Our daughter and her family visited us for a week on their way from Mallorca Spain back to San Diego. The 4th of July has always been a cherished family holiday and needless to say, its more fun with our grandkids and wonderful son-in-law Brian.
My grandson Jack is ten and ready to take on the world. He loves driving boats, but Amazing Grace is too big and complicated for him to do more than just steer a little in open waters.
I decided I’d rent a small boat and start Jack’s training. When our Dockmaster Tom heard I was planning to rent a boat he said “No way, you can borrow our 25’ Regulator!”
Thanks to Tom, it worked out perfectly!
We took a run into the inner harbor of Onset Bay and Brian ran the boat for a while. I then headed out into the canal and coached Jack.
He got the hang of it very quickly and asked me a million questions about the boat and the electronics – such joy!
Lunch in Padanaram
We haven’t visited Padanaram by boat since the days of Vigilant. Our normal family day trip lunch is to the Black Whale in New Bedford. I love the food, but all that’s there is the restaurant. I remember that Steve Silverstein took over the Sail Loft in Padanaram and we decided to eat there and visit the village.
half dozen, malt vinegar aioli
pulled teriyaki chicken, cabbage,
romaine, scallions, oranges, snow peas, cilantro,
almonds, wontons, sesame ginger dressing
There are a few more shops in Padanaram than before and the very high-end Farm and Coast Market. They have a Prime Butcher Shop and a Cafe.
Edgartown
As you may have noticed, we spend a lot of time on Martha’s Vineyard. We like the action in Oak Bluffs, but we’ve spent many nights in one of the two Harbormaster Slips in Edgartown.
As I said, there are only two slips available from the town. They open for booking on Dockwa in February and every weekend spot is booked in the first 60 seconds.
It use to be one of the best summer bargains in New England at $5.00/foot, but no more. Last season it jumped 50% and now it’s $9.00/foot.
Knowing my daughter wanted to spend the 4th in Edgartown, I contemplated setting my alarm and attempting to book one of the two slips, but the family lobbied for me to reserve a mooring instead. We never stay on moorings, so it would be a bit of an adventure. And, moorings are only $55/night!
There were a couple of minor considerations:
- We would need to run the generator the entire time to power the air conditioning.
- We would need to keep an eye on water usage and the holding tank.
- We would need to use the Oldport Launch to get back and forth to Edgartown ($5.00 PP each way).
By the way, there are two other docking options in Edgartown. The Harborside Inn would have been $900/night, but they do not have power. Mad Max would have been $1,850/night.
$55 for a mooring was looking pretty sweet.
Seafood Shanty
We kicked off the holiday weekend with a very traditional lunch at our old favorite – The Seafood Shanty.
You’re probably sick of hearing about how this was our go-to lunch spot in Edgartown for decades, but it’s true.
It’s still one of our favorites and it’s got much better since they added the community high-tops and upgraded furniture.
lobster salad lightly dressed with mayo & celery
I am a bit of a wing aficionado (assuming such a thing exists) and the Shanty Wings are in a class by themselves.
Buffalo sauce, bleu cheese & celery
Not only are they always plump and moist, but they have the perfect amount of buffalo sauce. They have medium+ heat and never too wet.
Mrs. Horne loves her Poke ❤️
ahi tuna, avocado, edamame,
seaweed salad, carrot, ginger &
furikake over rice
While we were eating, Manager Louis stopped by to say hello. Louis has been there for 25 years. In fact, he worked here back when Walter Cronkite was a regular.
About ten years ago he gave us a card good for 10% off for life. We’ve long since lost the card, but he made sure we got the discount!
After lunch, Mrs. Horne and I took the grandkids shopping. The first stop was the candy store. I left $28 lighter.
Next up was Toccopuro where I got an iced espresso and Jack got an iced mocha latte 😊
Papi’s Booty
My grandkids call me Papi. I love having them on the boat, but there is only so much they can do. And being on a mooring, there is even less!
Last year I came up with an idea to keep them mentally engaged and happy on the boat. Throughout the season I buy little toys they might like and put them in The Booty (as in a pirate’s booty).
The way it works is that Jack and Lucy play a game (typically UNO) and the winner gets to pick a toy out of the booty first – the loser also gets to pick a toy.
