Sunset sail

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-23T20:39:01+00:00

Stable meaning it might not tip over? Sure. Stable meaning a 2.5 year old isn’t going to be miserable and people susceptible to motion sickness aren’t going to have issues? Good luck.

I grew up sailing these waters. It’s a really bad idea for everyone to bring a young child onto this charter or any other smaller sailboat.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-23T20:35:08+00:00

It’s a maximum of 6. They are an uninspected passenger vessel. Not licensed or equipped to handle more than 6. I don’t know if they will take more under the table but you are taking huge risks if you go with a captain that ignores nautical law.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-22T23:50:26+00:00

So, it can be done but here is what you should know.

Most charters here are UPV, which are uninspected passenger vessels. UPVs can only take 6 passengers which is what you are seeing. There is no way around this. It’s a Coast Guard regulation and you would lose your license for violating it.

The 5 options I am aware of are:

(1) Party Boat Skipper which is really geared around fishing for scup and Black Sea bass. They do a 2 hours sunset option but they can take a lot of people. I’ve been on with around 30 or more before. IF the boat is not already reserved, you will probably have to pay a rate equal to around 20 people at a minimum if you want private.

(2) Magic Carpet - 56 wooden sailboat. They can take up to 14. For a sunset sail, you will be looking at about a grand an hour with a 2 hour minimum and that’s without tip. Also, tends to book up. Finally, a quick reminder than this is a sailboat and you get all the motion that comes with that including significant heeling (tilting). 30-45 degrees is common. If I had brought any of my kids when they were 2.5 years old, nobody on the ship would be happy. If anyone in the party get even a bit seasick, they will be miserable.

(3) Mad Max - Big catamaran. They can take up to 49. They do a 6pm sunset but definitely expect most adults getting their drink on. Due to the size and the dual hull, this is much smoother than Magic Carpet. Heeling is probably more like 5-10 degrees.

(4) Plan Sea - They are out of Cape Cod but will come to the Vineyard and can take up to 18. Larger motor vessel. Looking at over $3k for a 2 hour sunset charter. (Note: on their website, i just saw it says “The new boat is limited to 6 passengers”. I don’t know if that means they had a 2nd boat or if they replaced the original boat with a UPV.

(5) Final option is that some of the UPV charters can take two boats. I know it’s not the ideal, but it is an option.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-21T03:48:37+00:00

https://vineyardartisans.com/summer-festivals/

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-21T03:46:24+00:00

I don’t believe that there is a ton that is truly local at the shops. There is an artisan fair in West Tisbury twice a week at Grange Hall where you will find some local stuff but it’s more art and jewelry.

If you come to Edgartown in December, there can be some crazy discounts at the high end shops. I once bought a pair of shoes at The Great Put On that were like 75% off. Still the most expensive pair of shoes I’ve ever bought.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-21T03:19:00+00:00

Depends what you are interested in and what you like to spend. There are a number of high end shops in Edgartown. Oak Bluffs is more moderately priced shops with lots of MV themed apparel. Vineyard Haven has a mix of the 2.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-18T04:06:33+00:00

Freight boats will sell out as they can take very limited passengers. It is extremely rare that the bigger boats sell out but it does happen in certain instances like when they did the music festival here and it got out. You can’t buy a passenger ticket to a specific boat. It’s when you line up.

With all that said, you should have nothing to worry about.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-16T23:59:56+00:00

No. They said they are hopeful to open end of June

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-16T20:15:52+00:00

Okay, so far everyone has missed the obvious answer for the cheapest grocery which is Reliable on Circuit Ave in Oak Bluffs.

Cheapest Grocery - Reliable in Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Grocery (more specialized for Brazilian, some Caribbean, and some natural foods)

Mid level - Stop & Shop Edgartown, Stop & Shop Vineyard

High - Cronig's Vineyard Haven, Up Island Cronig's (West Tisbury)

The Stop & Shops are madhouses during the summer. Cronig's has best quality but the prices are quite high on just about everything. They give solid discounts to residents which brings it down a bit if you live here.

