Wind in Her Hair, Sea Beneath; Traveling the Old School Way
Phyllis Meras

Every once in awhile when I was a child summering at East Chop, a four or five-masted schooner would come into sight, white sails filled with wind.

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Morgan Escort Has Star Turn Too
Tom Dunlop

Though she hasn’t gotten the press the Charles W. Morgan has earned, the fishing vessel Roann can claim as deep a Vineyard pedigree. She was built in 1947 for Roy. M. Campbell of Vineyard Haven. Now she is escort to the Morgan.

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Tisbury Limits Anchorage in Lagoon, Tashmoo, Harbor
Ivy Ashe

Effective June 1, boaters in Vineyard Haven waterways will be restricted to three days on an anchor. The Tisbury selectmen unanimously voted to approve an amendment to the town anchoring regulations after a public hearing Tuesday.

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Last Run for Menemsha's Quitsa Strider II
Olivia Hull

The Quitsa Strider II, an iconic fishing dragger that has long been synonymous with the working waterfront in Menemsha, has been sold to a New Bedford dealer. Matthew Mayhew and his father, Jonathan Mayhew, made their final run on the 72-foot dragger to New Bedford last Friday.

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Weighing Anchor, But Much More to the Story
Matthew Mayhew

There are many iconic skylines, but few as proud and cherished as the stabilizer arms that reach above the fish markets from Menemsha’s sister draggers, the Unicorn and the Quitsa Strider II.

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Unicorn Takes on Water; Volunteers Rally to Save Fishing Boat
Remy Tumin

In freezing temperatures a crew in Menemsha worked through the night to save the Unicorn from sinking.

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Schooner Celebrated at Pat West Jr. Sailing Race
Mark Alan Lovewell

Ten sailboats participated in last Saturday’s 25th annual Pat West Gaff Rig and Schooner Race. The race from the outer Vineyard Haven harbor to Tarpaulin Cove and back began at 11 a.m. in light and variable winds. Zoli Clarke and Ryan Payne of Vineyard Haven sailed the Gannon and Benjamin Hazel 18 to victory.

Of the 10 boats, six were schooners. The Soros/DiBiaso team won the schooner class in their 65-foot Gannon and Benjamin schooner Juno.

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The Seeker is More Than a Dream Boat
Benjamin Guggenheim

Each morning when boatbuilder Ted Box wakes up, drives to his makeshift warehouse on the Vineyard Haven harbor and climbs the scaffolding to gaze at his 70-foot scow schooner, he is confronted with all the problems of completing a big boat. Ted is 68, a master shipwright, has seen many a craft to the finish, but is looking toward daunting work ahead.

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Salvage Efforts Failed, Looters Descend on Grounded Boat
Mark Alan Lovewell

Running Free, a 36-and-a-half foot sailboat that ran aground at Norton Point beach on Friday, was still languishing on the beach Wednesday morning after salvage and refloating efforts failed. Meanwhile, visitors to the site were reported to be stripping the boat of its contents.

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History Retold

The other day I was looking at a photo taken from Pam Clark’s old house of Shenandoah, at anchor in back of the Black Dog, and waxing nostalgic. Then today I read about Shenandoah’s namesake, and the original Alabama. I had thought they had been Confederate blockade runners, sort of romantic vessels.

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