Spring Thaw

The frigid and windy weather finally broke today. The temp made it all the way up into the high forties. About twenty degrees warmer than last week. The two people pictured above went for a little boat ride in their scallop boat. There were some pretty big ice floes stuck in the Horseshed during low tide this morning. The Horseshed is an area of the harbor located directly opposite Brant Point. The depth of water in the Horseshed can range anywhere between 0 and 2 feet at low tide. I'm hoping the ice floes resting on the bottom there today didn't do too much damage to the seed scallops. Here's a picture of the ice floes in the Horseshed-


A regular reader of the blog asked me in the comments section if I had any pictures of the three sinking boats that are in the mooring field. I went out today and grabbed a shot of them. Here's a boat that is in the worse danger of sinking if it isn't attended to very soon-


And this sailboat is about to sink as well-

She had a much more prominent list before the ice formed around her. Now the ice is keeping her up.

It's hard to tell from this photo and the angle of the photo but this little sailboat has quite a bit of water weighting her bow down-


Hopefully the owners of these boats will be contacted so they will be able to take action so their boats will not sink. Most of the time, the owners of boats left out in the mooring field are long gone and never heard from again.

Click on the picture below. A collection of a few of the blog pictures are available there. More pictures will be added in the future.

Nantucket Waterfront News

Today's High & Low Temps
High 46.8
Low 23.2

'Nother Cold Day At The Waterfront

It was another very cold day around the waterfront today. I was down at Brant Point Lighthouse early this morning and took the above video clip of a dragger coming in. Notice she is covered in ice.
Here's a closer look at her-

I've seen her here before. She is usually tied up at the End of the Town Pier.

There were several sea ducks milling around Brant Point Light when I was there this morning. Here is a shot of a pair of male Eider Ducks-


And here is a picture of a freight boat navigating down the icy main channel-


Click on the picture below. A collection of a few of the blog pictures are available there. More pictures will be added in the future.

Nantucket Waterfront News

Today's High & Low Temps.
High 27.1
Low 8.6

Windy And Cold Waterfront

The weather around here has been very cold and windy lately. Very rare for early March. Nighttime temperatures have been in the single numbers and low teens and daytime temperatures have struggled to make it into the teens and twenties. The cold has not seemed to bother the waterfront birds as seen in the above photo. They always seem pretty comfortable no matter what the weather is like.

The harbor has begun to freeze over as well as the sound. It is a slushy ice mainly forming on the south side of the harbor and off of Cliffside and Jetties Beaches. Here's a shot of the Monomoy area taken late this afternoon-

While I was looking around there I spotted three boats out in the mooring field in danger of sinking. One was a cabin cruiser listing heavily on her starboard side and the other two were small sailboats laden with ice and about to go down.

Here are two boats that were riding well on their moorings on the rough harbor-



I went and had a look at the Children's Beach boat ramp project today. It looks like they have slowed down a bit from last time I checked it out. I don't know what they are doing now but it looks like some kind of a form they are building for the concrete slabs. Here's a shot of the project I took this afternoon-


Nobody has been out bay scalloping since this past Monday. Tomorrow doesn't look good either. Another three weeks and the season will be over. It went by fast this year. I hope to go out again sometime as soon as the weather breaks and the incessant wind lays down.

The Ruthie B. has been gone for almost two weeks now. I think she's over in New Beige either getting some work done on her or her captain is looking for a crew.

I was very surprised to see the Hy-Line come over this afternoon in all this wind. The Grey Lady is having her annual maintenance done so they are using the original Grey Lady renamed Lady Martha. She's much smaller than The Grey Lady. I can just imagine the ride the passengers had on that little boat this afternoon crossing the sound when it was blowing 40 mph. I hope they had seat belts.

Today's High & Low Temps
High 33.3 (unconfirmed)
Low 15.8

Barge Dogs

The tug, Charleston, arrived at the Steamship Authority docks early Wednesday morning with barge loaded with sand. I spotted two dogs sitting on top of the pile of sand as seen in the above photo. They had their own mini playground on the barge. No need for the owner of the dogs to let them ashore to run around. Here's a closer shot of the dogs-

Never a dull moment down at the waterfront.


