Sailing Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound

Lake Tashmoo, July 2008. Some changes to the lake this year. The entrance has shoaled half of the channel. No ducklings or other wild birds anywhere. Normally I would see baby swans, baby ducks, baby Canadian Geese, none of those things this year, and sadly, Fred the Greylag Goose is also no where to be found. What there are a lot of are terns, they have taken control of the beach at the head of the harbor, and hundreds of them are diving and swooping, and claiming their turf if you get too... Read Full Story

This past weekend we spent aboard Yuletide. Arriving on a Friday night, I could see the lights from the Oak Bluffs fireworks color the eastern sky. As I sat in the cockpit in the dark, I could see the colorful glows to the east, and a more ominous, regular burst of light from the sky to the south. As a storm quickly approached both the glow of the fireworks and the glow from the approaching storm became one, it started to rain and I could see that we were in for a spell of heavy weather. By... Read Full Story

In Vineyard Sound you can actually sail backwards while going to windward! Last weekend Cheryl and I went out for a sail on Saturday. I'd checked the noontime currents, and they were running fairly strongly towards Nantucket. 2.5 plus at times. The wind was just right, although they were calling for 20 knot gusts. We headed out, and met a strong current running into the inlet at Lake Tashmoo. I had to gun the engine to get Yuletide moving through the current. I had a reefed main, which... Read Full Story

Wikizines are interactive magazines that anyone can create or edit - and this one is called "Sailing Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound". Here you can find fresh voices and respond in real time. Some members write articles about recent news and trends related to the wikizine's topic, others recount relevant personal stories or share their favorite pictures and video clips. Got an interesting idea or story to share with other members of this wikizine? Well, then put on your journalist's cap and... Read Full Story

The entrance to Lake Tashmoo has shoaled dramitically this year. A word of caution on approaching the channel. The entire western half of the channel has shoaled. If you are drawing any water at all, I strongly advise that you hug the Eastern shore as you enter the breakwater. I would wait out any boats in the channel that are leaving lake, letting them pass before proceeding. I have been told that the channel will be dredged this winter, but in the meantime.... Caution in approaching! Read Full Story