Menemsha is a small fishing village located in the town of Chilmark

Chilmark, Massachusetts

Chilmark is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 843 at the 2000 census. The fishing village of Menemsha is located on the northern end of town along its border with the neighboring town of Aquinnah...

 on the island of Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....

 in Dukes County

Dukes County, Massachusetts

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,987 people, 6,421 households, and 3,788 families residing in the county. The population density was 144 people per square mile . There were 14,836 housing units at an average density of 143 per square mile...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is located on the east coast of Menemsha Pond, adjacent to the opening into the Vineyard Sound

Vineyard Sound

Vineyard Sound is the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Elizabeth Islands and the southwestern part of Cape Cod from the island of Martha's Vineyard, offshore from the state of Massachusetts in the USA...

 on the pond's northern end. The village's historic harbor

Harbor

A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...

 serves as the point of departure for local fishermen, some from multi-generational fishing families such as the Larsens, Pooles and Mayhews, as well as charter boats to the Elizabeth Islands

Elizabeth Islands

The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States. They are located at the outer edge of Buzzards Bay, north of Martha's Vineyard from which they are separated by Vineyard Sound, and constitute the town of...

 and elsewhere. Besides charter fishing and cruises, other possibilities for recreation are the public beach adjacent to the harbor and the bicycle ferry across Menemsha Pond to Aquinnah

Aquinnah, Massachusetts

Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Prior to 1998 the town was officially known as Gay Head, which it is still called by most Islanders from the neighboring towns, but this name does not reflect as well the year-round population of a large American Indian...

 as well as many excellent places to get freshly cooked seafood. It is also home of one of the most dramatic sunsets in New England. Menemsha is the location of a United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 station, Coast Guard Station Menemsha

Coast Guard Station Menemsha

United States Coast Guard Station Menemsha is a United States Coast Guard station located in Menemsha, Massachusetts, within the town of Chilmark....

, and was once known as Menemsha Creek.