So the consensus of the readers of the blog is that all but two of you like the new template. I'm still tinkering with the fonts and colors and eventually I want to create my own template with a picture I took of the waterfront. Look for that in the future. Thank you for your comments in the comment section.

Seven or eight guys went out scalloping today. They have been enjoying fine and calm weather the past three days in a row. Very rare to have three calm days in a row for this time of the year. I know of one guy getting 4 bushels today. Not bad for March 1.

All three projects around the waterfront were in full swing today. AGM Marine has left the south slip of the Steamship Authority and moved their operation to the White Elephant where they are rebuilding the docks there. Robert B Our and company was hard at work at the new Children's Beach boat ramp. And Lawrence Lynch was busy at their job site in front Sayle's Seafood.

Looks like the weather will take a turn for the worse tomorrow.

Charging Out To The Scallop Grounds

8 guys and one girl went out scalloping today. 7 in Town and 2 in Madaket. I know of one guy getting his 5 bushel limit today. The rest got anywhere between 2 and 4 bushels each. Not bad for a lean year at the end of February. Above is a picture of a scalloper charging out to the grounds this morning. The fishermen I chatted with today reported to me that there is a lot of seed showing up. Commercial bay scalloping ends March 31.

If you want to see part of Brant Point Coast Guard's rescue vessel fleet up close, take a stroll down Commercial Wharf. About half way down you will come upon two small rescue boats. Here's pictures of them-



The tug, Thuban, was at the fuel dock in the Boat Basin with a barge of fuel this morning.

AGM Marine has left the job at the White Elephant and have moved over to the Steamship Authority dock. They are working on the south slip there. I think they are revising the slip to accommodate the new fast ferry which is due to arrive here soon.

Work on the new boat ramp at Children's Beach is moving right along. The concrete slabs have not been made yet.

Work over at the Great Harbor Yacht Club has slowed way down. Looks like someone is making forms there for a foundation. Lawrence Lynch has not been there working for a long time.

There is always plenty of bird life to see around the waterfront. Today I spotted this Common Goldeneye off the east face of Straight Wharf-

And while I was out in Madaket, I spotted this Great Blue Heron at the edge of the marsh waiting to catch a meal-


Today's High & Low Temps.
High 39.2
Low 23.2

Consensus

I'm trying out a new template for the blog. What is the consensus? Do you prefer this new one or the old one? Please vote in the comments section of the blog.

Headin' Back Out

All the sea scallopers that came in yesterday headed right back out late this afternoon as soon as the wind laid down. Above is the Vila Nova do Corvo about to round Brant Point Lighthouse on her way out. And here is a shot of her steaming down the main channel-

And finally as she was passing the green light at the end of the east jetty-


I got a chance to talk with the captain of the sea scalloper, Beachcomber before they left this afternoon-


He told me that they were heading down to the vicinity of south channel to fish tonite. The south channel is about a six hour steam south east from here. He said there are plenty of scallops down there but they are on the small side. On March 15th a closed area off New Jersey called the Elephant Trunk is scheduled to open. The captain said he's going to leave the area he's been working lately and head down there. When a closed area is opened up, several boats fish it and do really well. This always drives the price paid to the fisherman way down.

I have noticed more and more Old Squaws (ducks) in and around the Boat Basin the past few weeks. Today I counted 7. I have never seen these ducks so close to land before. There were also the usual Eider Ducks, Mergansers, Black Ducks, Buffleheads and Loons to be seen in the Basin as well.

Today's High & Low Temps.
High 36.7 (unconfirmed)
Low 16.9

Finally Some Boats!

A few boats came in last night and this morning to finally break a long streak where there has been none here for a long time. The usual suspects, all three Vila Nova do Corvos and the little western rigged, Madi J. were here. But there was one boat I have never seen here before. Her name is Beachcomber-

At first I thought she was a Coast Guard boat with her orange markings. As I got a closer look, I found out she is a sea scalloper. Her home port is Key West, Florida! I wonder if she was originally a shrimp boat.

It was good to see these boats back here. It was getting rather quiet down around the docks lately although the Vila Nova do Corvo and the Rainmaker were in here for a brief stay this past Tuesday.

