Nantucket Today, August 2026

Nantucket TODAY

2026

AUGUST 2026 Complimentary www.nantucketmag.com

Thank you for voting Cape Cod 5 as Best Bank on Nantucket!

We’re proud to serve our community as the leading bank on Nantucket for 8 consecutive years.

Nantucket Banking Centers 112 Pleasant Street • Zero Main Street capecodfive.com • 888-225-4636 Member FDIC 2 Nantucket Today 2026.07.01 Nantucket Today- full page.indd 1

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A Thriving Nantucket Depends On ALL of Us For more than 20 years, the Community Foundation for Nantucket has partnered with community leaders to address our island’s most critical needs.

Through generous donations to The Nantucket Fund, our grant making helps provide access to affordable childcare, after-school programs, behavioral and physical health services, shelter and food for those in need, and enrichment for our island’s seniors.

From left: Deborah Dolan, PASCON; Dr. Roberto Santiago, Fairwinds Counciling Center; Amy Lee, Nantucket Cottage Hospital.

Photographer: Kit Noble

Donate Now at CFNAN.org 2 Nantucket Today

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NOW SERVING NANTUCKET

Your Trusted Team On and Off the Court GEORGE & MARA VASVATEKIS Zero Main Street Nantucket, MA 02554 (781) 635-4601 george.vasvatekis@cbrealty.com mara.vasvatekis@cbrealty.com cbnantucket.com

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AUGUST 2026 3

EDITOR’S NOTE So much of island life is rooted in family traditions. A child following in a parent’s footsteps to keep a business going that puts food on the table. Preserving an historic legacy. Sharing a passion – artistic or physical, indoors at an art gallery or outside under a summer sky – with the next generation.

Family is what binds us together. It keeps us grounded and sane when the chaos of a Nantucket summer starts to wear us down during the long, hot days of August.

I had no intention of focusing on family when I started putting stories together for this height-of-summer, Best of Nantucket issue of Nantucket Today. But once on the page, the theme was right there in front of me. What ties this issue and our community together is family. Immediate or extended, traditional or progressive, there’s no better time to celebrate it than August on an island.

Caroline Harding took over her father John’s Nantucket Perfume Co. following his death when she was still a teenager. She has put her own spin on the business by opening a pop-up in Boston’s Seaport this summer, but stays connected to his vision, and their time together, by reading and re-reading the notes he randomly scrawled on a series of notebook pages and in journals over the years. It’s her way not only of doing good business, but a touchstone to the past and memories of her father she cherishes. Inquirer and Mirror reporter Sarah Roberts profiles Harding on page 40.

The Indian sailboat was designed and built specifically to sail and race in the shallow waters in and around Nantucket Harbor. For the past century, dozens of islanders – year-round and summer residents – have made new memories on Indians each summer with the sun overhead and a stiff breeze at their backs. Today, the third and fourth generations of those original Indian sailors are learning from those who came before in preparation for passing on their love of being out on the water to the next generation. Former Inquirer and Mirror sports editor Jamie Cushman talks to some of them about this centennial Indian summer on page 48.

Talk about a true family legacy. Three generations of DaCosta men have commercially fished island waters, starting with Ray Sr. in the 1940s. His son Bob took up the mantle and now operates Albacore charters with his son Ray, a Nantucket firefighter who will one day take over the family business from his dad. Inquirer and Mirror “Fish Finder” columnist Cam Gammill explores the DeCosta family’s fishing roots and memories of an island no longer quite the same on page 68.

The late sculptor David Hostetler created a different kind of family. Inspired by and aided in his work by his wife Susan, Hostetler paid homage to the female form through a series of wood and bronze sculptures that can be found in some of the most impressive private art collections and highly visible public spaces around the world, many right here on Nantucket, where David first came ashore in 1970, and Susan still spends every summer. On page 56, frequent Nantucket Today contributor and arts writer Quinn Frankel takes us inside Susan’s tribute to her late husband and his work, an exhibition marking the year that would have ended with his 100th birthday.

All that and more fill this end-of-summer issue of Nantucket Today, which also just so happens to feature the results of our Best Of Nantucket readers’ poll.

Enjoy the rest of the summer. Fall will be here soon enough.

