July 26, 2009

Ahoy from Martha’s Vineyard

Hey there!

How is everybody? We think of you all often.

Last time I wrote we were on Judith Point Pond. We left the pond on July 19th and sailed to Cuttyhunk Island, which is the southern most of the Elizabeth Islands bordered by Buzzard’s Bay on the west and Vineyard Sound on the east. The town of Gosnold perches on a large hill on the northeast side of the island. The shingled cottages spill down the hill to the harbor with gardens and stone paths leading the way. Gosnold is a village on island time. The slow pace can be seen on the faces of the children meandering barefoot down the paths and biking along the beaches. There are 26 hardy residents who live on the island all year around. A one-room schoolhouse shelters the elementary school program. The older children take a ferry across Buzzards Bay to complete their education. The students cross the bay each morning and evening all winter long. Hard to imagine! These are rugged and self-reliant people.

From Cuttyhunk Island we had a short sail up to Naushon Island, one of the northern most of the Elizabeth Islands. Everyone we have met along the way told us to be sure to spend some time in Hadley Harbor. We spent 5 days in this peaceful and protected harbor. The Forbes family created the Naushon Trust to protect the beauty of the Elizabeth Islands. The water is clear, there are many egrets, geese, ducks, osprey and loons that reside in the harbor. There are also an abundance of oysters and clams to be discovered. Many of the islands are uninhabited, or nearly so. We spent many quiet hours kayaking and exploring the shallow waters that surround these lush green islands. We also met some really great folks on Ancient Mariner from Chatham, Mass. Both the harbor and the people we met are very special.

Yesterday, we left Hadley Harbor and made the short jump to Martha’s Vineyard. We are anchored in Vineyard Haven Harbor surrounded by a multitude of traditional wooden boats. We spent the afternoon and evening with our good friend Malcolm who moved up here from Charlottesville 25 years ago. We enjoyed spending time with Tennessee, Malcolm’s son and Liz, Tennessee’s mom. I will write more on Martha’s Vineyard after we have had more of a chance to explore the island. We have a boatload of laundry and some provisioning to do while we are here. We will probably be here until Tuesday or Wednesday when we will turn our little ship south and toward land-home.

We continue to savor our time on Namaste. Even as we turn south toward Deltaville and home, even as we look forward to being home with missed family and friends, we are stirring up visions of another journey. I trust that where there is the will there is the way. We have seen first hand how many cruisers of modest income have been able to adjust life at home to open possibilities for more time aboard. Know that the twinkle in our eyes when we arrive home will be a mixture of a year spent together on Namaste, happiness found in productive lives shared with loved ones at home combined with the conjurer manifesting life upon the water our near future.

Peace and Love