Nantucket…30 Miles at Sea?
August 18, 2026
Most people do not know that the phrase “30 Miles at Sea” originated last century when the ferries were running to Nantucket from Woods Hole and New Bedford. It became part of our local lexicon when, in fact, the port of Hyannis where the majority of ferry traffic now originates is only 26 miles from Nantucket.
As a child we took the ferry from New Bedford which took 5 hours! Woods Hole was a little faster at 3 hours! The Steamship Authority’s ferry, the SSA Nobska, had staterooms for rent for $2.00 per trip. My parents would rent one to keep the four of us and the dog contained on the crossing!
-Penny
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