Mark Alan Lovewell
‘Tis derby season. In just two days the Vineyard community will undergo a large transformation as the 67th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, the Island’s annual Olympics for fisherman, begins.
Danny Louis Larsen, 62, of Edgartown has reason to be surprised by his own success. When he started Edgartown Seafood 25 years ago, Mr. Larsen knew fish, but he wasn’t sure about retail.
“I didn’t think I would like it,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d be able to deal with the people. I didn’t think they’d be able to deal with me.”
Those who are outdoors late tonight and for the next two nights may want to take a moment to look for the moon rising in the east. The last quarter moon is in the zodiacal constellation Taurus and not far from the brilliant planet Jupiter.
The best time to see these two celestial objects is well after midnight, when both have some altitude in the east. Both can be observed through the weekend.
At least 48 sailboats from all over Southeastern Massachusetts are expected to compete tomorrow in the 35th annual George Moffett Memorial Race just outside the Vineyard Haven harbor. The start of the race is shortly after 11 a.m.
For 35 years this race has been seen as a sailors’ salute to the end of summer.
The start of the race is just off East Chop. Sailboats ranging from 16 to 75 feet in length will move between West Chop and East Chop and then cross into Nantucket Sound. By tradition, the course will be decided on the day of the race.
With no car lanes, no stop signs and no one directing traffic on the water, safety among boaters is critically important. And most boat operators are polite. A customary wave is exchanged between two helmsmen when they are in a constricted area.
But in recent years and especially this summer, there appears to be a change in this custom. Some helmsmen are driving their boats unsafely, their heads pointed straight ahead, ignoring others around them.
In the night skies over the Vineyard, one can see the moon and planets move through the Milky Way. On one night, a man turns his telescope and scans beyond the Milky Way to a sister galaxy. He is Andrew A. Heyward, an avid amateur astronomer, but he is also a well-respected children’s cartoon writer, editor and top executive for an animation company in Hollywood.