This 2018 season, the 240-slip Nantucket Boat Basin will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Serving as a key port since the island’s whaling days in the early 1700s, the award-winning Nantucket Boat Basin as we know it today officially opened in May 1968 for business.
The Nantucket Boast Basin’s storied history spans over 300 years, beginning in the late-1720s when Nantucket was the busiest whaling port in the world and its wharves were flourishing with boat-building shops, sail lofts, and candle factories. In 1830, the California Gold Rush played a role in the whaling industry’s collapse on the East Coast, and Nantucket’s population plummeted from 10,000 to just 3,200 residents.
By 1920, Nantucket entered into a new era of tourism, with travelers arriving in droves by steamboat from ports across the Northeast. As the flow of visitors continued to rise, long-time resident Walter Beinecke Jr. co-founded the Nantucket Historical Trust in 1971, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the historical integrity of the island. As part of these efforts, Beinecke purchased “Zero Main Street” – a project that would lead the waterfront development and later become known as the Nantucket Boat Basin.
Today the full-service Nantucket Boat Basin is owned by Nantucket Island Resorts, a collection of restaurants and historic hotels, including The Cottages and Lofts at the Nantucket Boat Basin, that line the waterfront. Located two blocks from town, the pet-friendly docks offer a variety of amenities, including complimentary wi-fi, kid’s fishing equipment, and pre-arrival concierge service. Named Sailing Today’s “Best Overseas Marina,” and recipient of Marinas.com’s “Boaters’ Choice Award,” the Boat Basin is open year-round and hosts seasonal events, including Figawi Race Weekend (May 25-28, 2018) and Nantucket Race Week (August 11- August 19, 2018).
To celebrate the golden anniversary, the marina and Cottages are offering special rates, amenities, and activities for its guests:
- The Nantucket Boat Basin has collaborated with Cisco Brewers to create a limited-edition bottle of Cisco’s popular Cranberry Pinot Gris. Aged for one year in stainless steel barrels, the wine is infused with cranberries harvested from Nantucket cranberry bogs giving it a slightly tart and refreshing taste. Wrapped in Nantucket Boat Basin 50th Anniversary labels, the bottles will be offered as a special welcome amenity for Nantucket Boat Basin guests.
- The marina will celebrate ‘Throwback Weekend at Nantucket Boat Basin’ by honoring the nightly docking rates from 1968. From June 1-3, 2018, boats docking for one night at today’s standard rate will receive their second night at the 1968 rate of $.30 per foot with a minimum charge of $10. Current nightly rates in June range between $1.95 - $3.75 per foot, based on the total length of the yacht.
- On the first Saturday of every month, the Nantucket Boat Basin team will host a complimentary historic walking tour of the marina and its surrounding area. With coffee and pastries in hand, guests will visit stops such as Swain’s Wharf, named after John Swain, one of the original settlers on Nantucket; and Old South Wharf, built in 1770 and the epicenter for the Nantucket Whaling Industry.
- The marina will host its inaugural Father’s Day Fishing Tournament on June 15 & 16, 2018. The inaugural tournament kicks off Friday evening with a Captain’s Welcome Reception on Old South Wharf. The next morning, teams will compete for the top title in categories such as heaviest fish and most fish caught.
- The Boat Basin will host “Touch-a-Boat Day” on June 9, 2018, inviting families to tour the marina and participating vessels such as the Revolution, a commercial lobster boat, and a United States Coast Guard vessel. Complimentary crafts and snacks will be offered to all participants.
- Throughout the 2018 season, the Cottages at the Boat Basin will be offering guests a $50 Nantucket Island Resort credit to be applied to their stay or used at sister restaurants, TOPPER’S at The Wauwinet and Brant Point Grill at the White Elephant, or the White Elephant Spa.
For more information, visit www.nantucketboatbasin.com or call 800.NAN.BOAT.
About Nantucket Island Resorts
Nantucket Island Resorts is a collection of premier hotels on Nantucket that specialize in bringing the unique Nantucket lifestyle to all guests. From boating to fine dining to a large number of island festivals and events, Nantucket Island Resorts caters to its visitors and offers vacation planning that lets you get the most out of a Nantucket vacation while staying in a fantastic array of accommodations. Properties include The Wauwinet, ideal for romance with access and views of both bay and ocean beaches and home to the award-winning TOPPER’S restaurant; White Elephant, the iconic hotel located right on Nantucket Harbor that offers a lovely arrangements of rooms, suites, cottages, and two stunning in-town luxury lofts as well as the Brant Point Grill; the White Elephant Village offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom Residences and the new Inn offers rooms and suites; Jared Coffin House, a historic and charming hotel located in Nantucket Town and its new restaurant, Nantucket Prime; The Cottages at Nantucket Boat Basin, waterfront cottages with full kitchens located on three wharves jutting out into Nantucket Harbor and featuring 12 pet-friendly accommodations; and Nantucket Boat Basin, a 240 slip full-service award winning marina.