When they get bored with their new toys, they play another game and get another toy from the booty to play with all over again.
Brilliant, if I do say so myself!
Dinner at Alchemy
There are so many great restaurants in Edgartown, but Alchemy is starting to emerge as my favorite dinner venue.
It has great atmosphere…
Along with the cool Island vibe comes great service and food!
I had considered the Swimming Pigs when we were here for Memorial Day.
Whole Grain Mustard, Mixed Pickles, Focaccia
This is a great shared tapas or even a light dinner,
Natalie and I shared a half dozen oysters.
Half Dozen, mignonette, cocktail sauce
The mignonette was great, but like everywhere this season, the oysters weren’t particularly plump.
Parmesan, Black Garlic, Sea Salt, Lemon Zest
Vermont Cheddar, House Made Bun, Hand-Cut Fries
Creamy Polenta, Braised Local Greens, Ham Hock, Saba
Natalie and I also shared the Surf and Turf.
Alchemy Surf and Turf – $78
10 oz Prime Ribeye Steak
Butter Poached Lobster, Shoestring Potatoes,
Sautéed Spinach, Mushrooms,
Horseradish Butter
It was very tasty, but I would have liked to see a larger standalone ribeye steak on the menu.
It was a great night for a leisurely walk back to the town docks and a launch ride.
Everything looked great to the south as we headed back to the boat, but the skies were suddenly menacing to the north.
We got back just in time to cover the seats on the Skydeck before the wind and the rain hit us.
This was a crazy fast-moving storm, but thankfully most of the damage was well north of us.
We did get hit with 25 knot winds for about thirty minutes. I went up to the bow to check the load on the mooring and it was fine – essentially it worked like a shock absorber.
But the boat wasn’t sitting still. We spun around about 270° every minute thanks to our 25’ tall profile.
People to the north weren’t as lucky. Wind gusts briefly topped 70 MPH (hurricane strength) and thousands lost power for over a day.
Independence Day In Edgartown
Friday morning was calm and warm.
Natalie adores Edgartown and took the launch into town for coffee and a muffin at Rosewater.
The rest of the family headed in around 11:00 with an eye toward snagging a great table at The Atlantic when they opened at noon.
MBY owner Dave Kaiser has managed to retain a private mooring in Edgartown Harbor for decades.
On the way in I spotted a Maritimo at the Mad Max Marina.
It’s a new S55 Coupe out of Old Saybrook called Shore Thing.
We went by to introduce ourselves, but the owners were away.
We also spotted a beautiful old Tug Boat that we’ve seen in Plymouth, Wareham, and moored in Onset. We introduced ourselves to her owner Duane.
The boat is an authentic all-steel commercial tug from Alabama. Duane bought it from folks who began the restoration/conversion into a cruising vessel and finished the project. It’s very cool!
As I sat outside the Atlantic waiting for them to open, I shot a short video for social media.
Lunch At The Atlantic
We typically sit at Jaryl’s bar, but with six, we opted for an umbrella table on the dock.
Unlike all the other tables at The Atlantic, it was pretty rustic, the umbrella didn’t shade everyone, and with no breeze, it was a little stuffy.
NOTE TO SELF: Don’t get a dockside table again!
Nevertheless, the food was great as usual…
HONEYSUCKLE OYSTERS
CHOPPED ROMAINE, CLASSIC
CAESAR DRESSING, PARMESAN,
HERBED CROUTONS
The Atlantic CHOPPED KALE SALAD
ROASTED PEANUTS, SHREDDED
CABBAGES, CILANTRO LEAF,
CUCUMBERS, PICKLED RED
ONIONS, PINE NUT DRESSING,
PARMESANO REGGIANO
We also had the classic burger, watermelon feta salad, and Shawarma Tacos, but you’ve seen pictures of those favorite dishes a dozen times on this site!
We did a little more shopping and headed back to the boat where Brian and Lucy took a little dip.
Unlike most trips, I failed to book dinner reservations well in advance. L’Etoile considers me a “regular” and managed to get us in at 5:30. It worked out all right since the parade began at 5:00 and passed the restaurant around 6:00.
L’Etoile and The Coco set up a bar and chairs for guests to watch the parade. Our table was on the patio with a door to the front lawn and the grandkids were able to run back and forth between dinner and the parade.
