Boat or Nope

Massachusetts boating conditions

Vineyard Sound marine forecast

Cape-side harbors and the Vineyard's sound shore, beside the Nantucket Sound page rather than folded into it.

The regional picture

One body of water. More than one kind of boat day.

The National Weather Service coastal waters forecast from the Boston/Norton office treats Vineyard Sound as its own zone (ANZ233), next to Nantucket Sound (ANZ232). A southwest breeze has a different fetch on the sound than it does across Nantucket Sound toward Hyannis.

Use this page for Falmouth, Woods Hole, and the Vineyard harbors that face the sound. Hyannis, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Nantucket stay on the Nantucket Sound marine forecast.

Harbor-level briefings

Compare conditions around Vineyard Sound

Cape and Elizabeth Islands approaches

Harbors on the north side of Vineyard Sound.

MAFalmouth Harbor

A busy protected harbor on Vineyard Sound with ferries, marinas, and quick access to the Elizabeth Islands and Martha's Vineyard.

Open marine conditions MAGreen Pond Harbor

A narrow East Falmouth inlet and marina basin opening onto Vineyard Sound, with a compact marked entrance and protected water inside.

Open marine conditions MAWaquoit Bay

A broad shallow bay on the Falmouth-Mashpee line reached through a narrow Vineyard Sound inlet, with extensive protected water and shoal margins.

Open marine conditions MAWoods Hole

A busy harbor and tidal passage between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, known for strong currents.

Open marine conditions

Martha's Vineyard sound shore

Vineyard harbors with their own tide stations on or beside the sound.

MAVineyard Haven

A broad year-round Martha's Vineyard harbor with ferry traffic, marine services, and shelter from most directions outside northeasterly weather.

Open marine conditions MAMenemsha Harbor

A small working harbor on the western end of Martha's Vineyard with a narrow entrance opening toward Vineyard Sound.

Open marine conditions

Tide charts

Tide charts around Vineyard Sound

Before leaving the dock

Three useful checks for Vineyard Sound

  1. Check both Falmouth and Vineyard Haven when the route crosses the sound.
  2. Woods Hole current and the sound forecast are different problems. Read the tide chart and the harbor call together.
  3. Keep the Nantucket Sound page for a route that turns east after you leave the sound.

What this regional guide can - and cannot - do

These pages make it easier to compare the latest available forecast and observation inputs around Vineyard Sound. They are planning aids, not navigation or safety guarantees. Check the official coastal waters forecast, current observations and notices, local conditions, and your own boat and crew before departure.

See how Boat or Nope builds each call