Here's a picture of the western rigged dragger, Rainmaker that blog reader, Barb shot this past Tuesday morning. Thanks for the great picture, Barb! Notice that her wheelhouse is encased in ice with the exception of the radar antenna-


Work on the new Children's Beach boat ramp is going along nicely. I was down at the site on Wednesday and noticed they were building the base and the sides of the new ramp. Next step should be the pouring of the concrete slabs. Here's a picture of the work thus far-

I'm thinking that the rate they are going on this project that they will have no problem meeting their deadline.

If you haven't been down around Grey Lady Marine lately, save yourself a trip. It is a mess. I compare it to a war zone. Work has almost come to a complete stop. Not sure what the hold up is.

Today's High & Low Temps.
High 36.7
Low 29.7

Nice Day To be On The Water

I took the above clip this morning from my scallop boat. It was a nice day to be out on the water. Warm and glassy calm. And there was a lot of scallops to be had.

Here's a shot of Brant Point Lighthouse in the early morning-


And here is a view of Town from the harbor-


This is the guy from the above video clip. Notice the gull on his bow waiting for fish and crabs that were caught in the dredges to be thrown to him-


This is the gull who rode along on my boat all morning. He was well fed-


Any pictures posted on this blog can be enlarged by clicking on them.

10 of us were out there today scalloping. I was able to get 4 bushels. Not bad for the end of February. I know a few guys got their full 5 bushel limit a few times this week. I noticed a fair amount of seed scallops out there today. The price paid to the fishermen is still holding at $17 per pound.

Liveaboards Around The Waterfront

Barb, a reader of the blog, asked me a while ago If I could do a little piece about the liveaboards around the waterfront.

Most folks don't know that there are several people living on boats year-round here on Nantucket. Today I took a walk around the docks and took pictures of the boats I know people are living on this Winter. Here are the boats-

Bob and Roz Rank live on this sailboat. I've known Bob and Roz for a long long time. Nice people. Bob is a master carpenter and scalloper. He also goes commercial striped bass fishing during the Summer. His wife, Roz, is a nurse. They have a little dog named Fisher. Bob has been living on boats here for as long as I can remember. Roz and Bob were married this Summer on their boat.

Next is the Mud Onion-

Several people have lived on this interesting houseboat. I know Lowell Whitford and his wife lived on it years ago. Now a couple and their three or four dogs live on it. Not sure who they are. They are newcomers to the liveaboard world.

Next to the Mud Onion is this boat-

A guy named Mike lives on the boat. He runs his own carpentry business.

And just around the corner we have-

A guy also named Mike lives on this boat. We all call him Wiskey Mike. Mike has lived on boats for almost as long as Bob Rank has. Mike is a carpenter. Years ago he used to bay scallop out of a 19' wooden Bristol Boat. Mike is a very talented guy. He can fix and build anything. He used to live on an old Chris Craft boat. One day several years ago when I was visiting Mike in his boat, he was in the process of rebuilding the engines. It was funny to see the engines torn apart in his living room!

Here are four more liveaboard boats-

From left to right: Freddy Singleton lives in the little black Seaway boat. It's only 24 feet! Fred has lived on small boats in the past. His last boat was a small sailboat which he sold last Summer. Fred is a painter and a handyman. He is also a very meticulous person. He keeps his little boat in top notch shape. Nothing is out of order. Next to fred is a 36' Albin Trawler. I can't remember the guys name who owns it. He lives on the boat mainly during the Summer months but comes down a few weekends during the Winter and stays on it. Next is a 49' Grand Banks Trawler. Rick Porteus owns her. Her name is Shelia G. Rick is a teacher for the school system here. He lives on the boat during the week and goes to the Cape on the weekends where he owns a house. Next to Rick is another Grand Banks. This one is a 42 footer. Chuck and Melissa Colley own the boat. They live on it only during the Summer. Chuck teaches wood shop at the school and his wife, Melissa, is a bartender for the Atlantic Cafe.

I also lived on a boat several years ago for a very short time. I bought a 38' Marine Trader Trawler down in Florida and had a couple guys run it up here for me. I never caught on to the liveaboard lifestyle and ended up selling her. I thought I would enjoy living on a boat but I couldn't get used to it. It's not for everyone. Anyway, here's a picture of the boat I once owned-


That was just a small sampling of the liveaboard community here. There are several more people who live on boats during the Summer.

