Nantucket, MA

We made such good time on our overnight passage that we had to slow down in order to arrive after the sun came up.  One should never enter an unknown port in the dark.  I was on watch and had to navigate the shoals off Cape Cod, entering Nantucket Sound at 3am, with a stiff current.  I was a nervous nelly and woke Craig up for moral support.  Then at 5 am, Craig took over and we entered Nantucket Harbor at 6:30 am.  We dropped anchor and promptly went to bed.  The girls did a great job of being quiet and started school work while we snoozed for a couple of hours.

Anchoring in Nantucket harbor was a source of frustration for us.  There was a very strong current that runs through the harbor which causes boats to sit askew to the wind.  An impending storm with potentially strong winds was approaching.  We definitely did not want to be opposed to any storm wind.  We pulled up the anchor and moved to an area where there was less current and we wouldn't be in such a bind.  But alas, just after dark, the tide was rushing out, and we were still askew to the wind.  Worse yet, we were uncomfortably inching very close to the boat next door.  In a howling wind, pitch dark, we had to pull up the anchor again and move.  This time we needed everyone on deck to keep a sharp lookout so we wouldn't hit any nearby boats.  It was a nail biting experience for sure and were happy to settle back down.

Sunrise as we enter the harbor

It's so quiet...everyone is still sleeping

Nantucket is the only place in America that is simultaneously an island, a county and a town. 

Where do you wanna go?

We walked along the brick sidewalks and darted in and out of quaint shops and art galleries.  The Whaling Museum was the highlight for all of us, especially since we had seen whales on our sail to Nantucket.  We then enjoyed a late lunch, early supper of clam chowder and fish and chips on our way back to the boat.

Horse water station back in the day

Nantucket street signs

upscale shops line the cobblestone streets

The lighthouse Frensel Lens inside the Whaling Museum

View of the harbor from Whaling Museum rooftop

Rental cottages along the wharf/harbor

Pretty cool!

I saw this sign on a business door Friday afternoon

I used to live on Easy St. in Northern California

The remainder of our time in Nantucket was spent hunting down Maggie's school books between the post office and the UPS store.  That was not an easy feat.  It required multiple bus rides, accompanied by a large dose of frustration.  The girls enjoyed playing on the beach and Craig removed the remainder of the brown water stains and green algae along the water line.  And then we did have some rain, not nearly as much as anticipated, but it was enough to wash the boat complete with a little thunder and lightning.  Next stop:  Martha's Vineyard