lighthouse be washed away. It was very interesting to see how much land has been lost in the last 200 years! We did climb to the top of the tower - and made it back down safely! A celebration of the lighthouse was occurring during our time there - characters dressed in period costume were all over the grounds.
On our way back to the boat, we stopped at Deep Hollow Ranch, the oldest cattle ranch in the USA (http://www.deephollowranch.org). However, they have no cattle to speak of - only horses - go figure! In speaking with Cate, one of the owners, we were enlightened about the history of cattle grazing on Long Island, and in particular, in Montauk that goes back a long way - it just doesn't happen like it used to anymore (https://montauklibrary.org/throwback-thursday-cattle-drives/). Fascinating story though!
We have biked to many beautiful beaches in and around Montauk. Just bike for 5 minutes - oh, another beach! The sand is white, fine, and hot on a really hot day! The beaches stretch for miles and appear to be well used by families, fishermen, wildlife, and tourists.
As you can see, there is lots to do for anyone who wants to spend their time outdoors. No wonder the rich and famous want to play here! We are hoping to spread out more and venture into Sag Harbour, Amagansett, and East Hampton over the next week - Kristin and Mac will be here - with their car! Greg is hoping to take Mac fishing; however if they do not get out, or if the day is not a success, I leave you with this photo. Until next time,
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