4 Nantucket Today

Joshua H. Balling Editor

www.nantucketmag.com

n a n t u ck e t h o u s e ant iques & int erior design 2 sout h be ach s t ree t, nant uck e t ma 508.228.7648 nantuckethouse.com | open daily or 24/7 on ist dibs

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AUGUST 2026 5

CONTENTS:

AUGUST 2026 FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

10 THE BEST OF NANTUCKET

4 9 90

Check out the winners of our “Best of Nantucket” readers’ poll and find those special places that may become your favorite “go-to” while you’re on Nantucket.

EDITOR’S NOTE CONTRIBUTORS WHO’S WHO IN REAL ESTATE

40 KEEPING A LEGACY ALIVE Caroline Harding has picked up where father left off and continues the family legacy of the Nantucket Perfume Co., this summer in Boston’s Seaport.

by Sarah Roberts

48 100 INDIAN SUMMERS: NANTUCKET ONE-DESIGN

CELEBRATES A CENTURY ON THE WATER Designed to sail the waters of Nantucket, the Indian is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. It still has a special place in the hearts of those who sail her.

by Jamie Cushman

56 HONORING 100 YEARS OF SCULPTOR

DAVID HOSTETLER Island artist David Hostetler would have turned 100 this year. His wife Susan felt it was the perfect time to celebrate his work with a special exhibition.

by Quinn Frankel

62 NEW LIFE FOR OLD SAILS

Photographer and artist Kos Evans will be exhibiting her work in a special show, Rock & Royals, with pieces created from sails that once powered boats owned by the rich and famous, during Nantucket Race Week.

by Quinn Frankel

COVER PHOTO BY JIM WATERBURY

48

68 A FISH TALE The DeCosta family has spent their lives on the waters of Nantucket since the 1940s. Captains Bob and Ray are committed to the island and keeping alive the island’s fishing tradition.

by Cam Gammill 78 WHO LIVES IN THE SALTMARSH?

Saltmarshes are the biological gold standard for rich habitat.

Nantucket has 1,600 acres of marsh and it’s imperative that they be conserved, studied and protected.

by Ginger Andrews

94 YOUR GUIDE TO DINING OUT

6 Nantucket Today

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AUGUST 2026 7

Nantucket T O D AY

The Inquirer and Mirror Inc. 1 Old South Road Nantucket, MA 02554 508 228-0001 nantucketmag.com

Published by

Publisher

Robert Saurer rsaurer@inkym.com

Editor

Joshua H. Balling jballing@inkym.com

Production Manager

Meghan Luksic mluksic@inkym.com

Graphic Designer

Louise E. Martling

Advertising Director

Mary Cowell-Sharpe msharpe@inkym.com

Advertising Sales

Alexandro Sforza asforza@inkym.com

Circulation

Karen Orlando korlando@inkym.com

Contributing Writers & Photographers

Virginia Andrews

Cam Gammill

Kaie Quigley

Maya Balling

Dean Geddes

Declan Schweizer

Kate Benjamin

Quinn Frankel

Sarah Roberts

Jamie Cushman

Louise Martling

Jim Waterbury

Contact Us: Nantucket Today, P.O. Box 1198, Nantucket, MA 02554.

Phone 508 228-0001. Fax 508 325-5089.

Advertising and subscription rates online at www.nantucketmag.com © Nantucket Media Group. 2026 All rights reserved. Nantucket Today is published

Photo: Louise Martling

five times a year by The Inquirer and Mirror Inc. Subscription information: Annual subscriptions are available in the US for $49. For customer service regarding subscriptions, call 508 228-0001, ext. 10. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any part of this publication in any way is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA. Send address changes to: P.O. Box 1198, Nantucket, MA 02554.

8 Nantucket Today www.nantucketmag.com

CONTRIBUTORS These are just some of the people who bring their talents to the pages of the August issue of Nantucket Today and allow it to reflect genuine island life.

Jamie Cushman

is the former sports editor of The Inquirer and Mirror who now works in the public school system and contributes occasionally to Nantucket Today. A Plainville native and graduate of UMass Amherst, Jamie can usually be found at a ballfield or watching sports on TV in his free time.

Louise Morris Martling

has come full circle. She moved to Nantucket with her family in 1997 to be the production manager at The Inquirer and Mirror, and returned to America in 2013. But Nantucket has always been in her blood, having grandparents and family who moved to the island in 1956, and she summered here growing up. She has owned her own graphic design studio, Eleventh Hour Design, for over 40 years and continues to love what she does – even if it’s now from Florida.

