Onset to Nantucket was our toughest sail yet this season. After crossing the busy, narrow channel at Woods Hole, with sharp rocks on either side reminding boaters of their fate should they stray to either side, we encountered 20+ knots of wind on the nose on Nantucket Sound with 4 foot waves, lifting Fregata up, and letting her fall back down like a breaching whale. We fell off (turned away from the wind) and set sail to help her handle the seas better. That helped, but it was welcome relief to arrive in Nantucket Harbor.
Nantucket is an island south of Cape Cod. It started in the 17th century as a whaling and shipping port. Presently it’s a popular tourist spot and the ferries running from Hyannis on the Cape to Nantucket are always packed.
It seems like kind of a snobby place. People are well dressed, but they don’t smile or look like they’re having much fun! Maybe it’s because Nantucket has been the subject of many off-color limericks over the years. You know… “There was an old man from Nantucket,” etc.
Well, in keeping with tradition, we wrote our own limerick. As you may have read, we’ve been waiting for parts to repair our air conditioner. So, with a liberal dose of poetic license, here it goes:
A sailing couple awaited parts in Nantucket,
The supplier told them, “We’ll truck it.”
Only reachable by boat,
And because trucks don’t float,
The couple sailed on and said, “F**k it!”
5 Responses
It’s been many decades since we were on Nantucket but the friendly atmosphere was lacking then also.
I remember old, seasonal, cottages, and even some unpaved roads.
Funny how Martha’s Vineyard, just “next door” has a totally different vibe.
If you ever get the chance, the time to visit Nantucket and P-Town is off season when the beauty is not obscured by the crowds. Thanks for sharing with us.
Loved your limerick!!
Also glad you explained for this landlubber that the two of you didn’t actually fall off your boat.
Beautiful photos, sorry that sailing conditions were not better.