Peter’s MBY Strong Sibling Cruise

If you’ve been with us for a while, you may recall that Mrs. Horne and I spearheaded the fundraiser to help rebuild the Mattapoisett Boatyard after the fire on August 19, 2022.

Although it’s taking longer than hoped, the rebuild is moving along nicely.

We raised nearly $150,000 in the two-month effort, and one of the most generous contributors was none other than our dear friend, chief engineer, and excellent crewman – Peter.

Among the items Peter bid and won was the 3-hour cruise on Amazing Grace.

Of course, since it was Peter, we blew off the 3-hour part and upgraded it to a 7-hour cruise, lunch, and shopping trip to Edgartown.

By the way, Peter recently earned his Launch Operator credentials from the USCG and will be shuttling customers at MBY this summer!

A “Decent Enough” Day?

The cruise had already been canceled once due to weather. We set June 22nd with June 23rd as a rain day. As the date approached, Saturday looked good in Edgartown, and there were only 12-knot winds on Buzzards Bay in the afternoon.

We departed around 10:00 amid moderate fog.

Onboard were most of Peter‘s siblings.

We were in and out of fog most of the way but generally able to see 1/4 mile or more at all times.

Peter’s family all live in Massachusetts, so I wanted to take them somewhere special they wouldn’t easily visit by car. Edgartown was the obvious choice.

I like Edgartown because you can book and confirm a dock for lunch at the Harborside Inn.

It’s no bargain at $5.25/foot, but it clearly delivers a first-class experience with a premium location.

The Atlantic Fish and Chop Edgartown

The Atlantic is virtually on the dock at the Harborside. They don’t take reservations, so we had to arrive before they opened at noon and wait in line.

The only minor complaint was our table, which was all the way back under the tent.

We didn’t miss the view, but there was little breeze, and it was quite humid. They did point a couple of portable AC units our way and that helped.

The food at the Atlantic is always great but service tends to be slow, so I handed our server a list of appetizers we’d like as we sat down.

I’m not sure where they get their shrimp, but they are always perfectly prepared, and they are the largest shrimp you’ll find anywhere in New England.

For those who might not want seafood, we tried something new. It’s called a Big Ego Cigar.

It was delicious, with a flavor profile similar to that of Shwarma Street Tacos. The orange sauce wasn’t listed in the description, but it was very Curry forward.

The Atlantic’s Charred Oysters are a unique take on Oysters Rockafeller. The top is crunchy parmesan, and the bottom of the oyster is still raw.

The food came out at a very “leisurely pace” which gave the family time to catch up.

Being “regulars” at the Atlantic, we were consulted about the menu and steered them toward our proven favorites.

Mrs. Horne and several others tried the Lobster Croissant.

They were delighted and even commented that it seemed underpriced at $22.

Billy was on the fence, but when I told him I thought that the Shwarma Taco may be the best sandwich ever made, he joined my choice.

The one thing the table probably didn’t need was the massive bowl of dirty fries.

They were attacked by all, but we still left half!

Street capella Band

After lunch, I grabbed an iced coffee at Toccopuro and encountered a talented group of street singers.

For more info on the Acapella group, check out the flyer they handed us.

I opened the Skydeck for the ride home and cruised at a very pleasant 17 MPH, in and out of fog, until we reached Cleveland Light. Rain was incoming, so I sped up to 30 MPH to get everyone off the boat before the deluge.

We passed through Woods Hole during one of the rare slack tide currents.

Despite the patches of fog, the seas couldn’t have been smoother.

Mrs. Horne and I were honored to host Peter’s Sibling cruise!