Cam Gammill

has been chasing bluefish since he was a little boy. He is the co-owner of Bill Fisher Tackle and co-owner of Fisher Real Estate.

He also fishes with Bill Fisher Outfitters, owned by his twin brother Corey.

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AUGUST 2026 9

Every year readers of The Inquirer and Mirror vote on who is the best in multiple categories.

Read on to see who this year’s winners are!

10 Nantucket Today

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT Asian Dining Bar Yoshi Bread Something Natural Breakfast Island Kitchen Breakfast Sandwich Island Kitchen Brunch Island Kitchen Burger Brotherhood of Thieves Cake Nantucket Bake Shop Caterer Island Kitchen Chef, Fine Dining SeaGrille: Tucker Harvey Chicken Wings The Fairgrounds Restaurant Clam Chowder SeaGrille Cup of Coffee Handlebar Café Doughnut Nantucket Bake Shop Family Dining Brotherhood of Thieves Fast Food Stubbys Fine Dining The Summer House Fish Market Glidden’s Island Seafood Food Truck Island Kitchen French Fries Brotherhood of Thieves www.ACK.net

JULY 2026 11

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT Fried Clams Sayle’s Seafood Healthy Eating Lemon Press Ice Cream The Juice Bar Italian Restaurant Ventuno Latin Dining Millie’s Lobster Roll 167 Raw Lunch Island Kitchen Outdoor Dining The Summer House Beachside Bistro Pizza Pi Pizzeria Romantic Restaurant Galley Beach Restaurant Sandwich Something Natural Seafood Restaurant SeaGrille Smoothie (tie) Island Kitchen The Juice Bar Sushi Bar Yoshi Waterview Dining Galley Beach Restaurant

12 Nantucket Today

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SHOPPING Antiques Store Sylvia Antiques Art Gallery Artists’ Association of Nantucket Bicycle Shop Young’s Bicycle Shop Boat Yard & Marine Supplies Madaket Marine Drugstore Nantucket Pharmacy Furniture Nantucket Looms Garden Center Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm Gift Shop (tie) Four Winds Gifts Nantucket Looms Jewelry Anna P. Jay Kids’ Clothing Pinwheels Nantucket Mens Clothing Murray’s Toggery Shop T-Shirt Shop Annie and the Tees Wine Store Hatch’s Package Store Women’s Clothing Ladybird Lingerie

Photo: Kate Benjamin

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AUGUST 2026 13

HEALTH & WELLNESS Chiropractor Dr. Nicholas Ouellette, Island Chiropractic Health & Wellness Lavender Farm Wellness Physical Therapist Nantucket Cottage Hospital Rehabilitation Services

BEAUTY Barber RJ Miller Salon & Spa Hair Salon RJ Miller Salon & Spa Massage Lavendar Farm Wellness Nail Salon On Glaze Spa RJ Miller Salon & Spa

HOME SERVICES Architect Chip Webster Architecture Attorney Glidden & Glidden Bank Cape Cod Five Builder Clarke Brothers Construction Cleaning Service Pioneer Cleaning Electrician Ryder Electric Interior Designer Melanie Gowen Real Estate & Design Landscaper Sconset Gardener Plumber The Dobbert Companies 14 Nantucket Today

Photo: Louise Martling

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TRAVEL Auto Rental (tie) Affordable Rentals Nantucket Nantucket Windmill Auto Rental Hotel The Nantucket Hotel Inn The Summer House

PLACES & ACTIVITIES Beach Ladies Beach Conservation Property Great Point Farm for Island Grown Produce Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm Fishing Charter Just Do it Too Fundraiser Boston Pops on Nantucket, Nantucket Cottage Hospital Island Tour Gail Johnson, Gail’s Tours Kids Water Activities Nantucket Community Sailing Museum/Historic Site Nantucket Whaling Museum, Nantucket Historical Association Theater Dreamland Nantucket’s Film & Cultural Center

Photo: Kate Benjamin

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16 Nantucket Today

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18 Nantucket Today

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Melanie Gowen

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AUGUST 2026 19

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22 Nantucket Today

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AUGUST 2026 23

Pi Pizzeria

Pi Pizzeria Quality Ingredfents I Neapolit� Preparation

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24 Nantucket Today www.nantucketmag.com ' ,,

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AUGUST 2026 25

We are proud to be celebrating 25 years on the island this summer.

