Nantucket Ferry: The Steamship Authority’s Slow Boats – Part 2
Ah, the slow boat. This was the traditional method for traveling to Nantucket during my childhood, before the fast ferries arrived on the scene. It was always important to prepare yourself for the very long trip across Nantucket Sound. My sister and I were always armed with items to keep us busy like Archie comics, candy (Twizzlers and Jujyfruits), decks of cards, and of course the ultimate 1980’s gadget—a Sony Walkman probably ready to play a cassette of either Huey Lewis and the News or The Monkees Greatest Hits. I can remember many a crack of dawn in Hyannis where it was always...
Read MoreNantucket Ferry: The Steamship Authority’s Slow Boats – Part 1
My mother tells me that when she was a child, way back when, she can recall riding the Nantucket ferry all the way from New Bedford. The trip took four hours which seems astounding. She says her aunts, who used to take her there, would fill brown paper lunch bags with bread crumbs so they could feed the seagulls. These days, you are no longer permitted to feed the birds for obvious reasons. First of all, and this subject really deserves at least one completely separate post, seagulls are like vultures. They will attack you for your food and are not to be trusted. If you feed them,...
Read MoreNantucket Ferry: The Hyline’s Grey Lady Part 3
It’s a good idea to prepare yourself for the menu options on this Nantucket ferry before you arrive. It might not come as any surprise that the café aboard The Grey Lady only serves a limited number of items including: sandwiches, chips, candy, and booze. Although they deserve credit for offering classic Boars Head options like ham, turkey, and roast beef, purchasing a pre-made sandwich wrapped in saran still somehow leaves something to be desired. For this reason, I prefer to come armed with my own lunch. And after driving 4 or 5 hours from New York, we are usually starving when...
Read MoreNantucket Ferry: The Hyline’s Fast Ferry (The Grey Lady): Part 2
Once you’re on the Nantucket ferry, The Grey Lady, one decent place to sit if you have young children is at the bow of the ship, where there is a wrap around couch and a few small tables. The couch and tables are great for relaxing, and they are right next to the door, so when you arrive you can be one of the first to debark. The small, but open area immediately behind the couch is a good place for restless kids to crawl around and play with their iPads or whatever. However, I must warn you that many people let their dogs sit there too. So, if your family is anything like...
Read MoreNantucket Ferry: The Hyline’s Fast Ferry (The Grey Lady) Part 1
The Nantucket ferry service known as the Hyline runs a fast boat called The Grey Lady. I must begin by admitting that I love The Grey Lady. In my opinion, it provides the nicest possible ride across the sound from Hyannis to Nantucket. The fast ferry only takes one hour to cross, and provides beautiful vistas and comfortable seating, not to mention a very pleasant and friendly crew. Well, except for that crabby old guy who stands next to the ticket taker when you board. His main responsibility seems to be to ensure that you don’t get on with say, a huge cooler of beer. Or even...
Read MoreNantucket Ferry: Nantucket is Nice Because There’s a Moat Around It
When traveling to Nantucket, one needs to take either a Nantucket ferry or a plane. My dad has often said that one of the reasons Nantucket is so nice is because “there’s a moat around it.” This is, of course, just one opinion. However, the fact remains that there is no bridge providing easy access to the island, which seems to keep the riff raff out while at the same time drawing a group of people who can see Nantucket for the beautiful, unique place that it is. Those of us who have decided to return again and again feel rather strongly about preserving Nantucket as a little...
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