Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts · Vineyard & Nantucket Sound · 41°27.4′N 70°35.9′W · VHF Ch 09
Vineyard Haven is the Vineyard's main harbor and its front door — the ferries land here, the classic schooners moor here, and Main Street is a step off the dinghy dock. Its one flaw is written on the chart: it faces due north.
Anchor in the outer harbor north of the ferry lane in 12–18 ft of sand and mud, or take a harbormaster or Vineyard Haven Marina mooring (Ch 09). In the prevailing summer southwesterly it's fine and flat. But in anything with north in it the harbor is wide open and gets dangerous — watch the forecast, and move around to Lake Tashmoo or over to Hadley Harbor if a northerly threatens.
Ashore is excellent: chandlery, provisions, restaurants and the wooden-boat scene at Gannon & Benjamin. Just never treat this as an all-weather hole.
Hazards & cautions. Wide open to the north — a northerly or a northeast blow sends a heavy swell straight in and the harbor becomes untenable. Constant ferry and freight traffic; keep clear of the ferry lane and the SSA terminal. Anchor holds well but the exposure, not the bottom, is the risk here.
Coast Pilot notes Vineyard Haven Harbor is exposed to the north and can be untenable in northerly weather; holding in the outer harbor is good.
No cruiser reports yet. If you've anchored here, be the first — your note helps the next boat in.
Augusto ratings and editorial are our own synthesis of public-domain sources and cruiser reports. Always verify against current charts and local knowledge before you rely on them.