MARGARET KNIGHT
508-627-8894
It seemed like half the population of Chappaquiddick made it over to the launching of Destiny, Rick and Chrissie Haslet’s new ketch, at the Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard this past Saturday. What a beautiful boat, very near to perfection — it almost looks too nice to sail.
Chrissie’s father made a surprise visit for the launching all the way from New Zealand, where Rick and Chrissie will be heading when they set sail next year. At the ceremony, Phil Hale gave an account of Rick’s history on the Island and the building of Destiny. Rick arrived on the Island to help his cousin, Dick Newick, build trimarans, and then began to design and build his own boat 12 years ago in a shack in West Tisbury.
Matthew Stackpole gave a talk, Chrissie’s father sang and Chrissie spoke thanking people for their help. Rick toasted Destiny and she was carried down the beach in the travel lift and set out into the harbor, finally in her own element.
Nancy Hugger, who was there, said: “It was an incredibly moving experience to behold — the single-mindedness, commitment and excellence a person can pour into one dream over a lifetime. I feel that we witnessed a truly extraordinary event.”
I sailed from Chappy to the launching with Peter Wells in his Shields. We arrived just in time to see Destiny launched to the sound of much cheering and firing of cannons. At the party afterward, Rick Bausman’s steel drum band played and a feast was served by Fella Caters. A perfect celebration.
It was nice to have a destination to sail to, especially for this occasion. The familiar place takes on a different feeling when you sail in, moor the boat and row to shore.
Sidney used to say he was going to get a sailboat so he could sail to town for groceries. Life seems to have gotten much more complicated since then. He joined us for the sail back and, although Vineyard Haven was mostly sunny when we left, as soon as we got out around West Chop, the Cape Pogue light was about all we could see of Chappy or Edgartown.
As we came in, we followed the line of the North Neck bluffs, picking out one buoy at a time and found our way into the harbor. It was a windy day and on Peter’s fast boat we made the round trip in about four hours, plus an hour or two for partying in Vineyard Haven.
Geof Kontje and Norma Costain got married on Chappy a couple of weeks ago in a small joyous ceremony at Mike Kidder’s house. They spent the week after sailing on a windjammer off the coast of Maine. A warm welcome to Norma.
The first fall potluck at the community center took place last week. It was nice to see friends and neighbors not seen during the busy summer months. The food was excellent and so was the company. Varian Cassat and Annie Heywood will host the next potluck on Oct. 3rd, with hors d’oeuvres at 6 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m., as we return to our winter schedule of the first and third Wednesdays of the month.
Mark your calendar for the potluck on Oct. 17 — it will be a party for Varian who will have already moved to Havenside. We’re sad to see Varian leave Chappy but glad that her new home is not far away and that it has a view of the Vineyard Haven harbor.
Dennis Goldin’s novel, Charon’s Manifest, made it to the semifinals in the prestigious, long novel William Faulkner competition. Dennis hasn’t formulated a book jacket yet but says it’s an adventure involving two doctors in a complicated plot. He’s working on the pitch in hopes of finding an agent.
Dennis is a doctor himself, who commutes to Quincy via rowboat — at least, that’s how he starts out the journey. He now has a motor on his dingy which helps when the tide is ripping through the channel on his trips over from Chappy in the morning before the ferry is running. Dennis catches the first Steamship ferry to Woods Hole where his car is parked, and does the return trip at the end of the day.
We’ve been incredibly lucky with this September weather — this is my favorite time of year and it goes by so fast. The ocean is still swimmable — a little cold, but not yet numbing.
September is the month babies are on vacation, probably because their parents can afford the rentals. I was at East Beach last Sunday watching a little girl barely able to walk in the sand but thoroughly enjoying herself as she roamed around picking up bits of seaweed and other flotsam and jetsam to examine. Beaches can be such fascinating places with just sand, water and a little debris.
Peter Wells and Sally Snipes’s new granddaughters, twins Erin and Emily, arrived on Tuesday for their first visit to the Island, along with their mother Molly and big sister Abby.
Other fall visitors have been sighted: Vance Packard, Mary MacGregor and Phil Lieberman, Christa Gostenhopher, Laura and Matt Lowenstein, Jane Knight, Carol Jones and Stephen Jones among others, here to enjoy the relative quiet or fish the derby.
The Island continues to be on the dry side and Varian’s white rock in Brine’s Pond is completely out of the water. At the pond’s highest water level, it’s covered or close to it. Tillie and Gladys Jeffers used to say winter won’t come until the swamps fill, so maybe we’ll have a nice long fall.
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