30-35 Knot winds while anchored. What a ride!

Last night the weather forecast was North winds 5knots.  Well it was super quiet and 10pm we were just read to hit the hay cuz the night before we were awake most the night with the loud banging noise and plus worried about moving and we did.  So when we came in to Vineyard Haven anchorage we anchored... it was not good so we anchored again.  When done I waited 2 hours then started up the engine and cranked it into reverse to see if we were in weeds again but nope it held good.  I thought it might be over kill but it was a good thing I made sure it was set good and tight! 10pm hit and all of a sudden and We mean All of a sudden the wind came from the North loud and our boat turned around.  We ran out of the cabin and set the anchor watch. Then we watched as our chain we could tell was stretching out then it caught good and tight. phew! Ben said he'd be fine staying up and making sure we are not going to drag.  I went below but it was so amazingly loud.  Every locker door banged... the floor creecked... the anchor rode screeched along the dolphin pole... the winds howled... the clock ticked... the water running by the boat rushed loudly... etc who could sleep like that. so in solidarity I went up with my down sleeping bag and pillow and said, "I'd be happy to watch the anchor watch there is no way i can sleep!" Ben said there is no way I'd sleep down there either. so I got his sleeping bag and pillow and we laid down in the cockpit and every so many waves we'd look around.  The alarm rang every so many times cuz the boat would swing from one side to the next. We'd jump up and look... the boat was fine we widened our anchor reach from 35 to 40 feet swing.  That was enough to not go off again until morning.  About 3am the winds died down and also we were confident we were not moving anywhere! That was a good feeling we successfully anchored tightly and the winds were even stronger than the night before!!!

Today was a day of visiting Martha'a vineyard. a very cute place.  Expensive place. in the summer there are about 120,000 people and year round there is about 20,000. tourists! the famous live around here too... or so they say...
the vineyard was named after a guy, James, he discovered it in 1700's and his daughter was named Martha and there are wild grapes around here not good for wine but good for concord grape jelly. It was later a whaling mecca.  Poor whales killed for their blubber to be boiled down for oil in lamps.

the classic house or cottage is gray cedar shake siding with ginger bread decorations.  But in Oak Bluffs it was a small methodist revival where people came for a week long tenting revival.  They liked it so much they stayed then the tent area turned into houses or cabins/cottages.  There are about 321 of them all so adorable it looks like you stepped into a fairy tale!!! The kids are all playing outside. there is the big top "tent" of a church. people are out on their porches talking and drinking.  It is out of a fairy tale movie! so enjoy the pictures.

We also went to the oldest carrousel or one of the oldest it used to be in Coney Island. Cute and adorable! her is Ben and I riding it!

We had coffee, ice cream and ended the day with sharing swordfish. yummmm! I'm full! Better than our food on the boat!

love you all

Pam