Sunrise Sunset

Fri., Nov. 5 7:18 5:31

Sat., Nov. 6 7:19 5:30

Sun., Nov. 7 6:20 4:29

Mon., Nov. 8 6:21 4:28

Tues., Nov. 9 6:23 4:27

Wed., Nov. 10 6:24 4:26

Thurs., Nov. 11 6:25 4:25

Fri., Nov. 12 6:26 4:24

Like the rest of the country, the Vineyard will shift from Standard to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday morning. “Spring forward, fall back,” as they say. The concept is that clocks should be turned back an hour. But for those who own old windup clocks, and many with battery-run mechanical clocks, it is better to turn the clock forward eleven hours. Turning a clock ahead instead of back is less punishment on the interior delicate gears.

Years ago, the Vineyard Gazette office used to hear often from Seth Thomas, himself a big advocate of turning clocks ahead eleven hours. Even though he no longer calls or shows up, his name is remembered at this time of year.

High and Low Tides

On Wednesday the moon was in perigee and the moon is in the new moon phase tomorrow. These two events coinciding close together mean we will have higher and lower tides through the weekend.

Tides are created by the gravitational pull of both the sun and the moon. When the moon is near the sun, as this weekend, both celestial objects, together, exert more pull on our oceans. The pull isn’t as strong as it gets when perigee and new moon occurs on the same date, or when perigee and full moon occur on the same day.

There will be many recreational bay scallopers out harvesting this weekend, so attention to when low tide occurs makes gathering the bivalves easiest.

M.A.L.