Open 7 Days a Week Hours: 5:30AM-2AM, all summer long Online Ordering Available We Deliver via AckEats.com Just scan the QR code below to order ahead.

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Best

Fast Food 2026

Please visit our other sister restaurant location, Scooter’s & our coffee shop Island Coffee.

26 Nantucket Today

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O

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Best Farm

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Island Grown

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Garden Center 2026

SEVEN GENERATIONS OF ISL AND HISTORY ON 100 ACRES OF OCEAN VIEW FARML AND. JOIN US FOR A FARM TOUR, TREAT YOURSELF TO A DELICIOUS FARM MADE MEAL, ENJOY THE VIEW. A TRUE NANTUCKET EXPERIENCE STARTS HERE.

MAKING MEMORIES THAT L AST A LIFETIME - SINCE 1843

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A Local Financial Partner You Can Trust for All Your Wealth Needs.

Cape Cod 5’s Wealth Management Services team will work with you to help achieve your financial objectives – from defining your wealth strategy to planning your legacy.

Jennifer L. Turner, CTFA, CFP® VP, Senior Financial Advisor

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Investment Management • Retirement & Financial Planning Trust & Estate Services • Nonprofit Services Socially Responsible Investing Reach out to us. We’re here to help.

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28 Nantucket Today

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6/30/2026 10:36:43 AM

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AUGUST 2026 29

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Best of Nantucket

Best

2009, 2010, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 2016, 2019, 2021 2022, 2023, 2025

Auto Rental 2026

We’re at the airport - our counter is Open Daily Year Round We’ll meet the boat - and have your vehicle waiting for you!

Serving Nantucket for 57 years with new vehicles and great service!

Sedans, Convertibles, Hybrid Vans, Jeeps, and SUV’s Thank You Again! It’s been a pleasure serving you for over half a century!

Remember - We sell the majority of our fleet each year beginning as we near Labor Day. Our island customers pay the same price as off island dealers - saving thousands $$

30 Nantucket Today

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Thank you to all of our customers for

40 years

of fishing on the Just Do It Too!

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NANTUCKET’S TRUSTED DESTINATION FOR WOMEN SINCE 2005

More Than Lingerie.

More Than You’d Expect. s From everyday essentials to something extraordinary,

our expertly curated collection has everything you need — and everything you didn’t know you were looking for.

EXPERT FITTINGS. PERSONAL ATTENTION. THE LADYBIRD DIFFERENCE.

Nestled in the heart of Nantucket Island since 2005

SLEEPWEAR & LOUNGE Eberjey pajamas, robes & loungewear.

EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS Bras & panties that fit beautifully.

EXPERT FITTINGS Personalized service for the perfect fit.

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A shopping experience you’ll come back to year after year.

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32 Nantucket Today

Beautiful lingerie for life’s unforgettable moments.

VISIT US IN STORE OR SHOP ONLINE

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I&M

Best

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Art Gallery

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Kids Water Activity 2026

Dr. Nicholas Ouellette, DC, PSP Chiropractic Physician Primary Spine Practitioner

Thank you Nantucket!

Dr. Nicholas Ouellette - Helping Nantucket Move Better Since 2015 For over a decade, Island Chiropractic has proudly supported Nantucket with expert, personalized musculoskeletal care. Our goal is to identify the root cause of what’s holding you back and help our community meet the unique demands of active island life. Every visit begins with understanding what you need, followed by compassionate, hands-on care, rehabilitation, and movement-based treatment.

Thank you, Nantucket, for your continued trust and support!

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4 Bartlett Rd. • www.nantucketchiropractic.com •508-325-4777 Keeping Nantucket community healthy all year long

Ryder Electric, Inc. Ryder HVAC, Heating & Cooling Lutron Lighting Control & Automated Shades Kohler Generator Dealer: Sales, Installation & Services

Consistently Voted Best Electrician!

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Voted Best Physical Therapy Nantucket Cottage Hospital Rehabilitation Services

Winner 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026

Two Convenient Locations: 6 Bayberry Court and within NCH at 57 Prospect Street 508-825-8191

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38 Nantucket Today

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A LITTLE GRAY LADY There’s a moment every Nantucket visitor knows. Standing at the ferry rail as the island slowly shrinks behind you, wishing you could fold it up and tuck it in your bag. The weathered shingles, the cobblestone streets, the particular quality of light over the moors in late afternoon. You can’t take all of it, of course. But you can come close.

