Hurricane Earl, downgraded to a category one hurricane but still packing sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, was still on track late Friday to pass close to the Cape and Islands.

At 5 p.m. Friday Earl was about 230 miles south-south-west of Nantucket, moving northeast at 22 miles per hour. The storm’s speed was expected to increase, bringing it closest to Vineyard in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Although it has weakened, Earl remains a large tropical cyclone, the National Hurricane center warned, with hurricane force winds extending out 70 miles from the center of the storm and tropical storm force winds out to 205 miles.

Earl is forecast to bring heavy rain and high surf, as well as a storm surge of three to five feet.

The Harbor View and Kelley House hotels in Edgartown were evacuated midafternoon, and guests relocated to the town shelter at Edgartown School. But winds remained light and rain only sporadic into early evening.

A 2 p.m. curfew initially recommended by Island safety authorities was widely ignored, and then extended to 8 p.m. as weather conditions remained relatively mild.

The streets of downtown Edgartown were alive with people, and pubs on Main street filled with hurricane revelers. Island liquor stores did good trade as did gas stations.

Steamship Authority boats continued to run on a trip-by-trip basis, but had little custom. By late afternoon, all those who wanted to leave the Island apparently had. The 4.30 boat delivered only about 17 cars and a large group of walk-on passengers, and boarded only a couple of cars.

On Main street, Vineyard, C.B. Stark was boarded up, with a plywood sign reading “Dear Earl, be a pearl and go away. Love C.B. Stark.”

On the plywood covering its four windward-side upper-floor windows The Black Dog Tavern were the letters E A R L, one letter per window.

Next door, the plywood on the Coastwise Packet Company had a painted rendering of a hurricane and the words “My name is Earl.”

While a few places were boarded up and more had tape reinforcing shop windows, many of the larger stores continued to trade. The Vineyard haven Stop and Shop planned to be open until 8.

In Oak Bluffs, there were long lines at Our Market Package store.

Local shelters were open, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued warning to people to stay out of the water, avoid flooded roads and stay indoors.