The only bummer was the when all the police and fire trucks decided it would be cool to lay on their sirens for five solid minutes – cute but very annoying.
Dinner at L’Etoile
Dinner at L’Etoile is pure French elegance. The interior feels like a French mansion and although the patio is outdoors, it’s well enclosed and equally refined.
Knowing the fireworks wouldn’t begin until after dark, I began with something I rarely order – an espresso martini.
Brian is a huge fan of the Euro Negroni.
The meal always begins with freshly baked focaccia and olive oil.
pomegranate mignonette, yuzo-limoncello cream
and charred tomatillo salsa
with wild rice, dried cherry & roasted root vegetable
mélange, seared baby bok choy,
blood orange-green peppercorn sauce
with duck fat paillasson de terre, fried king oyster
mushrooms and grilled asparagus
cabernet, port, roasted garlic & thyme sauce
with japanese yam chips and crispy cauliflower & brussels sprouts tossed with diced sun-dried tomato
shiraz, roasted tomato & black garlic jus
Dinner at L’Etoile is a consistently special experience.
We took the launch back around 8:00 and I shot a cool video of the MV Cat Boat passing.
Back on the Skydeck, the wind spun Amazing Grace to the perfect angle for fireworks viewing…
Although we were in the back mooring field, our view of the fireworks was comparable to last year at Boothbay’s 4th or Cuttyhunk’s.
Breakfast On The Barbie
We upgraded the cooktop on Amazing Grace to the larger size and ended up with a commercial-grade flat top. Although we seldom cook more than hot dogs and smashburgers, it’s a very capable grill.
I decided the grandkids might get a kick out of a full breakfast on the mooring, so I went to work.
Jack and Lucy love pancakes.
Setting the grill to 3.5 turned out to be the perfect temperature.
For the adults, I did hash browns, sausage, bacon, cheese omelets, scrambled eggs, and eggs-over-easy.
The grill wasn’t quite hot enough to brown the omelet. Next time I’ll narrow the adult options and make it all run smoother.
Mooring for 2026
The family loved the whole Edgartown Mooring Experience and requested we do it all again next year. I’m all in. For the record, we burned 30 gallons of diesel running the generator for about 50 hours.
The family took off directly from Onset and Ubered to Boston. Mrs. Horne and I loved having them visit and we were a little sad when we got up on Sunday morning.
Off The Hook Sunday
I noticed my friend George Piva’s band was playing at Off The Hook in Fairhaven at 1:00 and invited Mrs. Horne out for lunch date to cheer us up!
George’s Band – G and Friends is really good. George and I performed at Turks ten years ago and recall him being a talented guitar player. I’d never heard his lead singer Marv before and he is also great.
Here’s a short YouTube video of their show.
I reviewed Off The Hook when they opened in 2018. Back then it was a fun little Marina pub. Since then they’ve really taken off.
They have built a stage that actually floats over the water. They have extended the dining room and expanded the menu.
Sometimes success comes at a cost. Off The Hook has become so popular, it can be tough to find a parking space. We lucked out and someone was leaving as we pulled in.
At 1:30, the wait to eat was quoted as 45 minutes. In the end, it turned out to be an hour and a half 😡
That said, the service was great and the food came out quickly and hot!
I ordered the Fried Scallops,
with fries, slaw and tartar sauce
The Scallops were perfectly executed, hot, and a decent sized portion for $35.
Fish Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, Scallop Tacos, choice of flour or corn tortillas, topped with slaw and spicy mayo, slaw, corn and black bean salsa, or slaw and mango salsa
On the other hand, Mrs. Horne wasn’t really thrilled with the tacos. All the fried seafood was served cold and the tortillas were kind of dry.
We’ll certainly be back, but next time we’ll arrive 15 minutes before the music starts and scrub the menu a little closer before ordering.
All-in-all, this is a very special and accessible Dock and Dine on the southwest coast of Buzzards Bay.
Next Up: Maine Cancelled – Making Lemonade
Do I understand your daughter and family live in San Diego? My wife, Susan and I have a home there and send 7 months there each year. Beautiful area. We summer and boat out of South Portland, Maine.
Marv is an old friend from HS. He practiced next door. We’ve been friends ever since. Can’t wait to catch them preforming since I moved back to the area.