Wild Turkey Paddlers

Hi,

I was hoping that I might be able to get some tips and advice for a trip I'd like to do from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard. I've included background information and details below. Any advice you can provide would be a huge help to me!

Thanks very much!

Best,

David

BACKGROUND:
I'd like to swim from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard. I know that the Wild Turkey Paddlers is for paddlers but, I was told that this group has great expertise on Vineyard Sound currents and tides so, I hope it's okay that I am posting to your forum about a swim and not a paddle trip. I live in San Francisco, my parents live on Martha's Vineyard and for many years, it's been a goal of mine to swim from the Cape to Martha's Vineyard. I do a lot of open water swimming in San Francisco Bay where we have strong currents and cold water temperatures.

This map (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7H-cC ... sp=sharing) shows my ideal route. I'd like to start from Woods Hole and land at Lambert's Cove beach, on the northwest coast of Martha's Vineyard.

I have an Eldridge book on order and will read through it when it arrives. In the meantime, I was hoping that someone from this group might be able to tell me:

1. Which direction does the water in the Vineyard Sound move during a flood versus an ebb?
2. Is there anything that I should know about eddies in the Vineyard Sound?
3. Is there any data that I can look at which shows average water temperature by month in the Vineyard Sound?
4. Do you have any contacts that you recommend I reach out to as I do my research to plan this swim?
5. Is this a stretch of water that any folks from this group have paddled?

https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/all_meanT.html

Has temp data for woods hole and other locations.

Many people on this site have kayaked from woods hole to the vineyard. You should be able to find trip reports on the site.

Search through the trip reports. It seams to me that a kayaker(s) escorted a swimmer a few years back. Be very aware that the mouth to Woods Hole is a very busy place from late June-Late August.

Thank you both! The temp data is exactly what I was looking for. I'll look through the trip reports in the forum.

These trip reports are a huge help - thank you!!!

Hi Dave - I have done that crossing by kayak a bunch of times and have also escorted swimmers across from Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard. PM me to discuss your plans, if you like.

Mark

Chances are you will get a group of volunteers that will be glad to do the trip.