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Dawn at the Vineyard Haven terminal: the ferry at the slip, the VTA bus waiting, the harbor behind.
Vineyard Haven Harbor from the Steamship Authority ferry's top deck: what arriving on Martha's Vineyard looks like on a sunny day.
Vineyard Haven Harbor View From The Ferry
This video was shot from the top deck of the Steamship Authority ferry on a sunny day, coming into Vineyard Haven Harbor. It shows exactly what you'll see on the crossing: open water first, then the harbor and the town coming into view as the boat slows to dock. If your trip to Martha's Vineyard starts on this ferry, this is how you arrive.
Coming into Vineyard Haven Harbor
The harbor is a working port, so there's plenty to look at on the way in: moored sailboats and yachts, boats crossing the channel, and the Vineyard Haven waterfront behind them. From the top deck you get a clear view the whole way in. For most visitors this is their first look at the island, and the video is a good preview of it.
Location: Vineyard Haven Harbor, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA
Filmed July 2021The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked October 2026.
Hibiscus and petunias on the Black Dog Wharf, the pilings and a boat behind them.
Exploring the town? Start with our complete Vineyard Haven guide: food, beaches and parking.
Where Martha's Vineyard is, with our own maps: an island in Dukes County, Massachusetts, under four miles across Vineyard Sound from Woods Hole on Cape Cod, 75 miles from Boston and 70 from Providence by road. How big it is, the six towns, up-island and down-island, every way to get there and where the name comes from.
The twelve things that catch first-timers on Martha's Vineyard, from car reservations and the two ferry terminals to resident-only beaches, the last bus from Aquinnah and cash for the Chappy Ferry, each with an easy fix, plus the fall and winter dates.
Parking for the Woods Hole ferry: there is none at the terminal, so here are the three Steamship Authority lots (Palmer Avenue, Thomas B. Landers, Cataumet), the 2026 rates ($25 a day April to October, $20 otherwise), the free shuttle timed to every sailing, when to arrive, the annual and off-season permits, the drop-off rule and the cheaper Island Queen lot in Falmouth Harbor.
How to get a Steamship Authority car reservation to Martha's Vineyard: the February opening and its virtual waiting room, the residents' head start, the five-reservation limit, the wait list that works, the 2026 fares ($127 midweek, $168 summer weekends), the free first change and the 14-day refund rule, no standby, and why most visitors should leave the car in Falmouth.
Providence and Rhode Island to Martha's Vineyard without crossing Cape Cod: the Seastreak from New Bedford (50 minutes, $84 round trip, 30 minutes from Providence) and the Vineyard Fast Ferry from Quonset Point (95 to 105 minutes, from $115, dogs ride free), both with parking from $15 a day, plus Amtrak's connecting bus for a car-free trip. Which boat, when, and what it costs.
The Hy-Line ferry from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs: about an hour, $42 each way with the fuel surcharge, children and bike fares, the 2026 season, the Ocean Street terminal and its $10 to $30 lots and shuttle, the CapeFLYER and bus connections from Boston, and an honest comparison with the cheaper Island Queen and Steamship boats.
Island tip of the day Timing No. 61 of 79 New tip at midnight, island time
Visit Edgartown on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Same beautiful town, maybe 30% of the weekend crowds. Most restaurants have availability without reservations.
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