SOUTH OF THE CAPE
One of the most wonderful childhood vacations I can remember was back in 1971 when my best friend invited me to his family’s summer home on Nantucket Island. For a 10-year-old kid, this was a thrilling trip for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact it was also my first ride on a jet plane.
As you might imagine, Nantucket was relatively quiet and undeveloped back then; my two main activities were riding around the island on a bike I rented from Young’s Bicycle Shop and stopping in at the local candy store each day to buy a Broadway Roll, which is a strip of cherry licorice.
Forty-six years managed to slip by before I finally returned to Nantucket, this time via a sailboat I charted from Bareboat Sailing Charters (bareboatsailing.com) in Newport, Rhode Island. The owner of the company, Brian Blank, is a Newport native who has been deeply involved in sailing his entire life. As such, he not only provided my crew and me with a fantastic boat, but also gave me one of the most comprehensive and useful charter briefings I’ve ever heard.
Our trip coincided with the
