Vineyard Sound
Vineyard Sound has very swift currents which run both easterly
and westerly, depending on the tide.
I have actually been under full sail in a
good breeze, and still not been moving forward, being pushed backwards
by the current as the vessel tries to make headway.
It always takes preparation to
know the tides in this area. The chop can also be very steep when the breeze and
the tides oppose each other.
When sailing across from Woods Hole to Lake Tashmoo,
I always have to calculate for the current, which can pull me over a mile off
course if not accounted for.
Middle Ground is well renowned as a place for finding fish,
both Stripers and Blues.
It is a shoal that stands off the coast of Tisbury on the Vineyard. Starting off
of the West Chop end of Vineyard Haven, MiddleGround runs all the way to a point
off Lambert's Cove, miles away. On any given day you may see five to twenty
boats all working the currents for fish.
Marshall Catboat with a bone in her teeth, Vineyard Sound
Sunpatch along West Chop, Martha's Vineyard
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Steamship Island Home bearing down on me in the fog
The shoals of Middle Ground
