Over the past two weekends, Mrs. Horne’s girlfriends from California came east for a little time on the water. They are her winter golf buddies, and all of the “girls” happen to be my age, but that is beside the point. A woman can collect birthdays, wisdom and a lifetime of stories, but when she gets together with her girlfriends, she is—and always will be—one of the girls.
Jill’s Visit
Jill was the first to arrive. We left Onset on a beautiful day, with sunshine overhead and Buzzards Bay about as calm as it gets. It was an easy ride across to Martha’s Vineyard, with the ferries providing most of the traffic as we approached the island.
We picked up a mooring in Edgartown Harbor and took the launch into town.
Lunch at The Seafood Shanty
Our first stop was The Seafood Shanty, one of the easiest places in Edgartown to reach from the water and always a good place to settle in for lunch with a view of the harbor.
Jill ordered a regular margarita, while I had the Shanty Margarita. I often get an IPA on draft here, but lately it has not been served very cold, so the margarita was the better call.
A half-pound Angus burger cooked to order and served with fries. This one was topped with cheese, bacon and sautéed onions, with lettuce and tomato.
A flour tortilla stuffed with seasoned chicken, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, served with pico de gallo and sour cream.
After lunch, the girls went shopping while I headed back to Amazing Grace to work on The Buzzards Bay I Know: A Captain’s Guide to Cruising the Bay.
The guide focuses on Buzzards Bay’s Dock & Dine venues and favorite gunkholes, all drawn from a lifetime of boating here. I need to have it finished and published by mid-October so it will be ready for Christmas sales, which means even a quiet afternoon on a mooring has become a workday.
It was not exactly hardship duty, especially when a little sailboat passed the salon windows under a full American-flag sail.
When Mrs. Horne and Jill returned, Jill settled into the Sky Deck to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
Later, we took the launch back to town.
From the launch dock, we walked through town in the soft evening light, passing Edgartown Town Hall along the way.
Dinner at Atria
I have been to Atria so often that they now automatically give us the Obama booth.
2024 estate Pinot Noir from the Eola-Amity Hills in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Crispy capers, sourdough and grilled lemon.
Shaved chilies, cilantro, greens and plum sauce.
Shiitake, porcini and crimini mushrooms with herbs and parmesan.
The evening’s steak selection with optional foie butter, greens, potato wedges and sauces.
To share…or not.
After dinner, we had a magical evening walking back through Edgartown to the town wharf. The moon hung over the working waterfront, while the last light faded behind the harbor and the reflections of the town danced across the water.
A 3:00 A.M. Wake-Up Call
Around 3:00 a.m., Mrs. Horne and I both woke up because it felt as though the boat was moving. We weren’t going anywhere, but Amazing Grace was spinning hard around mooring 94.
The mooring had only one loop, which we had put on the starboard bow cleat. Overnight, the wind had climbed into the mid-20-knot range, but that was only half the problem.
On New Year’s Day, a winter storm opened a roughly 500-foot breach through Norton Point, the barrier beach that connects Chappaquiddick to the rest of Martha’s Vineyard. With the Atlantic connected directly to Katama Bay again, the tide now runs through the bay and Edgartown Harbor like a river—one way on the flood and the other on the ebb.
Wind from one direction and current from another had Amazing Grace sailing circles around the mooring.
The Next Morning
Before the girls left, I served them pastéis de nata from Holiday Bakery in New Bedford—little Portuguese custard tarts in crisp, flaky pastry shells.
Mrs. Horne and Jill took the 8:00 a.m. launch into Edgartown, then headed to Oak Bluffs to catch the 9:05 ferry to Nantucket.
After the girls left, I asked the harbormaster to come out. Together we rigged a bridle between the two bow cleats, centering the pull instead of loading only the starboard side.
It significantly reduced the spinning. Amazing Grace finally settled down on her mooring.
Nantucket for the Girls
While I was sorting out the mooring, Mrs. Horne and Jill were on their way to Nantucket.
They visited the Nantucket Whaling Museum, walked the streets of town and had a great lunch at or, The Whale.
Meanwhile, Back in Edgartown
I took the launch into town and had lunch at the Atlantic.
I tried something new—the Bone Marrow Beef Tartare.
