7/24/2007

I always have to laugh when I see these signs on boats down at the Boat Basin. What makes them think I want to board their ugly yacht anyway? I'd much rather go on an old Harvey Gamage eastern rigged dragger.


Nice day for a sail down harbor.


Fluke boats rafted up at the Town Pier.


The little sea scalloper, Intrepid.

Commercial Striped Bass Season/Quota

Click here for the latest quota information


As of this typing, it's at 12%. I talked to one guy who fishes commercially for bass and he told me the first day of the season was slow. Hopefully it will pick up and the season will be successful and last a while.

I heard the other day that several people are feeding the seals that have taken up residence at Great Point and the surrounding waters. They catch bluefish in the rip and then bring the fish to the beach and feed them to the seals. They are also attracting the seals to their boats by splashing fish in the water until the seals come up to the boat and eat from their hands.
I wonder if this is legal? Aren't seals a federally protected animal?

Foggy Morn

It was very foggy down around the waterfront early this morning.

Brant Point shrouded in fog-


The M/V Eagle making her way around the lighthouse-



The Ruthie B-


The Boat Basin-



Mother duck and her six babies resting on a swim platform-

7/17/2007

Nice day to be out on the water today. Hard to believe in 47 days it'll be over. This Summer went by especially fast for some reason.

I went bottom fishing at the wreck and the fairway buoy today. TONS of Scup at both locations, especially at the wreck. They were a little on the small side. I was after Black Sea Bass and Fluke but caught neither. I didn't even catch a Peter Grunter!

Locating the wreck using GPS-


A video clip of the Fairway Buoy I shot today.-


And a picture of a Scup-


A little buoy tender was working in the main channel replacing buoys #11 and #10 this afternoon. I noticed the new ones are lighted. I've never known buoys #11 and #10 to be lighted. Is this something new they are trying I wonder?

Boat For Sale and Scenes from 7/15

Scott Bowman is selling his 17 Mako. Susan Burns provided the picture and specs which are listed in the sidebar to the left. Thanks, Susan.

A nice Nordhavn trawler motored into the harbor yesterday afternoon. I've always liked these trawlers. I especially like their Portuguese bridges. Very unique.


Josh Eldridge was out in his new (to him) charter boat. She replaces his old Bertram. Her name is still the same. Monomoy.


Bow lookout!


Reflection.

July 14

Took a ride out to Hither Crick early this morning. Always something going on out there.

Click on any picture to enlarge.

These baby ducks were the size of bumble bees!



Captain Carl Sjolund, his son, Jimmy and Tom Montgomery heading over to Tuckernuck.



I'm not a big ragboat fan but this one caught my eye today. She's moored up in East Polpis Harbor. Beautiful boat. Does anyone know what kind she is?



The Boat Basin is starting to fill up again. Here's a bow on shot of a big yacht at Straight Wharf.


And here are the big boys Med-moored at the east face of Straight Wharf.


In the event of a hurricane and you are not able to haul out your boat and have it safely on the hard, this is an excellent place to hole up. I remember years ago, Jim Gross put his old wooden inboard scallop boat, Gale Winds, in here during a hurricane.


I was in there today in my boat and wondered what the raft was used for. Anyone know?

Commercial Striped Bass Season

Commercial striped bass season started today. I drove out to Squidnet early this morning to grab a shot of the fleet but was met with a wall of pea soup fog. I'll try some other day.

Click on the title of this blog entry to view the percent of bass landed so far.

7/8/2007

Some pictures from Sunday, July 8.

The Shearwater coming back from a whale watch trip.



Captain Tobey on a harbor cruise.


Captain Bob and his new boat.


Sleighride.


F/V "Pedlar." I've always liked her lines.


UH-OH!!!!!! A dog on a public beach! We can't have that!! Actually, this little dog was better behaved than most of the adults and kids at this beach.


Next thing you know, the Town of Nantucket will ban all dogs from boats.

Scenes From Today

Very busy out on the water today. A lot of boating activity and things to see.

The Nantucket Lightship was docked at the east face of the Steamship Authority dock today. Not sure if she's still there.



I spotted the big catboat, Gannet, in her usual spot up at East Polpis today while I was making the rounds.


Hither Crick as seen from Millie's Bridge early this morning.


Plenty of striped bass to be had at the rock pile today. I caught this one at noon. Most people don't ever stop here and fish for bass.


Swans.



As an aside, I noticed the Boat Basin had very few boats in it today as I motored my old girl through it. I have never seen it so empty before at this time of the year.

New Charter Boat/Lightship/Other Stuff

There's a new charter boat in the fleet. Her name is Fishy Advice and she belongs to Captain Kenny Wiggins. She's a 24 Privateer powered by two Yamaha 115 horsepower outboard motors. Good luck with your new venture, Ken!

The Nantucket Lightship arrived here recently and dropped anchor just north of the bar.


The fireworks barge anchored off Jetties Beach.


There were several people clamming in the Horseshed this morning. I watched one guy try to exit via the south end and ran hard aground. Most boaters don't know that the only way you can leave the Horseshed at dead low tide is to go way up to the north end and pick your way out.


Ya think these lines ever get wet??


Happy Fourth Everyone.

POSTSCRIPT:
My brother's 23 Mako is no longer offered for sale.

Egg On My Face

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you know that I followed the construction of the new Children's Beach boat ramp from day one until the day it was completed. It's all in the archives. I said it was too shallow and that I would never be able to launch my boat there. Well I was completely wrong. I used the new ramp twice now launching my 23' Sea Ox with absolutely no problem. I barely had to get the back tires of my pick-up truck wet in the process. I think that part of my success is the fact that I bought a brand new roller type trailer before I used the ramp.

I still see people having problems with the new ramp but the majority of boaters are not.

I will be eating crow for dinner tonite.