11 July Vineyard Haven

The route from Cuttyhunk to Vineyard Haven on the north side of Martha's Vineyard took us through Quick Channel, which was quick as the current was running with us at 3 knots, into Vineyard Sound. We anchored in 7m outside the harbour to the east of the busy ferry channel.

Once the boat is settled and secure we can begin exploring. The first question I asked was “Who was Martha?" According to the internet Englishman Bartholomew Gosnold sailed to the island in 1602 and named it either after his mother-in-law or his daughter, both named Martha. The wild vines he saw still grow on the island, but their more interesting cousin – wine producing grapes – have never been established. Fortunately we've brought our own oenological supplies from the mainland to accompany all the seafood I'm determined to sample.

Vineyard Haven is small, perfectly formed and the transport hub of the island. This is where the passenger and car ferries dock and link to the island's bus system. David quickly found West Marine chandlery and the hardware store. I diverted to the sassy clothes shops and small art galleries for a hit of visual therapy. A couple of hours and I'd skimmed every rail, rejected t-shirts at $150 a pop and chosen a large painting and a intriguing piece of sculpture which I'll never buy.

What we did buy was a proper local lobster. The 'lobsters' which we ate to excess in the San Blas are really crayfish; they lack the large claws of a true lobster. True lobster tastes better in our opinion. I had to have more oysters too. David picked clam chowder as his starter. It doesn't get much better than fresh, local seafood with a glass of chilled rosé.