[EDIT] I left out one liveaboard. His name is Joe Dooley. He keeps his boat at the Town Pier during the Winter. Joe lives on this boat, year-round, with his five, yes, FIVE dogs. He is a bay scalloper and also crews with Matt Herr on his conch boat during the Summer. Thanks for the heads up on that, Blair.
Here's Joe's home-

Riding Out The Storm

Only two boats were here during the storm today. The western rigged dragger, Humbak and the western rigged sea scalloper, Elizabeth & Jasmine. I have never seen the Elizabeth & Jasmine in here before. She looks like a southern boat which has been converted to fish up north. I'm starting to notice more and more of these boats having a second wheelhouse. Notice the wheelhouse in this picture that overlooks the work deck-

I'm almost positive that this second wheelhouse is where the captain, the mate or a deck hand runs the winches from. It must be nice to do all this in a climate controlled enclosure. Most other boats you run the winches out in the open elements on the main deck.

Here is a picture of her bow. Does anyone know what the W stands for?


Hardly any work was done on the projects going on around the waterfront due to the storm today. The Robert B. Our Company worked for a couple of hours in the morning but then took the rest of the day off from their Children's Beach boat ramp work. The AGM guys never showed up today at their White Elephant dock project. That is very rare for those guys. I've known them to work in any kind of weather. I guess the wind and rain was too much for everyone.

Most of the ice has melted in the harbor.

No bay scallopers went out today. Ice was blocking the entrance to the Boat Basin all day.

The Brant point Coast Guard moved it's fleet of rescue vessels into the Boat Basin from Brant Point.
They do that every time the wind is strong out of the ESE. Their dock at Brant Point is not very protected when the wind is out of that direction.

The F/V Ruthie B looks to be laid up at the Town Pier for the Winter. She hasn't made a trip in over a month now.

Today's High & Low Temps.
High 45.5
Low 20.5

Seeking Safe Harbor

The above boat is the only one that came in here today. Her name is Humbak. She's been here several times before. I thought there would be a steady line of boats filing in today in advance of the upcoming storm. Perhaps they are still out fishing and will wait till the last minute to head in.

Good news on the Children's Beach boat ramp project. The cofferdam was pumped out today. Here is a series of pictures I took down there late today- (Click on any picture to enlarge)



There is an electric pump inside of a pipe which is running full time pumping the water that seeps up through the bottom of the dam. This project is moving along nicely now. We need some warmer weather so they can start pouring the concrete slabs for the ramp.

Today's High & Low Temps
High 30.4
Low 17.6

Idle Scallop Boats

Above is a picture I took today of the line of scallop boats at Straight Wharf. They have been sitting there idle and locked in the ice for a long time. The temperature made it well past 28 degrees today but none of the guys ventured out scalloping today. The harbor has a lot of ice in it now. Scalloping in the ice can be extremely dangerous. I have had a few very close calls fishing in the ice years ago. If you are fishing in the ice, you need to pay close attention to which way the tide is going and the direction of the wind. Sometimes when you find an open area of water to fish in, there are usually several large ice floes around you. When the tide shifts, these huge ice floes move around. If you're not paying attention, the ice floe will crawl up your dredge ropes and pull your boat down and sink it. I know a few of the guys who carry a sharp hatchet on their boat. If they are ever caught in an ice floe and are being dragged under, they will quickly chop all their dredge ropes off of their boat and motor away to safety. Dredge ropes float so you can go back later and recover the dredges. I learned my lesson fishing in the ice a long time ago and won't go out now until the harbor is completely clear of ice.

A tug came over today and started towing one of AGM Marine's barges that was laying at Straight Wharf back to the mainland. At 4:30 this afternoon, the tug and barge was located about a mile north of the fairway buoy. They were going very slow, barely making headway against the rough seas and strong wind.

The sunsets at the waterfront have been spectacular the past few days. Here's the sunset from today I took from Monomoy-


Looks like we are in for a little storm on Wednesday. The temperature is forecasted to be in the mid to high forties. That will help melt most of the ice in the harbor.

Today's High & Low Temps.
High 37.8
Low 23.9