First trip to the Vineyard

SCW

SCW

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Cape Cod
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Freedom 275
We picked a great day, almost no wind but it was a bit foggy on our way over, left at about 8:30AM. We left from Osterville used Navionics automatic route, worked out well. It did seem to send us around some shoals but I see most boats just take a direct route. We got a mooring at Oak Bluffs and took the launch in. No charge for the mooring, $8 a head roundtrip for the launch. All real easy. I am still learning but this was a lot of fun.
 

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Who did you get the mooring from for free? Glad you had a good time.
 
Oak Bluffs Marina. Moorings are first come first served no reservations. Hailed them on CH. 71 They said just grab a mooring marked "TOWN". If they are all full you have to raft with someone else. Like I said $8 a head round trip for launch so for family of 5 "Free mooring" is relative.
 
Yeah, it is a nice option, and convenient launch. Actually that was the "mistake" I made last year that started the wheels going on getting into the 330. We had gone over in my Mako 23, did the day trip thing, and my wife and daughter were so impressed that you could stay on the boat overnight. "Why can't we do that?" Not feasible in a 23, but a 33 is no prob!

Revisited Oak Bluffs over the 4th of July with a boatfull of people. Great time. Not as sure about coming from Osterville, but from Waquoit, there is not really anything to worry about shoalwise between there and MV. I recall some rocks near Osterville from years ago, though.
 
I make the trip frequently (from Popponesset) in my dual console 192. It's a great trip on decent weather days. As a matter of fact I'm heading down tomorrow morning and will be staying until Saturday (a friend of mine rented a house in OB). You could go right over the shoals in my (shallow draft) boat, but I generally hug the coast and then make the cut (southwesterly) toward Oak Bluffs as I pass the red marker at the western end of Succonnesset Shoals (I think it's #12). Heading back to Popponesset (or Waquoit or Osterville) in the afternoon with the generally trailing seas and a SW breeze like we usually have in the summer is a nice ride back.

Keep in mind that it's up to 4 boats a mooring on the town moorings in OB. In another few weeks moorings will get easier to find!
 
Awesome! Is there someone that manages or organizes events for GW owners in Southern New England. Would be cool to have a get together next summer in Block Island.
 
Great Info! Maybe that's a "someday" trip to visit my wife's college friend in Vineyard Haven. Only 200 miles from Manasquan inlet! When is the best Striper fishing????;)
 
SkunkBoat said:
Great Info! Maybe that's a "someday" trip to visit my wife's college friend in Vineyard Haven. Only 200 miles from Manasquan inlet! When is the best Striper fishing????;)
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The Striper fishing has been great this year since April (and still going strong... will heat up again even more in the Fall).
 
Yeah I come out of Waquoit and go to the vineyard all the time (rarely moor just fish) There really shouldn't be any shoals between oystervill and the vineyard you should need to worry about other than in oysterville bay or just outside depending on your boat. Most likely cause is the boat settings you have setup with the depth being too deep in the app/plotter for your boat. if I recall correct it defaults to something crazy like 33ft draft probably to be safe. But given your profile says freedom 275 your draft should not be much different than mine on the seafarer. Thanks for the post, my wife is always asking to go to the vineyard but it always seemed daunting to figure out the mooring and launch at oak bluffs, vineyard haven is easier. Usually I just drop her and her friends off and fish off the coast while they enjoy the island with oak bluffs, but this opens up another, option especially for a day trip. Or even an overnight now that I just got all my cabin cushions recovered. BTW if you're looking for someone to do that cheap I have a guy in Woonsocket RI who did a great job for cheap and I"m going to have him do the bolsters, and seat cushions probably over the winter.
 
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root said:
Yeah I come out of Waquoit and go to the vineyard all the time (rarely moor just fish) There really shouldn't be any shoals between oystervill and the vineyard you should need to worry about other than in oysterville bay or just outside depending on your boat. Most likely cause is the boat settings you have setup with the depth being too deep in the app/plotter for your boat. if I recall correct it defaults to something crazy like 33ft draft probably to be safe. But given your profile says freedom 275 your draft should not be much different than mine on the seafarer. Thanks for the post, my wife is always asking to go to the vineyard but it always seemed daunting to figure out the mooring and launch at oak bluffs, vineyard haven is easier. Usually I just drop her and her friends off and fish off the coast while they enjoy the island with oak bluffs, but this opens up another, option especially for a day trip. Or even an overnight now that I just got all my cabin cushions recovered. BTW if you're looking for someone to do that cheap I have a guy in Woonsocket RI who did a great job for cheap and I"m going to have him do the bolsters, and seat cushions probably over the winter.
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If you could send me your guy's info - I have a Tournament 225 that I would like to have reupholstered (all cushions) this winter. Thank you.
Joe
 
