A long weekend at Long Cove

A Long Weekend at Long Cove Vinalhaven

We were lucky to have an early season long weekend sail to visit a favorite place. Long Cove offers quite a bit to the explorer in you. It is located on the western side of the island and is well protected. You can find documentation of trails for this area, and I've shown on the attached map what we did.

The basin is a treat. The tide wash in and out of this area is very strong. We entered with the dinghy in the tail end of an incoming tide, enjoyed the area, and then left on the outgoing wash. Our dinghy would not be strong enough to take us in on an outgoing tide. Lots of beauty to behold and places to explore.

If you reference a map from the anchorage, you can find your way to the dirt road leading to the inner part of the island. This road links to the main routes on Vinalhaven. About a half mile in on the left, leave the trail and you'll find an abandoned quarry and remnants of the operations here.

Another trail can be found on the way to the basin on the left. You'll see remnants of the pier used to move off granite. Dinghy landings can be done here, but bring extra line to anticipate the tide change. The loop trail is an experience, with a huge fissure in the rock structures and very thick moss along the trail.