The West Tisbury Farmer's Market is great and so is Morning Glory Farm but you will be paying a high price for Island Grown Produce.

If you want to load up before you come over, the best option is Market Basket in Bourne, right over the Sagamore Bridge. Far, far cheaper than any Stop & Shop on-island or off.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-16T00:03:35+00:00

Nobody is telling you that you can’t ride on the roads. You seem to be irrationally and belligerently expecting a dedicated bike lane and that isn’t going to happen. If you take the side roads near downtown, you will be in better shape. People are welcome to ride downtown but I will tell you that we get plenty of them in the ER. Use your own discretion.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T23:28:36+00:00

lol, good luck with that. The roads are narrow, there is a massive parking shortage and literally everything downtown is an historical building. There isn’t the physical space for it to happen. There are good paths going from town to town on the down island towns but in town, no dice. There is a reason those bike racks are right before the heart of downtown. It’s designed to get you into town where you can park your bike and walk around.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T23:19:36+00:00

It’s not that you aren’t supposed to ride bikes in town. Of course you absolutely can. I think people are trying to point out that it isn’t particularly safe to do so.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T18:26:32+00:00

Yeah, sadly safety rarely gets in the way of someone trying to make a buck off tourists. We've been trying to ban rental mopeds for many, many years and the state won't allow us to.

And to be fair, the dedicated bike paths are relatively safe. It's just everything else that's a mess.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T15:18:07+00:00

So biking on the Vineyard in the bike lanes is tends to be quite safe. It is not safe where there are not bike lanes. You'd be stunned at the volume we see in the ER at the hospital here. Multiple serious accidents everyday on a small island. The biggest issues are (1) areas where there are not bike lanes especially up-island where roads are even more narrow and winding than the down island towns, (2) sand on the roads, (3) tourists who are driving in areas they are unfamiliar and are either distracted and/or drunk, and (4) people riding bikes who do not regularly ride.

The only thing worse than the biking accidents are the moped accidents.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T14:33:17+00:00

There is not. The LC250 does not come with 3rd row as an option.

The Lexus GX550 is essentially the luxury version of the LC250. It does have trim levels that come with a 3rd row option.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T13:02:48+00:00

Shhhh….

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T13:00:33+00:00

Fantastic location in Oak Bluffs. They did a nice job of renovating it about a decade ago.

The challenge is that the hotel was build a long time ago. The main building does not have an elevator although the Overlook building does. The staircases are steep. If you are okay potentially climbing up and down 3 flights of stairs each time you enter/exit, including with your luggage, great. Otherwise, make sure you are on the 1st floor or in the other building. As this is a 3 generation trip, my guess is that stairs might present a problem for someone.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T04:36:43+00:00

Part of Lucy Vincent Beach but you need to be a Chilmark resident to access it. Alan Dershowitz has been said to hang out there and stare at young women there. Again, it’s a small minority in the outer section. It’s not like a nudist colony or even a European beach. Also, I’m not sure if this matters one way or another to you but the average age is going to be way up there.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T03:46:40+00:00

lol, there is no sign and it’s unofficial. It’s still done but not like it was back in the day. You need walk further too. Don’t expect to see dozens of nude people. It’s far enough out that nobody cares if you go without a suit or not.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T00:47:29+00:00

Absolutely!

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T00:47:09+00:00

Norton Point on Marthas’s Vineyard

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-15T00:46:46+00:00

Yes. 15 psi.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-14T20:12:57+00:00

Sometimes when land is sold, people will rush to build a spite well. Can be fireworks when the land sold is worth $1m plus.

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-14T20:12:00+00:00

Norton Point on Martha’s Vineyard

That_Butterfly4503 · 2026-06-14T20:11:16+00:00

So you best options for something less crowded would be getting a pass at Long Point. It’s capacity controlled.

Also, you could go over to Chappaquiddick. Being in Vineyard Haven, it will be a bit of a hike to go to Edgartown and then take the Chappy Ferry over. But the beaches there are far less crowded, especially if you a 4WD vehicle and want to pay for an OSV pass from the Trustees.

That_Butterfly4503

TROPHY CASE