There is a new hazard that unfortunately is becoming more commonplace along the south coast; I’m talking about Fish Traps! The first time I saw one of these was off Mattapoisett Neck. They now appear off Sakonnet and south of the entrance to Newport. The traps in Mattapoisett and Sakonnet are close to shore which means you’ll probably be going slow and easily spot them. … Continue reading Beware of Fish Traps!
This is quickly becoming my Sunday afternoon hang-out. My friends Ken Richard and Neal McCarthy seem to have a standing gig there from 3-6 on Sundays, it’s seldom crowded around 3:00 and they have a limited free Dock and Dine deal going with South Wharf (just make sure you bring plenty of dockhand tip cash). Not only does the Sail Loft have all that going on, … Continue reading The Sail Loft – Padanaram
Yesterday, Mrs. Horne and I decided to head over to the Sail Loft in Padanaram for a late lunch (or was it an early dinner). I love Sunday afternoons at the Sail Loft because one of my friends Ken Richards and Neal McCarthy always perform from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. I also love it because it one the few free Dock and Dines on … Continue reading The Dreaded 4 Piling Back-in Slip!
I will be doing a more formal dining review of the Sail Loft in Padanaram soon, but since Mrs. Horne and I have spent the last two Sunday’s there, I just wanted to share why. Ken Richards and/or Neal McCarthy perform every Sunday from 3:00 to 6:00. Great music and food! Today, i was Neal and Barry – enjoy… Continue reading Sunday’s at The Sail Loft
In the 1980’s we frequently cruised on Aquarius with Mrs. Horne and my parents Clyde and Hilda. Back then, Tarpaulin Cove was both a frequent gunkhole and a cruising destination. I recall waking up there once to a pea soup fog after overnighting on anchor with Peter and Mary Lee. Our next stop was Vineyard Haven and while Vineyard Sound south of Woods Hole isn’t very crowded, … Continue reading Tarpaulin Cove – Elizabeth Islands
If you find the crowds at Hadley’s disrupting your inner peace, give Quissett a try. It is in Buzzards Bay, just north of Woods Hole. There is plenty of water entering the harbor. As far as a Gunkhole goes, I like to take a right once you enter and drop an anchor looking up the hill at the 18th hole on the Woods Hole Golf … Continue reading Quissett Harbor Falmouth
Before I get into Falmouth, let me point out that there are two harbors in Falmouth. The one that is actually in Buzzards Bay – West Falmouth Harbor doesn’t have shore access. It’s tricky to get into, but an excellent gunkhole for outboards. The Main Harbor in Falmouth is a different story. It could be the busiest harbor near Buzzards Bay with yachts lined up … Continue reading Falmouth Main Harbor
By 1978, the company my father worked for since the 1950’s had finally gone public. With “a little change in his pocket”, and old knees that were growing weary of climbing into the Sunfish, he decided it was time for a serious sailboat. I was working hard at DTS and studying my butt off for my MBA at Northeastern, so I wanted to cut loose … Continue reading The Banana Split – C&C 25
Perhaps the most haughty Dock and Dine between Nantucket and Montauk, Edgartown has been one of my favorite Dock and Dine venues for over a decade. As reported in my Seafood Shanty report, we actually came here via Oak Bluffs and the MV bus line for years before finally checking it out. Without a doubt, the best Dock and Dine venue on the south coast … Continue reading Edgartown
Suppose you’re on Buzzards Bay for a little getaway and the weather is less than perfect? Let me be more specific. Suppose it’s May 13th, you just got your new boat, the skies are gray, the wind’s blowing 20 out of the east, there’s a gale warning coming in later in the day, and you’re determined to take you’re sister-in-law out to lunch – what … Continue reading The Fishermen’s View Restaurant
This is another one of those less than fully reliable Dock and Dine venues. I have been there a half a dozen times and never been turned away, but I’m always a little nervous. Of course that’s what makes Buzzards Bay Dock and Dine a bit of an adventure. I discovered this when a friend of mine told me about the Sail Loft Restaurant. We … Continue reading South Wharf Padanaram – Ch. 8
For years, I never tried to Dock & Dine at Edgartown. I think it was because a friend of mine told me you had to drop and anchor and wade to shore and that wasn’t happening. I was also nervous about going any further than Oaks Bluff because of my bad experience in the Whaler off West Chop. So every time we went to Edgartown, … Continue reading The Seafood Shanty – Edgartown
Woods Hole is a very special place. It can also be absolutely terrifying for the boater traveling through it for the first time. In town, it’s truly unique. Although it does have the look of a Southcoast Seaside Town, it’s also a serious commercial town in that the Oceanographic Institution is also based here. Although I have eaten there many times, my favorite spot – The … Continue reading Woods Hole Pilings
Having been born in Nova Scotia, my father Clyde always loved sailing. In the 60’s, he rented a Bullseye for a few weeks and also a Corinthian. Both were classic sloops capable of handling the typical afternoon blow of Buzzards Bay. When I was in high school, Clyde was making good money and decided to buy a Sunfish on a total whim. It originally had … Continue reading The Sunfish – How I Learned to Sail…
Eventually, you and your guests are going to want to branch out from Buzzard Bay’s Dock and Dine 101 Venue – The Chartroom and when you do, I recommend Sandwich Marina. I first discovered this cute little harbor years ago when the Pilot House was still the Aqua Grill. Back then, the Aqua wasn’t very good, but for those us in smaller center consoles, it … Continue reading Sandwich Marina (508) 833-0808 (Ch. 8)
Kingman and it’s in-yard restaurant – The Chartroom has been the first Dock and Dine venue for virtually everyone I know in Buzzards Bay. Don’t get me wrong, The Chartroom is a such a great destination. maybe even iconic, but it’s its association with Kingman Marine that makes it work so well for first timers. Kingman maintains over 100 slips and even more moorings. Other than summer … Continue reading Kingman Marine – Dock and Dine 101 (Ch. 71)
In the mid 1960’s I convinced Clyde to buy a bigger boat. I remember driving around with him looking at used Thompsons, but I think he knew they were lake boats that wouldn’t hold up to much on Buzzards Bay. The other problem with the Thompson was that they were wooden hulls and I think Clyde knew fiberglass was the next new thing. Grady’s and … Continue reading Our Thunderbird – The Ute was a hoot!
Click here for my April 2018 UPDATE Mattapoisett Boatyard Dave and Ned Kaiser I was 13 the first time I set foot on MBY. I was with my father Clyde and he was about to buy a Thunderbird from Russo Marine. He was pumping Ned’s grandfather Art McLean for a better price. Unlike today, when MBY is pretty much all storage, back then they were doing … Continue reading Mattapoisett Boat Yard (508-758-4791 – Ch. 68)
This was my first boat. My father Clyde bought it in 1960 or so. We didn’t even own a place in Mattapoisett yet, but hey, we had a boat. I assume it was built in Humarock (a village in Hull or Scituate). It originally had a 5 1/2 HP Johnson, then I talked Clyde into putting a 9 1/2 on it — which made it … Continue reading The Humarock Husky (AKA The Dory)
Back Cove Yachts Lindsey Braun, Guy Seiders, Jason Constatine, and Bentley Collins I dreamt of owning a nice boat ever since I was 6 years old. At ten I started cutting lawns to pay for a subscription to Yachting Magazine. That said, I never actually thought that one day I’d be so blessed as to own a boat like Vigilant – our Back Cove 41. As … Continue reading Back Cove Yachts
