Has this ever happened to you? You had a late lunch in Newport, your wife wants a light dinner, but your buddy is looking forward to a great 3 course meal! If so, I have the place for you – Fluke. Like pretty much all of the dinner spots I’ve reviewed in Newport, Fluke is very centrally located for boaters. It’s near the entrance to Bowens … Continue reading Fluke – Newport
After a day of dealing with a tropical gale 50 miles to our south, the wind finally died down, the sun came out, and we headed to town for dinner. During our morning walk, we’d checked out the menus in front of restaurants and decided to give The Tap and Grille at the National Hotel a try. The National Hotel is without a doubt the … Continue reading The National Hotel Tap and Grille – Block Island
When we arrived at Ballard’s Marina, we asked Breezy (the Dockmaster) for some local restaurant recommendations and one of the first she mentioned was Calaveras, a Mexican establishment. You have to understand, Mrs. Horne and I spend our winters in the desert of Southern California about 75 miles north of the border. Not only do we have many Mexican neighbors, but we’re also surrounded by … Continue reading Calaveras – Block Island
One of the nicest aspects to acquiring our first cruising boat Tenacity has been visiting Block Island at the same time my cousin Sharon and her family are there at her home. We never know how many cousins will be there, but in 2017, it was a dozen so we ate at the only place on Block Island that would take a reservation for 12 … Continue reading Dead Eye Dick’s – Block Island
All good things must come to an end and so it goes for our 2017 season on our new Back Cove 41 Vigilant. She was Christened on April 24 which means she’s been in the water almost 6 months. We put 125 hours on her this summer and somewhere around 2,000 miles. Final Friday We leave our beach house for the winter on Sunday … Continue reading Final Cruise of 2017 – Fisherman’s View Restaurant
As you may recall, Vigilant and her crew spent 6 days at Block Island in early August. I posted a mini “travelogue” each day that mentioned where we ate, but I deferred the restaurant reviews until later – well, later is now! I have quite a backlog from that trip as well as the Maine trip and I’ll just get to them in chronological order. … Continue reading Ballard’s Resort Restaurant – Block Island
Sunday called for a 65 mile run around Rockport with a 30 mile leg across open ocean. This was to be the farthest I’ve ever taken Vigilant in a single day and the first open Ocean run in the North Atlantic, so we departed Boston around 8:30 AM which was early for Gail. The first leg up the Massachusetts coast was about as … Continue reading The District Restaurant and Portsmouth NH
We visited Boston for the first time in Vigilant Saturday and actually got here from Plymouth around 11:30. It was a very smooth ride and we really enjoyed the views of Boston from the waterfront. Like all good tourists, we herded into Fanuiel Hall Marketplace with the crowd looking for lunch. I pulled up yelp looking for a decent place to eat, but found none. … Continue reading Dick’s Last Resort – Yep…
Yet another weekend with a weather forecast for a lousy Saturday and a good Sunday. I think this is the 4th or 5th in a row. To make matters worse, this is our big annual visit by the McGrath family (less Tracy who moved to Nashville). As we looked at the Saturday forecast on Thursday night, Mrs. Horne came up with a killer Plan B: … Continue reading The Chartroom Mudslide!
Last week I talked about the best bargain Dock and Dine is Buzzards Bay – Wareham. Right around the corner is one of the best kept secret Dock and Dine’s – Onset. To get to Onset, head down the Cape Cod Canal and take a left just after Hog Island. There is a large green Day Marker that you must stay to the right of … Continue reading The Northwest Buzzards Bay Secret Dock and Dine – Onset
Sunday was Fathers Day. Our big plans to visit Newport with Mrs. Horne’s sister Paula and our dog Daisy got tanked by fog and generally lousy weather. The weekend was salvaged by the Sail Loft. We headed over at 3:00 just as Neal McCarthy and Barry Gross were starting their set. Had the Truffle Fries and Portuguese Flatbread (chorizo and carmelized onions) along with a … Continue reading Live Music from The Sail Loft Padanaram
Our two Back Coves – Tenacity (37) and Vigilant (41) have spoiled us when it comes to selecting a destination. Both can plow through 4-5 foot chop and Vigilant has a hard back door and a heater, making even a 50 degree day a cruise day. It wasn’t that long ago when when cruised Buzzards Bay in our 26′ Whaler and back then, we had … Continue reading Wareham – Buzzards Bay’s Bargain Dock and Dine Destination
As I’ve mentioned a few times, Newport had become my favorite “One Night Cruise” destination from Buzzards Bay. It’s a comfortable 2+ hour cruise and since the majority of the travel occurs outside of Buzzards Bay, there’s not a lot of chop once we clear New Bedford Harbor. I’m an early riser no matter where I sleep and although the master stateroom on Vigilant is … Continue reading Meg’s Aussie Milk Bar – Newport
The Inn at Shipyard Park 13 Water Street Mattapoisett, MA 508 758 4922 There is something very special about dining at the Ole Inn. Not only do I remember going there for special nights as a kid, but it’s also a few houses down from my son-in-law Brian’s ancestral grandfather. I met Brian’s grandmother Luce at their wedding and she told me she thought she … Continue reading The Inn on Shipyard Park Mattapoisett (508-758-4922)
Having grown up in Mattapoisett, I admit that I never think of it as a Dock and Dine venue, but it’s actually quite good, especially if you’re looking to get off the typical Buzzards Bay beaten path. Visiting by boat is easy, just call the Mattapoisett Launch (508-758-4791 Ch. 68) and they’ll put you on a mooring and take you to their boatyard or either … Continue reading Turks Sushi and Seafood – Mattapoisett
We just concluded a highly enjoyable weekend hosting three of our favorite couples. It was an interesting weekend from the boating perspective. Each day looked like a “Perfect 10” around 9:00 AM and each turned into days you wouldn’t dare go boating on by afternoon. Friday, we met Peter and Mary Lee at the Mattapoisett Boat Yard and headed to The Chartroom for a relaxing … Continue reading An Interesting Weather Weekend and A Black Dog Tavern Review…
After a half a dozen cruises to Newport, I have developed a short list of four great restaurants and may never try another! The Fluke (our first) The Mooring (best location) Meg’s Aussie Milk Bar (great breakfast) The Midtown Oyster Bar Obviously, that brings me to today’s review! To get on my list, you need a great location. Midtown is straight off of 41 North … Continue reading The Midtown Oyster Bar – Newport
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
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
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