root said:
Yeah I come out of Waquoit and go to the vineyard all the time (rarely moor just fish) There really shouldn't be any shoals between oystervill and the vineyard you should need to worry about other than in oysterville bay or just outside depending on your boat. Most likely cause is the boat settings you have setup with the depth being too deep in the app/plotter for your boat. if I recall correct it defaults to something crazy like 33ft draft probably to be safe. But given your profile says freedom 275 your draft should not be much different than mine on the seafarer. Thanks for the post, my wife is always asking to go to the vineyard but it always seemed daunting to figure out the mooring and launch at oak bluffs, vineyard haven is easier. Usually I just drop her and her friends off and fish off the coast while they enjoy the island with oak bluffs, but this opens up another, option especially for a day trip. Or even an overnight now that I just got all my cabin cushions recovered. BTW if you're looking for someone to do that cheap I have a guy in Woonsocket RI who did a great job for cheap and I"m going to have him do the bolsters, and seat cushions probably over the winter.
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You mentioned that you had a guy in Woonsocket who recovered your cushions. Can I get name and contact info from you? I just bought a 2001 GW Tournament 192 and its in great shape except for the bow and aft cushions. I'm in Wakefield, RI so Woonsocket is pretty close. Thanks
 
Just checking in to revisit this discussion. I recently moved my living (and mooring) location to Jehu Pond which is off Waqoit Bay and have been getting to MV frequently this summer, including yesterday. Always nice to go during the week when the Town moorings are plentiful.
 
DaveRI said:
You mentioned that you had a guy in Woonsocket who recovered your cushions. Can I get name and contact info from you? I just bought a 2001 GW Tournament 192 and its in great shape except for the bow and aft cushions. I'm in Wakefield, RI so Woonsocket is pretty close. Thanks
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Dave, if you didn't get a response on this or haven't had the cushions done yet, I had mine all redone on my 2001 192 last summer and the guy did a terrific job. He's based out of Mashpee, MA. If you need the contact let me know and I'll dig it out.
 
I have had my 2001 268 Islander for 3 years now this January. I am a novice boater that prefers fishing over site seeing trips. I do thought, want to make the Vineyard journey just to accomplish the trip. My wife is another story. God forbid I do 25 knots the whole trip. I am slipped in the Taunton River in Fall River Ma. I estimate my journey to be about 2.5 hours at that speed. Am I trying to get there to fast ? My Grady cruises at that speed in calm waters but obviously not in swells.

Thinking I should try it first with friends first. Any thoughts ?
 
MashpeeMan said:
Dave, if you didn't get a response on this or haven't had the cushions done yet, I had mine all redone on my 2001 192 last summer and the guy did a terrific job. He's based out of Mashpee, MA. If you need the contact let me know and I'll dig it out.
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Building 21 in Rockland MA does them as well. They did a lot of work for a couple of GW dealers as well. Great work.
 
Vince said:
I have had my 2001 268 Islander for 3 years now this January. I am a novice boater that prefers fishing over site seeing trips. I do thought, want to make the Vineyard journey just to accomplish the trip. My wife is another story. God forbid I do 25 knots the whole trip. I am slipped in the Taunton River in Fall River Ma. I estimate my journey to be about 2.5 hours at that speed. Am I trying to get there to fast ? My Grady cruises at that speed in calm waters but obviously not in swells.

Thinking I should try it first with friends first. Any thoughts ?
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I make the trip to MV very frequently in my 192... it's an easy shot across on a decent day from Waqoit Bay. If I had a 268 I wouldn't hesitate to make the trip on a nice day. If you can do it during the week (as opposed to the weekend) you'll find it a lot easier to get a mooring in Oak Bluffs. During some of the weekends, particularly a holiday weekend, it can be a little bit tough and you may have to quadruple moor.
 
As an update to Oak Bluff's mooring; apparently the town has implemented a $50 fee for the use of their moorings (whether it's overnight or even for a short transient tie up). They have a couple of kids zipping around in a zodiac (apparently farmed out to the Oak Bluff's Marina based on their attire) collecting from boats that are moored when they see people on the moorings. Seems kind of ridiculous to me honestly. They charge for the launch to get you from the moorings to the town dock and back ($9 per person round trip) so this haphazard collection is somewhat aggravating. Plus it discourages people from making a short stop in Oak Bluffs with a group to grab a round of drinks at Donovans (or lunch, etc.) so it just hurts the bars and restaurants. Anyway, it won't stop me from frequenting the town but I find it irritating. I told the kids to get lost (politely) when they pulled up to my boat last weekend and informed me of this new fee... told them I was just leaving and had no cash on me, which was true.
 
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Cape Cod pricing is insane. I was told it is $180 a night for a slip in P-Town and $50 for a mooring. $50 for a mooring on the island does not surprise me.
 
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