NANTUCKET
We previously wrote about a visit to Nantucket (see blog in September 2012); and frankly our current visit is not much different than that! We’ve spent a lot of time with friends and family who summer here.
We arrived from our stay in Martha’s Vineyard where we anchored for 5 days. In total it had been about 10 days since we’d been in a marina, so it was delightful to be able to tie up to a dock and just hop off to walk the dogs, do a couple loads of laundry (yes, on board!), and refresh our pantry. Our family greeted us at the dock and welcomed us in! That was the best feeling in the world!
We are stern-to on a shopping walk-way, so there are lots
of gawkers! Afterall, the Krogen Express is a head-turning vessel! Sometimes we feel like we are an exhibit at the zoo! People stop and stare. They call on the radio. They watch as we dock or pull into an anchorage or mooring field. It’s flattering, but it can also be a bit intimidating, especially when you’re trying to have a smooth docking or a perfect mooring pick-up.
Nantucket is a charming island and village, and in many ways very folksy. One day during our visit the town had a big parade in honor of the high 
school graduates. The fire department and police, along with an array of cars decorated with blue and white balloons, honked and blew sirens! People stood along the side of the road clapping and cheering!
Today the island is distinguished by its unpainted cedar-shingled buildings, gorgeous flower boxes/pots, and cobblestone streets; but between 1690 and 1840 it was the
foremost whaling port in America. Today it has a year-round population of 17,200 residents. In 1830 it was the third largest city in Massachusetts!
As I write this at 9 am on June 15th it is 56 degrees with a NE wind of 19 mph. The “feelslike” temperature is 53. I now know why the regulars here refer to June as “Juneuary”. I will say, however, that this is the coolest we have experienced in almost a week. Typically the average daytime temperature for this time of year in Nantucket is the mid-60s. Fortunately that’s been the norm for us during our visit. And, fortunately I brought the right clothes for Juneuary!
With the winds what they are, we are so thankful that we are tied up at the marina, and not being thrashed around in the mooring field. Nantucket Harbor is very vulnerable to north winds. While it is enclosed, the land to the north is low-lying 
which provides only minimal wind protection. In addition the harbor is large. Consequently there is a lot of fetch, and it can get very choppy. There are whitecaps out there now. A dinghy ride ashore would be miserable in these conditions.
We have a couple more days in Nantucket, after which we will head north into (for us) “uncharted territory”! More boating adventures await us!