Two hundred and ten feet long, she had a four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine and could make 14 knots.[2][4][6] She ran many different routes for the Steamship Authority over her decades of service for southeastern Massachusetts, mainly for the Cape and Islands but also including New Bedford.[7]
Although launched as the Nobska, from 1928 to 1956 she was named the Nantucket.[7][9] Since she was renamed Nobska in 1956, two other Steamship Authority vessels have had that name: the later Naushon, and the current Nantucket itself.
She was considered elegant and, at the time of her launch, modern, "the queen of the Sounds."[2] In 2006 one reporter wrote that "She embodied style, grace and modern technology, and was an immediate hit with the Islanders she served," and that she was "beloved" by many during her years of service.[2] In her later years she was "the grand lady of the ferry service."[10]
One story often told from her service years was when, in February 1961, Nantucket island was iced in and no ferries were able to make the trip. The Nobska, with its sharp bow, was sent to break through the ice and did so, although she was then iced in over the weekend.[2][7] Other stories can be found at the NESF site.
End of service
The Nobska ended her service in 1973, taking her last trip for the Steamship Authority on September 18 of that year,[11] and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[2][11] She was sold off in 1975, and was converted to a floating restaurant in Baltimore,[2][12] which did not work out. The Nobska sat derelict for over a decade [13] until Friends of the Nobska, a group created to save the ship, was able to purchase her in 1988.[9]
Friends of the Nobska
The Friends of the Nobska, organized in 1975[11] and later renamed the New England Steamship Foundation (NESF),[14] was a non-profit group specifically created to save the Nobska. However the NESF experienced fundraising problems, legal battles, a scandal involving fundraising,[2] and bankruptcy.[15]
Scrapping
In 2006, the Nobska had sat for ten years in a dry dock at the historic Charlestown Navy Yard,[2][15] but the slip was needed for work on other historical vessels such as the USS Constitution[2][9][15] and the USS Cassin Young(DD-793). The Nobska needed to be removed, intact or in pieces.[16] The Friends of the Nobska were unable to raise the funds to finish the necessary work, and the Nobska was ordered scrapped by the National Park Service.[2][17][18] She had been the last surviving American coastal steamer.[2][10][18]
Whistle and engine survive
The Eagle, with the Nobska's whistle, shown here in Nantucket harbor, 2009.
Some of the ship had been removed for restoration, such as the massive engine[3][18] and the ship's steam whistle. In 2006 the Steamship Authority installed the Nobska's whistle on their modern vessel the Eagle (built in 1987),[17][19] although it is now air-powered instead of steam-powered, and put a recording of the whistle on their website.
^FBO Daily Issue of August 25, 2004 FBO #1003, Solicitation Notice, Remove Steamship "NOBSKA" from Dry Dock 1, Boston National Histrorical (sic) Park, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts.
^ abNobska steam whistle installed on Eagle. (n.d.). Inquirer and Mirror.
^Lancaster, M. (2006, November 1). Curmudgeon objects to Nobska's whistle. Nantucket Independent.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nantucket Sound steamboats.
Photos: Morris, D. (n.d.). Working aboard the Steamship Nobska and the Islander Ferry, 1971.
Postcards: Postcards. NESF. Other photos are also scattered about the NESF site.
Photo of engine: Stewardson, J. (1996, December 1). Students power Nobska. SouthCoast Today.
Steamship Authority home page.
New England Steamship Foundation home page.
Nobska Technical Data. NESF.
Nobska's History. NESF.