Prime beef tartare, roasted bone marrow and za’atar pita bread.
I also made friends with a group of ladies sitting next to me. It turned out they were Atlantic regulars, too.
One of them was Dawn Warsofsky. Her son, Ryan, is the head coach of the San Jose Sharks—and a member of our golf club in Mattapoisett, the Bay Club. Small world.
After lunch, I hurried back to Amazing Grace to continue working.
The girls got back around 4:00, and we spent more time on the Sky Deck watching the action in the harbor.
That evening, we took the launch back to town for dinner at the Atlantic.
Dinner at the Atlantic
I tried the fried artichokes. Mrs. Horne and Jill split the mussels and a Caesar salad.
Tempura-marinated artichokes with harissa and preserved-lemon aioli.
Fennel and saffron broth with toasted sourdough bread.
The Caesar was $20, with chopped romaine, classic Caesar dressing, Parmesan and herbed croutons.
Sunday Morning
Sunday morning, Edgartown Harbor could not have been smoother.
When we went to leave, however, the bridle I had added to the mooring was jammed. I could not free it and had to leave it attached to mooring 94.
A Better Bridle
When we got back to Mattapoisett, the girls went to the casino and I took a bike ride.
I ran into Dave Kaiser, owner of Mattapoisett Boatyard. He had also been in Edgartown that weekend.
I told him what had happened with the bridle, and he showed me how to rig one that would not jam.
I went to R&W Rope in New Bedford to have a replacement made. R&W will make just about any line you want.
I ordered this same two-legged setup in black. It should be ready next week.
We drove Jill to the train station in Providence and started getting ready for more California girls—Arlene and Claudia.
Arlene and Claudia
Arlene and Claudia arrived late from the airport. Arlene had a charcuterie board shipped in for a late-night snack, so the second weekend with the California girls got off to a strong start.
Thursday, the girls played a little golf at the Bay Club.
Later, we finished off the charcuterie on the porch and got ready to leave the next morning.
Off to Oak Bluffs
Friday morning, we took off for Oak Bluffs. It was a beautiful ride across, with plenty to watch along the way.
We tied up at Dockside, directly in front of the new Jetty Beach House.
Jetty Beach House is new for the 2026 season, taking over the former Lobsterville space. Jordan Wallace, who owns Midnight Taco and Midnight Mediterranean, opened it with Mike Tierney as a waterfront raw bar, seafood restaurant and cocktail lounge.
The idea is casual during the day, more energetic at golden hour and a DJ-driven scene after dark. We will have to give it a try.
Lunch at the Atlantic
From Oak Bluffs, we all took an Uber to Edgartown for lunch at the Atlantic—my favorite restaurant on the island.
Grandma’s homemade meatball with pomodoro sauce, ricotta salata, black truffle and garlic-confit crostini.
Garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, dill, green onions and Old Bay aioli.
Ten-ounce prime burger with choice of toppings and French fries.
Back to Oak Bluffs
After lunch, the girls went shopping in Edgartown and I took an Uber back to Oak Bluffs.
Mrs. Horne had the girls take the bus back. It is a true Martha’s Vineyard experience, and for the last two years it has been free. The VTA’s fare-free program is now scheduled to continue through June 30, 2027.
A Private Island Tour
The girls really wanted a private guided tour of the island.
When I got back to the boat, I called every tour company on Martha’s Vineyard. None were available for the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.
Then I came up with an idea.
I rented a 2026 Tesla Model Y on Turo from noon until 4:30 Saturday and downloaded the Martha’s Vineyard tour from Action Tour Guide. Mrs. Horne had no idea that I was putting together our own custom private tour.
The app combines a map, driving directions and recorded stories about the places along the route. It uses the phone’s GPS to start each story automatically as you approach a stop, and because the tour can be downloaded in advance, it works even when cell service does not.
You can stop for photographs, make a detour or pause the tour whenever you want. That made it perfect for the surprise I had planned.
Dinner at Inkwell Beach Club
We had planned to Uber to Vineyard Haven for dinner, but I discovered that a very promising new restaurant had opened in the building the Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company had just vacated when it moved elsewhere in Oak Bluffs.
We had to try it.
