Martha’s Vineyard to Provincetown

Mile 1300. July 2022 Temperature…Still baltic!

We had been told that Vineyard Haven was not the best part of Martha’s but we got a free anchorage and the bus rides around were plentiful and cheap. Probably for me the nicest part of the vineyard was being anchored beside this nest of ospreys. Breakfast and evening beverages were spent watching them. At one stage I saw the male return and thought there was something hesitant about his flight. The mother started chirping loudly as she did the next thing the father osprey appeared and chased off the imposter.

There isn’t really a great deal to see in the Vineyard Haven except tourists in various stages of attire, Turkeys of which they have 45 and the locals I talked to pleaded with us to take them with us saying they were tasty. I suspect if they had been tasty they wouldn’t be around there eating all their best flowers and terrorizing their dogs. As usual we visited the local museum which is worth doing. I did like the cartoon sketched by the local artist whose name escapes me. I also like the sculpture/ art mechanical thing the sunbird below.

We took the bus to Edgartown and had a wee refreshment in the Edgartown Yacht club. It was the day of the Island race and there was NO wind at all. It had been howling on Friday and of course started up again on Sunday. I want to see the movie Elvis but it was only on the island swould be too dark to return to our anchorage at 10. There is no moon as the new moon is just starting. Beautiful stars though.

We then jumped on the bus and went to Oak bluffs. You may remember the wonderful rendition of a scene in Jaws that Race had done in an earlier post. (We still miss him! My Honey Mahoney) . So when we sent Race a photo of Jaws he was able to tell us that it was the first weekend of Summer that it was around and we were there for the anniversary. We had to get him a souvenir. Consider this, he was born in 1998, Jaws was out in 1975! There was also the ‘Famous Flying horses carousel where you try to catch a ring as you fly past on the horse. It was in an old amusement arcade which brought back memories of us hanging out in Joes as children. Someone decided to try his hand to see what sort of a lover he was. He’d like to remain anonymous due to the ‘Blah’ result but the shadow tells the tale.

In behind the crazy touristy shopping area there is a beautiful quiet cluster of ‘gingerbread houses.’ Apparently there are 315 throughout the island but it is here that most of them are. I felt a wee bit ‘Hansel and Gretel ish’ as we walked through.

I’m glad we spent so much time touring the island as the next day it was so windy we couldn’t go anywhere. This is the problem/ joy of sailing. You can’t have an agenda. As I write this we are on the boat in Provincetown with up to 35 knots of wind unable to get off the boat as its too windy for the dingy. So far… its fine as we have a variety of games and books and its really quite relaxing not doing anything and not feeling guilty about it. Although I suppose I’m writing the blog and practicing the guitar.

There isn’t really much to write about Onset. Laundry done and quaint village. I overheard someone talking about a shooting and I asked the harbormaster if there had been a shooting. ‘Not recently’ he said ‘Well how long ago?” I asked ‘Oh about two weeks’ he said. Humph. The girl in the laundry said it was gang related but no one is saying anything about it.

Onset has no movie house so can’t see Elvis here

We had a fantastic sail thought the Cape Cod Canal. The current was with us and we hit 9 knots. Contrary to the forecast where I was expecting 5 knot winds when we came out to cross to Province town we had 25 +. which was great. We are now in Provincetown and spent the night wandering about thinking that I’ll take photos tomorrow. It’s very LGBT and interesting and varied ‘people watching’ place. Great to see there’s a cinema that’s playing Elvis. We’ll go to see it tomorrow we thought because tonight we’re going to a drag show which was fun.

Today however the wind has picked up AGAIN. Can’t go to see Elvis or visit the hat shop. Life’s trials!

At least we bought more games last night, Chinese checkers and Yahtzee. I just hope the weather is clement enough to go to Boston for the Fourth of July.