Everyone’s always doing 48 hours in such-and-such. Here’s one for ya: 42 hours in Martha’s Vineyard.

Artwork in shop window in Martha’s Vineyard. The added touch is mine, indicating where The Vineyard is in relation to Nantucket, the island on the right.

Just enough for this first-timer to get enough of a taste to savor the full flavor of this special Massachusetts island.

We were running on ferry time — a novel way to get to there. Sure, anyone can drive or take a train to Boston or Rhode Island, and then a ferry. But a boat direct from midtown Manhattan?

It’s been a Friday-to-Sunday excursion all summer long. For $230 round trip, it took about the same time as driving. But who needed that hassle? Or the hassle of flying?

So we giddily packed with no worries about airport security. Then hopped in the car and drove from Pennsyltucky to Highlands, on the central NJ coast, near my childhood home, to start our Vineyard weekend.Whenever I’d be at a party and those of us from Joisey who played Which exit are you from (on the Garden State Parkway)? I’d say: This one. Only when I was growing up, it was Eatontown/Long Branch, and there was no Route 18.

From Exit 105,  the adventure begins. First stop: Manhattan. No cars coming aboard because these ferries can’t accommodate them. Bicycles are allowed, though — for a fee.

The 40-minute trip is a straight shot up New York Harbor, right under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge linking Staten Island to Brooklyn.

(Unlike the seasonal service to Martha’s Vineyard, this NJ-to-NYC part of the trip is offered all-year long by Seastreak, the ferry operator. It’s popular with work commuters and anyone who doesn’t feel like messing with city traffic.)

Pulling into midtown, a few blocks away from the Empire State Building, to pick up  a boatload of more passengers.

Setting sail for the five-plus-hour trip to Martha’s Vineyard.

Great way to unwind on a late Friday afternoon.

This party animal cozies up to some acceptable ziti from the snack bar — a tough feat when the wind’s a-blowin’ and the pasta’s shifting ever-so-slightly.

Amazingly, no need for the Dramamine I brought along. Though I was hoping to use the WiFi that was supposed to be available, it was impossible to connect. Too much interference, I guess.

Just as well. Much-better things to gaze at than a computer screen.

Waiting for us that night in The Vineyard was a warm welcome at the 1720 House (a lovely B&B dating back to that year), run by a fellow former TV news producer from The Apple.

After a great night’s sleep, we awoke refreshed and raring to see what we could see in our one full day — my birthday.

Next: How much can you do in a day? Especially without a car?