Inkwell Beach Club is much more than a restaurant. The new venue combines dining, entertainment and community events in the heart of Oak Bluffs.
The kitchen is led by celebrity chef G. Garvin, a two-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee and host of several television cooking shows.
We asked if Chef Garvin was there that evening. Unfortunately, he wasn’t, but the food was still excellent.
Housemade Caesar dressing, sourdough croutons and shaved Parmesan.
Scallions, agave and red chilies.
Eel and cucumber topped with avocado, tobiko and eel sauce.
Stewed heirloom cherry tomatoes with capers and brown butter.
Filet, carrots, green beans and scallions. It arrived with the egg on top.
The rice was very good, but the bits of steak didn’t add much.
On the way home, we stopped at Mad Martha’s and bought two pints to go.
Blueberry and Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt Caramel.
Saturday’s Private Tour
At noon, the 2026 Tesla Model Y I rented through Turo was delivered, and we headed to Farm Neck for lunch.
If you haven’t driven a Tesla lately, allow some time to figure it out.
Other than the steering wheel, brake and accelerator, nearly everything is controlled through the large touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard. It looks like an iPad, but the taps and swipes don’t always work the way you expect.
Even putting the car in Drive requires pressing the brake and swiping up on the touchscreen.
It took me ten minutes to figure that out.
When we reached Farm Neck, I searched YouTube to learn more about the elusive touchscreen before we went inside for lunch.
Blue cheese, bacon, avocado, tomato, cucumber, egg, sunflower seeds and champagne vinaigrette.
House-blend dry-aged beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and cheese on a griddled potato bun.
All-beef hot dog on a buttered brioche bun.
After lunch, our Action Tour Guide tour began in Katama and followed South Beach before heading up-island.
John Belushi’s Grave
One of the more interesting stops was Abel’s Hill Cemetery in Chilmark, where a memorial stone marks John Belushi’s original gravesite.
Belushi spent a lot of time on Martha’s Vineyard, and his family thought the island was the right place to bury him after his death in 1982.
The stone is now a memorial. So many fans came to the grave—and some left behind a mess—that Belushi’s remains were moved to an unmarked location elsewhere in the cemetery.
Aquinnah
Gay Head—now officially called Aquinnah—was the hit of the tour.
The town was incorporated as Gay Head in 1870, a name inspired by the brightly colored clay cliffs. In 1997, residents voted 79–76 to replace it with Aquinnah, and the state made the change official in 1998.
Aquinnah is a Wampanoag word meaning “land under the hill.” The change restored the area’s Native name and recognized the Wampanoag people’s long history there.
The old name has not completely disappeared. The lighthouse is still commonly called Gay Head Light, the Gay Head Store proudly keeps the name, and the federally recognized tribe remains the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).
The little village of shops at the top of the cliffs was cool, with food, local crafts, Wampanoag-made goods and plenty of Martha’s Vineyard souvenirs.
The scenery was breathtaking.
I was surprised to see an island sitting offshore to the south.
A map identified it as Nomans Land, a 628-acre national wildlife refuge about three miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.
The Navy used the island as an aerial bombing range beginning during World War II. Range operations ended in 1996, and it became a federal wildlife refuge in 1998.
Nomans Land is closed to the public because unexploded ordnance may remain and because the island provides valuable habitat for nesting and migratory birds.
I left the Tesla on the seawall in Oak Bluffs for its owner to collect and returned to the boat around 5:00.
The New MV Chowder Company
The former MV Chowder Company building is now home to Inkwell Beach Club, but the Chowder Company didn’t close. It moved about 100 yards to 14 Kennebec Avenue, the original home of Red Cat Kitchen.
They did a magnificent renovation. The new restaurant is smaller and more intimate, with a handsome bar, exposed brick and a bright dining room looking out on Kennebec Avenue.
The food was quite good.
Tender sautéed shrimp in a zesty broth, served with toasted ciabatta.
The restaurant’s award-winning, gluten-free chowder.
A half-pound of tempura-battered chicken tenders with ranch and honey mustard dipping sauces.
Sunday Morning in Oak Bluffs
Sunday morning, we left Oak Bluffs and headed back to Mattapoisett.
We faced some light chop on the way home, but it was an easy final run after two very full weekends with the California Girls.
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