Finally!

Finally some nice weather after what seemed like an endless stretch of NE gales and temps in the low 50's. The waterfront is starting to pick up a little. There was a lot of activity in the harbor today. I spotted this huge sailboat slowly inching her way down the main channel this morning. I could not make out her name but I see she is from London.



This couple was enjoying the day in a much smaller sailboat-


A few big sportfishing boats are showing up here as well-


The fluke guys are here tied up at the end of the Town Pier-

Here's a new one I have not seen in the fleet before-


This tuna fisherman was coming in from offshore-


I caught a nice keeper striped bass on an umbrella rig while wire lining in my favorite spot today-


New picture of the week:
I came across these guys in the thick fog on the last day of the commercial scallop season back in 2004. They were rafted up talking and enjoying the morning.

Sick Seal In The Boat Basin

There was a VERY sick seal in the Boat Basin this afternoon. I was down there at 5 this afternoon talking with the Marine Mammal Stranding Team and they told me that it was there at noon. They were on the phone with the New England Aquarium in Boston to see what their options were. Hopefully the poor guy will survive but it doesn't look good. I have never seen a seal in the boat basin before. Here are a couple more shots-



While I was out at Hither Crick the other day, I grabbed this picture. Can you spot the two Johnson outboard motors amongst all the Yamahas?

Little Vigilant

I spotted an interesting sailboat tied to the east face of Straight Wharf this afternoon. She looks to be constructed of steel. Her name is Little Vigilant and she's homeported in South Dartmouth, MA. It is worth the walk down there to have a look at her. Here's another shot-


The fluke boats are starting to show up here. A few of them are on moorings in the general anchorage. You can also see them tied up at the end of the Town Pier. Here's one on a mooring-


Click Here for a list of fishing regulations and quotas which includes fluke


Here is Chuck Butler and his boat, Merlin, coming in after setting a load of gear today. Chuck is an offshore lobsterman. He once dived on the sunken ocean liner, Andrea Doria.


The Town recently installed this measuring device at the end of the new Children's Beach boat ramp. Are those solid brass numbers???



And finally, here are a couple of pugs waiting to go for a boat ride today. Never a dull moment around the waterfront.


This weeks picture of the week was shot in February of 2005. I am cutting a path through the thick harbor ice with my scallop boat for Michael (Mac) McInerney after a morning of bay scalloping. It took us quite a long time to break through that ice!

Sailboat & Dragger

I noticed the above big sailboat anchored in the sound just NE of the fairway (NB) buoy early this morning. Does anyone know who she is? She looks familiar to me.

This interesting little dragger was steaming in late today. I have never seen her here before.

Enterprise

I shot the above video as the salvage crew was cutting up the Enterprise back in 2005. Here are a few more pictures I took during her final days-

Storm/Boat Sunk

Interesting morning down at Children's Beach today. I witnessed a boat roll over and sink while I was there. The owner was contacted and rushed down to save the boat but it was too late. As soon as he arrived, she rolled and sank. Within 15 min. of the sinking, about 10 guys showed up to help roll her back over, de-water her and get her on a trailer. As that was taking place, this 22 Mako was going down-


Amazingly, she never sank. I went back at noontime and she was still there full of water.

I spotted this yacht on Sanford's dock today. Wonder if it's his?


Tommy Dunham's dragger, 3+1 is back ready for a summer of fishing for squid and fluke in the sound.


Von's boat, Whitney M is ready to be splashed as soon as he finishes painting her bottom.


Postscript: Coast Guard rescue off Nantucket.

CLICK HERE

Black Smoke From The Iyanough

Blog reader, Tom asked why there was so much black smoke coming from the engines of the new SSA ferry, Iyanough. I found some information that may explain the problem. I will try to grab a picture of the Iyanough soon.

Click here for the info


Here's a video I shot of the sea clammer, Enterprise the day she grounded at Sankaty-

I'm Back

My laptop is in the shop awaiting it's fate. It will most likely need a new hard drive. In the meantime, I have dragged out a clunky old desktop computer from the closet. Seems to be working okay. We'll see how it goes.

Here are a few pictures I took around the waterfront the past few days-

New Steamship Fast Ferry

Brant Point Coast Guard 41 footer

Charter Boat, Althea K off 'Sconset

Western rigged dragger at the end of the Town Pier

Great Black-Backed Gull picking at the net of the dragger, Valkyrie

Black-Crowned Night Heron I spotted at the Cricks this afternoon

Computer Issues

I'm having problems with my laptop computer I use to post to the blog. All my photos are stored on it and the application, Photoshop is on it as well which I use to edit my photos. I will not be able to publish any more posts until I get this problem resolved. Stand by.

F/V Hannibul

I was out at Madaket yesterday afternoon and caught up with Dan Pronk, owner of the Hannibul. The Hannibul is a 26' Seaway powered by a Yamaha 225 horsepower four stroke engine. Dan located the boat through a commercial fisheries newspaper. A lot of other guys from here had their eye on the boat before Dan bought her. Dan is involved in a multitude of fisheries around Nantucket. Lobster, Black Sea Bass, Scup, Cod, Bay Scallops and Tuna. You name it and Dan will target it. Dan bay scallops out of a 22' Sisu boat. Here's a shot of that boat I grabbed two years ago-

Here are a few more shots of Dan and the Hannibul-



Click on any picture to enlarge.

While I was out at Madaket yesterday, I noticed a lot of boats going in and out of the new opening. Here's the charter boat, Priscilla J, heading out through the opening-


And here is a swan with her three cygnets I saw at First Bridge, Madaket today-



Never a dull moment around the waterfront. There's always something new to see.

It's A Dog's Life (At A Nantucket Beach)

Does anyone see anything wrong with these pictures??