Northeast - Marthas vineyard vacation help

I will be on the island for the second week of June and am still on the fence about bringing my 17'er with me. The ferry is about 370.00 round trip which is better than I thought. I would be interested in using the boat for fishing as well as taking it to the beaches.

Can boats be anchored at the beaches? How is navigation around the island? Is there anything to avoid that is not on a chart?

I am renting a house on Hudson ave in oaks bluff. The owner said there is a ramp at the end of the street. Anyone familiar with it? Any fee?

Thanks for any help.

I plan on being there the first two weeks of August,Hatt-Trick

We went last summer.......I wish I had brought my small skiff for beaching/fishing

That said MV is a happening place and there is always plenty to do......

A 17' is fine for the north shore most days. But Hudson St is off Lagoon Pond. There's a better ramp by the drawbridge where the pond empties out at Eastville Pt beach. You'll have to deal with East Chop to get around the corner to the north side, and it's not called East Chop for nothing.

There is a ramp in Oak Bluff at the little bridge, and a shallow channel that swings around so you can get out under the big bridge at State Beach. There's another in upper Edgertown Harbor at Katama. Like I said, your 17' should be fine most days from Oak Bluff to Chappy on the north side. And if the wind is out of the north there's a ramp at Menemsha as well.

The island isn't huge, you can trailer the boat to wherever the weather allows you to fish...and there's always a place to fish in the lee.

What ferry are you taking.

What ferry are you taking.

Woods hole to vineyard haven.

What ferry are you taking.

Only one ferry that takes vehicles. SSA. AKA Hilter's Youth.

currents and weather can definately be an issue. The high season doesn't start until July when the water temp warms up. That said MV is my favorite boating destination. The June fishing is phenomenal! Just don't keep more than you can eat. Don't forget to bleed the big bass and blues as well. The meat will be much sweeter. We rent a house each year just so we can do our own cooking. Beaching the boat is another issue. These people take their private beaches very seriously and there seems to be no "wet sand" rule. In Maine and elsewhere you can beach on any beach private or not as long as you stay in the intertidal zone. I beached my sunfish sailboat after I was blown off course by about 100 yds and a paid securiy guard (goon) read me the riot act and told me I can right my boat in chest deep water. No one seems to know what the real rule/law is. A 17 footer is a bit small but I'd kick myself if I didn't bring it. If the water is calm there is plenty of great fluke and striper/blues grounds. Fishing off the shoals in the sound should get you dinner everynight. Parachute jigs and eel jigs could be all you need. Work the sandbars. Good Luck.

Fmrslr, you are correct, intertidal zone use for fishing, fowling or navigating... Dates back to colonial days. Causes huge issues here in town starting Memorial Day. Rich people can be huge dickheads when they think they are right, but they're really wrong.

Sorry for the derail OP!

Fish the Tom's Shoal area on the East side of the island for bass, the shallows around Cape Pouge are great for blues on topwater plugs.

fishing the rips with top water plugs is as exciting as it gets. Casting plugs and seeing the bass or blues come up and nail it is the best. I wouldn't try it in that current with a 17 foot skiff however. I would stick to the sandbars at the change of tide.