The Ferries to Nantucket and the Vineyard
Massachusetts
Hyannis Harbor is the front door to the islands. From these docks, thousands of travelers a day set out across the water to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, and in summer the harbor is a churning parade of ferries, fishing boats, and yachts. Two lines carry the crowds.
The Steamship Authority, running from its terminal on South Street, is the only ferry service that can carry cars and trucks to Nantucket, the island's true lifeline for everything from groceries to construction lumber. It runs both a slow traditional boat, which takes about two and a quarter hours to Nantucket, and a fast catamaran, which makes the same crossing in roughly one hour. That high-speed vessel is named the Iyanough, after the same Wampanoag sachem who gave Hyannis its name.
From its nearby dock, Hy-Line Cruises runs passenger-only high-speed boats to both Nantucket and, in season, Martha's Vineyard, each about an hour away, plus a seasonal run between the two islands. Because parking near the water fills fast, most travelers leave their cars at off-site lots and ride shuttles down to the boats. For the islands, Hyannis is not just a stop.
It is the mainland connection, the place where mail, medicine, and summer visitors all begin their crossing. Stand at the harbor's edge and you are watching the pulse of island life come and go.
