An Autumn Visit to Tarpaulin Cove
Tarpaulin Cove Lighthouse.
Tarpaulin Cove Lighthouse.
A haven for sailors for centuries.
A haven for sailors for centuries.
Sailors gather for the Salami Cup at Tarpaulin Cove.
Sailors gather for the Salami Cup at Tarpaulin Cove.
Myles Thurlow, at the helm of the schooner Malabar II.
Myles Thurlow, at the helm of the schooner Malabar II.
Sailboats of all sizes participate in Salami Cup.
Sailboats of all sizes participate in Salami Cup.
Buildings date back to another century.
Buildings date back to another century.
Late afternoon sun.
Late afternoon sun.
Setting crescent moon.
Setting crescent moon.
Morning coffee and a conversation, before the vessels leave the cove.
Morning coffee and a conversation, before the vessels leave the cove.
Tarpaulin Cove in autumn is among the most serene of places. It is a distant harbor, situated close by. The tiny cove on the south side of Naushon is rich in history going back centuries.
Here, sailors seek refuge from the rush and tumble of the day. It is a place of solace, a quiet retreat from all the other waterfront destinations in Southeastern New England.
Last Saturday, a small fleet of mostly local old classic sailboats, held their 14th annual sailboat rendezvous at the cove. The schooners came as big as the 42-foot Malabar II from Vineyard Haven, and the sloops came small too. It was the Salami Cup. There is not another sailboat race like it.
Tarpaulin Cove is a private place, like the rest of Naushon. But mariners are welcome and they come to enjoy its ambiance and its white sandy beach. The lighthouse, standing as a sentinel overlooking the cove and seen by any boater traversing the Sound, is maintained by the Cuttyhunk Historical Society. Seventy-five feet above sea level, the lantern blinks a bright white light, every six seconds. Though not original, the lighthouse history dates back to 1759.