January 06, 2023
nobska, steamship, nobska, steamship, that, plied, waters, nantucket, sound, part, woods, hole, martha, vineyard, nantucket, steamship, authority, fleet, between, 1925, 1973, ferry, eventually, scrapped, 2006, despite, efforts, save, america, last, east, coast. The Nobska was a steamship that plied the waters of Nantucket sound as part of The Woods Hole Martha s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority s fleet between 1925 and 1973 as a ferry She was eventually scrapped in 2006 despite efforts to save her She was America s last East Coast coastal steamer 2 had been on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland 2 3 and had been considered one of America s 10 most endangered maritime resources by the National Maritime Alliance and National Trust for Historic Preservation 3 The Nobska possibly headed out of Nantucket harbor after just rounding Brant Point HistoryNameSS NobskaOwnerThe Woods Hole Martha s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship AuthorityOperatorThe Woods Hole Martha s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship AuthorityBuilderBath Iron Works MaineLaunched24 March 1925Completed1925In service1925Out of service1973FateScrapped in 2006General characteristicsTonnage1 085 gross register tonsLength210 ft 64 m Beam50 ft 15 m Draft9 ft 3 in 2 82 m Installed powerSteam coal PropulsionSingle screwSpeed14 knots 26 km h 16 mph Capacity1 200NotesNOBSKA steamship U S National Register of Historic PlacesLocationInner harbor Baltimore MarylandArea0 acres 0 ha Built1925 1925 Built byBath IronworksArchitectural styleSponson designNRHP reference No 74002216 1 Added to NRHPMay 2 1974 Contents 1 Construction and service 2 End of service 2 1 Friends of the Nobska 2 2 Scrapping 2 3 Whistle and engine survive 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksConstruction and service EditBuilt in 1925 at the Bath Iron Works in Maine 4 5 6 the Nobska was named after Nobska Point Woods Hole on Cape Cod in Massachusetts 7 8 Two hundred and ten feet long she had a four cylinder triple expansion steam engine and could make 14 knots 2 4 6 She ran many different routes for the Steamship Authority over her decades of service for southeastern Massachusetts mainly for the Cape and Islands but also including New Bedford 7 Although launched as the Nobska from 1928 to 1956 she was named the Nantucket 7 9 Since she was renamed Nobska in 1956 two other Steamship Authority vessels have had that name the later Naushon and the current Nantucket itself She was considered elegant and at the time of her launch modern the queen of the Sounds 2 In 2006 one reporter wrote that She embodied style grace and modern technology and was an immediate hit with the Islanders she served and that she was beloved by many during her years of service 2 In her later years she was the grand lady of the ferry service 10 One story often told from her service years was when in February 1961 Nantucket island was iced in and no ferries were able to make the trip The Nobska with its sharp bow was sent to break through the ice and did so although she was then iced in over the weekend 2 7 Other stories can be found at the NESF site End of service EditThe Nobska ended her service in 1973 taking her last trip for the Steamship Authority on September 18 of that year 11 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 2 11 She was sold off in 1975 and was converted to a floating restaurant in Baltimore 2 12 which did not work out The Nobska sat derelict for over a decade 13 until Friends of the Nobska a group created to save the ship was able to purchase her in 1988 9 Friends of the Nobska Edit The Friends of the Nobska organized in 1975 11 and later renamed the New England Steamship Foundation NESF 14 was a non profit group specifically created to save the Nobska However the NESF experienced fundraising problems legal battles a scandal involving fundraising 2 and bankruptcy 15 Scrapping Edit In 2006 the Nobska had sat for ten years in a dry dock at the historic Charlestown Navy Yard 2 15 but the slip was needed for work on other historical vessels such as the USS Constitution 2 9 15 and the USS Cassin Young DD 793 The Nobska needed to be removed intact or in pieces 16 The Friends of the Nobska were unable to raise the funds to finish the necessary work and the Nobska was ordered scrapped by the National Park Service 2 17 18 She had been the last surviving American coastal steamer 2 10 18 Whistle and engine survive Edit The Eagle with the Nobska s whistle shown here in Nantucket harbor 2009 Some of the ship had been removed for restoration such as the massive engine 3 18 and the ship s steam whistle In 2006 the Steamship Authority installed the Nobska s whistle on their modern vessel the Eagle built in 1987 17 19 although it is now air powered instead of steam powered and put a recording of the whistle on their website See also EditSS Nantucket 1957 References Edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hickey J 2006 June 2 Final farewell to historic Steamer Nobska Vineyard Gazette a b c Stewardson J 1996 December 1 Students power Nobska SouthCoast Today a b Coastal Steamer Nobska Morris D n d Working aboard the Steamship Nobska and the Islander Ferry 1971 a b NESF 2001 Technical data a b c d NESF 2001 Nobska s History Mindy Arbo n d National Register of Historic Places Registration Nobska steamship PDF Maryland Historical Trust Retrieved 2016 03 01 a b c NESF Home Page a b Stewardson J 1996 April 25 First step Old ferry is Boston bound for repairs to hull refitting SouthCoast Today a b c NESF 2003 Background Sea History 108 Autumn 2004 Stewardson J 1996 April 8 Nobska keel work is set in Boston SouthCoast Today NESF 2001 General Information a b c Hutington T 2006 May 1 Boston s Naval Treasures Military com FBO Daily Issue of August 25 2004 FBO 1003 Solicitation Notice Remove Steamship NOBSKA from Dry Dock 1 Boston National Histrorical sic Park Charlestown Navy Yard Boston Massachusetts a b Nobska steam whistle installed on Eagle n d Inquirer and Mirror a b c NESF 2006 Nobska Scrapped Lancaster M 2006 November 1 Curmudgeon objects to Nobska s whistle Nantucket Independent External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nantucket Sound steamboats Photos Morris D n d Working aboard the Steamship Nobska and the Islander Ferry 1971 Postcards Postcards NESF Other photos are also scattered about the NESF site Photo of engine Stewardson J 1996 December 1 Students power Nobska SouthCoast Today Steamship Authority home page New England Steamship Foundation home page Nobska Technical Data NESF Nobska s History NESF Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nobska steamship amp oldid 1107717642, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
