HYANNIS – In recent years, fast ferry service to Nantucket has far outpaced the popularity of conventional slow boat service.
The fast ferry takes one hour as opposed to the two hours and fifteen minutes that the conventional ferry takes to get to the island.
Because of customer preference, the Hy-Line ferry is planning on eliminating their “slow boat” to the island effective in April, according to President of Marketing Philip Scudder.
“The breakdown of high-speed versus traditional for us over the past 10 years has been 85 percent versus about 15 percent travelling high-speed as compared to traditional,” Scudder said.
Scudder said Hy-Line, a privately-owned ferry service, is currently constructing a new high-speed vessel which is expected to run in the spring.
Hy-Line will continue to run a traditional-speed ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, however.
Earlier this month, Marc Hanover, Steamship Authority representative from Martha’s Vineyard, was reported to have said that the new $40 million boat the Steamship Authority is currently constructing, the vessel to be called Woods Hole, may ply the Hyannis to Nantucket route, since it will be the only “slow” boat to Nantucket and can accommodate additional cars and passengers.