This season, Nantucket Today went looking for the pieces that do exactly that. Objects chosen by the islanders who make and sell them, each one carrying a little of the island’s soul. They aren’t souvenirs. They’re keepsakes. And there’s a difference.

Pick something up for yourself, or for someone who needs a reminder that this place exists and that they’ve been lucky enough to find it.

G.L. Brown Nantucket Lightship Baskets Available in Madaket by appointment 508-228-9344 | glbrownnantucketbaskets.com

It’s a Shore Thing 508-680-1901 | 30B Main Street It’s a Shore Thing carries the kind of Nantucket pieces that feel both lived-in and considered. The blue and white striped throw, embroidered with a Nantucket map and the words Shore Thing, is what you will reach for on a cool August evening without thinking twice. The natural canvas tote, stamped with NANTUCKET 02554 in navy, is sturdy enough for the farmers’ market and polished enough for everything else. A cotton tea towel makes for a clever hostess gift, perfect for those evening get-togethers. Each piece is sold separately. www.ACK.net

A Nantucket tradition for more than five decades, Gerald L. Brown has long been recognized as one of the island’s most respected lightship basket makers. Formerly located on Old South Wharf, Jerry continues the tradition today, creating his signature baskets and offering custom orders, repairs and antique basket sales.

AUGUST 2026 39

Keeping a Legacy Alive

40 Nantucket Today

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Caroline Harding, owner of Nantucket Perfume Co.

T

BY SARAH ROBERTS | PHOTOS BY MAYA BALLING

he Nantucket Perfume Co.’s summer pop-up sits within the temporary storefronts at The Current at Seaport in Boston, but behind the bright orange exterior lives a legacy that was formed on our speck of sand in 1983 that continues to thrive under the watchful eye of Caroline Harding.

Caroline was only 16 when her father John died in 2019. She took the reins of the company shortly after, and much of his influence lives on through her version of the company.

“I grew up watching my dad and just being absolutely entranced with what he did. I was just fascinated watching him do it, the way that he spoke to the customers, and I kind of became his little shadow, and I would do it too,” Caroline said. www.ACK.net

Over the last seven years, she has made sure to include John’s knowledge of perfumery in her work, absorbing his knowledge by reading the many notes and journals he kept over the years about perfumery.

Caroline believes he started his notes around the time she was born, and aside from a more formal employee handbook or two, they were rambling, to say the least.

“How can I put this? He wasn’t a very organized individual, he wasn’t necessarily very business-minded. He was a very creative person, so his notes are like sticky notes put on random pages in a journal,” she said.

“He has a couple handbooks and stuff for employees, but his notes that I really learn from, that I really dig for, I find in random

Patricia, Caroline and John Harding.

places, and it’s always like finding a hidden piece of a puzzle, or a little treasure that unlocks a whole new idea for me. It’s so cool that even after he’s passed, he’s still able to pass on so much knowledge to me.”

John discovered perfumery through a unique avenue. He was originally studying to become an engineer, Caroline said, but AUGUST 2026 41

Caroline Harding assists a customer in choosing a fragrance.

42 Nantucket Today

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His notes that I really learn “from, that I really dig for, I find in random places, and it’s always like finding a hidden piece of a puzzle, or a little treasure that unlocks a whole new idea . . .

”

changed his path completely and attended Berklee School of Music in the hopes of becoming a professional saxophone player.

His path was once again altered during his travels, however, when he met a French perfumer.

“They went to dinner, and they were sipping on wine, and my dad found out that he had that natural gift to be able to taste off the notes and wine, and the perfumer said, maybe you are a natural for fragrance, and they went back and were testing things, and my dad could smell absolutely anything and tell you every single note that was in it, every single one, without any training or any practice, he was just like a natural for it,” Caroline said.

John learned a lot from that French perfumer, much of it reflected in the notes and journals Caroline still treasures today.

After John discovered his gift, he started the business that has grown, expanded and evolved into what it is today. When he died and the question of what to do with the Nantucket Perfume Co. came up, Caroline felt the answer was easy.

“I knew I was the only one that really had the ability and the knowledge to be able to carry it on,” she said.

When someone walks in looking for their new favorite scent, Caroline is ready to share her knowledge and history of the business with them, and she often models her father’s approach. www.ACK.net

“He used to give this beautiful spiel about how the oils work and how they change on your skin, and I use a lot of the same wording that he used, and I kind of have it ingrained in my body, and I get to put my own little twist on it,” Caroline said.

