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Sailing on Martha's Vineyard Island |
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See Martha's Vineyard island as most people through history have: from a sailing ship! |
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A grand way to sail the seas around Martha's Vineyard Island is aboard the clipper schooners Shenandoah and Alabama out of Vineyard Haven, commanded by Captain Robert Douglas for The Black Dog Tall Ships (Coastwise Packet Company; (Tel 508-693-1699, office@theblackdogtallships.com), Black Dog Wharf. The Shenandoah, built at South Bristol, Maine, in 1964, is no small boat, measuring 108 feet along the rail. Going all out at better than 12 knots, the Shenandoah has all nine sails gusting in a classic square topsail rig. And sail she does, as the Shenandoah is a classic 19th-century sailing ship without engine assist or any of the other modern assists. When the wind is fine, the Shenandoah sets sail. No wind, no sailing. The Shenandoah's sister ship, Alabama, is a 90-foot gaff-rigged fore-and-aft schooner built in 1926. Completely restored and rebuilt in the late 1990s, she has twin diesel engines so she can cruise on a schedule, wind or no wind. You can sail aboard the ship for a week—adventure, food, and lodging all included. Cruises start every Monday morning, mid-June through September, from the Black Dog Wharf. Call for particulars and reservations.
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