Advice Needed: Cape Cod & Martha's Vineyard

[smurphny]

Thank you Tartansail! I have anchored a couple of times in the inner harbor when it was too nasty outside but have never used a mooring, not knowing to whom they belonged. That explains it. I think there's a picture you'd recognize from Hadley looking toward Woods in my photos.

[DennisM]

Smurphny, thanks for the great specifics!

Cormorant, thank you! Hope to see you out there!

Tartansail, thanks for the additional info on Hadley's.

[lrclough]

We're at anchor in Nantucket Harbor now at 41.17.37N 70 04.96W looking out over 100+ empty rental moorings. It is 0.6 nm to the town dock. Our anchor dug hard on the first try in about 11' at low tide, 3' more than the chart shows.

The current coming past First Point swung us askew to the wind but no strain on the anchor.

I have a hard time paying $75 a night for a mooring which is what Nantucket charges. Other harbors we have been in have had many visiting boats. Very nice visiting the town and we're planing on staying an extra day.

[Cormorant]

My circumnav of the Cape got delayed till August 11-16 (originally thought I was going to do it in mid-July). It was really fantastic, and my new avatar is a pic taken by a stranger as I sailed into Tarpaulin Cove. He noted the boat name and home port and tracked me down on the internet to send me the photo. What a wonderful gift. Anyway, my trip went Wellfleet > Barnstable > through the canal > Tarpaulin Cove > Cape Poge Bay on MV > Chatham > Provincetown > Wellfleet.

The great revelation (for me) is that you can sail into Chatham. Some of my charts make it look impenetrable. But there's a well-buoyed channel with at least 6 feet at low water (so the harbormaster told me). And plenty of big commercial fishing boats work out of it. No marina, but some good spots to anchor. Certainly a better spot to start the run up the outside than, say, Stage Harbor, from which you need to backtrack south and round Monomoy before going north; or Nantucket, which adds an extra 20 miles or so.

DennisM -- how did your trip go?

[foggysail]

Be careful of those early points. And yes, the current RIPS through there. Some years ago I anchored my old Hunter 30 in that area. What an experience!!!!

I woke up about 5-6AM with a ROAR inside the boat. Could not imagine what happened but I soon found out. My anchor rode wrapped around the boat's fin keel causing the boat's beam to face the current's fury. I was able to push the boat in a circle to unwrap the rode using my Avon 10RIB along with an 8HP outboard.

That old Bruce 33# anchor did not let me down.

There is not much you can do about preventing such an occurrence other than watch out for it. I personally do not recommend anchoring around 3rd point.

And yes--- I refuse to pay the current outrageous mooring fees. And you must be off them by 11AM or they hit you for another day. Nantucket offered great anchoring spots not long ago.....until local GREED took over. Nantucket is a nice place and if I ever return, I will go to the Bulkhead.

Foggy

[DennisM]

Hi Cormorant,

That's one beautiful boat you have there! My trip to the Vineyard and Nantucket went well. I enjoyed both islands, grabbing a mooring ball in Menemsha, Oak Bluffs and Nantucket. Since it was my first solo cruise, and since I had been warned about currents in the Nantucket anchorages, I decided to pay the mooring fees. In Nantucket, it was $65.

I had my first ooops coming out into Buzzard's Bay through the canal in fog and rough seas. I ran out of fuel and went aground. My rudder had to be repaired in Onset, MA. (I've posted the full story here.)
In no way did it ruin the cruise for me, however. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all the places I sailed to, and some of the sailing was indescribably beautiful. The most memorable was a full-day beam reach from Nantucket to Hyannis!

Thanks for asking!

[Jbingham]

Hit block island. Great moorings and awesome bar/restaurant at the oar. From block hit cuttyhunk and or newport. Onward to edgartown. Oaks bluff is nothing pretty. From Edgartown is a great sail to Nantucket. We did the same run over a couple weeks last summer. Ended up spending a month in September in Nantucket.

The cruising guide is the bible. We relied heavily on it. From Nantucket you can hop to p-town. We'll be doing the same circuit most of the summer! Cheers!