August, 2011 EYC Cruise South Was a Lot of Fun. This year’s Eastern Yacht Club cruise started on Saturday, July 9, in Marion. Beverly Yacht Club and the Eastern have a long history of working together---the BYC cruise was headed for the Eastern the following Wednesday evening---and in honor of that relationship, cruisers were met at the dock with glasses of champagne. The party in the tent was attended by over 75 people who were treated to tasty hors d’oeuvres while they enjoyed a cash bar. Old friends and former Race Committee Chair, Gordon and Phyllis Vineyard joined the party which wrapped up a day that included shopping, swimming for many and varnishing for Rear Commodore Dyson. Twenty-nine boats participated in the cruise, approximately half of which were sailboats.
Sunday, July 10, found the cruise in New Bedford Harbor after a short light-air race. Pope’s Island is at the end of the harbor and provides a full service marina as well as moorings. The New Bedford Port Authority went out of its way to make the cruise feel welcome and accommodate our needs.. They provided us a dedicated trolley and driver from 2:00 to 11:00 and added extra launch service. Fishing boats are tied up all along the harbor but are sufficiently removed from Pope’s Island so as not to interfere with the cruising experience. The town itself is charming with cobble stone streets and a number of old buildings, restaurants and museums. The highlight of the visit was the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Over 50 members went on a tour led by the museum’s director, James Russell. The museum features full size whale skeletons, a full whaling ship built exactly to plans but at 50% scale, whaling boats, scrimshaw, other sailors art and some fabulous paintings, including several by William Bradford. The museum is worth a winter land cruise for anyone who has not been there. We raced from New Bedford to Menemsha on Monday. The fog was thick early in the morning but started to lift around 10:00 a.m. and disappeared as the Southwest wind built. The race ended just off the sandy Menemsha beach where many boats anchored for the evening. With a strong Southwest wind blowing, the effect was reminiscent of anchoring off a Caribbean island. Since it is impossible to anchor in Menemsha bight, some cruises chose to spend the night in Cuttyhunk instead of anchoring off the beach.
The cruise arrived in Edgartown on Tuesday, July 12. A beautiful sunset was the reward for a bumpy, windy and lightening-laced night at anchor the previous night. The day started out gray but there was a strong Southwest wind that made for a perfect race from Menemsha to the glorious harbor at Edgartown. The party at the Edgartown Yacht Club featured their famous raw bar and their chef’s hors d’oeuvres which were even more special. The cruisers spent Wednesday exploring the Vineyard, swimming in Chappaquiddick, trying out various restaurants and, of course, shopping. Edgartown is a beautiful, traditional New England style town. Oak Bluffs is noted for its gingerbread style houses, painted in a variety of bright colors.
We were scheduled to leave for Pocasset Harbor on Thursday morning, but a front came through around 7:00 the evening before and winds blew from the Northeast all night at 15 to 25 knots resulting in a very choppy sea and 5 to 6 foot waves according to the crew of several Wianno Seniors who were brave enough to sail from Hyannis that day for a weekend regatta. Early that morning Commodore Smith and Fleet Captain Noyes made the decision to stay in Edgartown another day to the delight of nearly all the cruisers. The Edgartown Harbormaster and his crew went out of their way to make srue everyone had a mooring. Apart from the wind (which didn’t really affect land based activities) the day was absolutely gorgeous. It ended almost surreally as the Chappy Ferry Floated through the mooring field---far from its normal channe—carrying a hand bell choir playing songs from its repertoire. The full moon then rose over the harbor as the church bells rang out the hour.
The cruise left for Pocasset Harbor on Friday morning. The race from Edgartown to Woods Hole featured light but reasonably steady wind which became very shifty at the finish line. On the other side of Woods Hole the breeze was blowing a steady 12 to 15 knots and many boats had a spectacular beat from there to Pocasset. There was plenty of space to anchor in Pocasset. That evening we had a "bring your own” hors d’oeuvres and drinks party at the Buzzard’s Yacht Club which is more or less the size of the Pleon clubhouse. Yacht club members showed up to help us off our dinghies and to make sure they would fit on the dock. Those who attended the party reported that this was among the most special events on the cruise.
Saturday was a beautiful day as we headed back to Marblehead, for the most part in very light Southwesterly wind. Some cruisers went to Provincetown and found the shops, restaurants and people very interesting and worth a visit in the future. The cruise cocktail party will be held at the Club on Friday, October 7, at 6:00. Prizes will be awarded and a slide show of cruise photos will be shown. Everyone is welcome to stay for dinner.