Nantucket Perfume Co.’s product is a unique fragrance option.

The brand prides itself on not having harsh chemicals, alcohol or synthetic products and fillers. Since it’s an oil, it’s also long-lasting.

“One of my little bottles is the equivalent of 10 bottles of spray, which will last you around two to three years. It’s kind of just the pure natural state of the fragrance,” Caroline said.

The Seaport location has the original shelving from John’s first store, which Caroline said she had to keep because it grew to be such a staple of the business and the vibe of the brand.

“I get to still have that magic that those pieces carried. It’s very apothecary, very dark wood, very homey,” she said.

The Nantucket Perfume Co. at one time had storefronts in Aspen, Boston and Martha’s Vineyard as well as on-island at 5 Centre St. The store moved to Straight Wharf until it closed in 2021 when Caroline was heading to college and couldn’t find anyone to run the brick and mortar.

Going without a physical store felt like a risk, but Caroline was confident her loyal customers would continue to reorder online.

AUGUST 2026 43

“They always tend to walk out with something because they finally found a fragrance that doesn’t affect them. They can walk into my store where I have over 250 fragrances on my shelves, and they’re not affected. If they even tried to walk past a Macy’s or Bath & Body Works, they’re immediately overwhelmed. It’s a very different fragrance experience,” Caroline said.

“I knew that we’d be able to do it, and we’d have orders still, and so we just took a chance. It was really scary. It was honestly probably one of the scarier things I’ve done in regard to the company, because we had no idea, we only ever had our storefront, we always had an online store, but our storefront is what carried us through our year,” she said.

Caroline also started working with the marketing and communications team at Blue Seven Studios, which has helped her amp up media coverage, advertisements and social media presence for the brand.

Throughout Caroline’s time at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., where she studied business and music production, the store remained solely online. Caroline’s mother Patricia helped pack all of the online orders.

When a customer walks in, Caroline asks about what fragrances they tend to favor. From there she narrows the selection down to three or four and looks for what scents blend naturally with their skin.

“I’ll start to put them on their skin, and we’ll let them sit for a few minutes, and then the oils will start to change and adapt to that person’s natural chemistry, which is really neat, and they can then see if it’s more compatible on their skin or if there’s a different scent that works better,” she said.

She also encourages customers to blend scents if there are two that they really like.

But Caroline craved the in-person interaction and atmosphere of a brick and mortar store.

“The opportunity to be in the Seaport fell into my lap a few months ago,” Caroline said in early May. “I applied for it, but I didn’t hear back for a while, because I think they had the space filled, and then somebody fell through, and I found out a month and a half before we had to open, so I jumped on it.”

While the Seaport is currently the only physical storefront for Nantucket Perfume Co., Caroline still did a large restock before bringing business off-island. She wanted the product to be made on Nantucket.

“That’s kind of my way of being able to tie it all back in, and our headquarters is there,” she said.

Caroline mentioned that she has had many people walk into the store and tell her that while they want to try the perfume, they’re afraid because of allergies and she’s always able to assure them that her fragrances won’t cause a reaction.

44 Nantucket Today

The original shelving from John Harding’s first Nantucket store.

www.nantucketmag.com

“I love when people come

into the shop, and they’re like, I knew your dad, he was such a character, he was so special, and I get to hear all these stories. It’s so exhilarating, and I love it so much, and I feel so lucky to stay connected to

”

him through this.

“We can add a little bit more of our single notes, and just make it a really immersive, personalized experience,” she said.

The Nantucket Perfume Co. pop-up will be open at least through the end of August, but Caroline hopes it can return to the Seaport for its Snowport holiday market in November and December. She has no immediate plans to open a permanent space on the island, but it is a future goal.

“Our pop-up at The Current is already doing so great, and I want to be able to continue on that momentum,” she said.

Having a physical storefront also allows Caroline to feel that much closer to her father.

“I feel so incredibly grateful and privileged to be able to carry on my dad’s legacy. I feel as I’m continuing to grow the business, a lot of the light is on me right now, and I’m so grateful for that, but none of it would be possible or even exist without him,” she said. www.ACK.net

“Especially being so young when he passed, I was 16, so this business really allows me to stay connected to him and allows me to kind of keep his energy alive.”

Customers sometimes visit the shop just to share memories of her father.

“I love when people come into the shop, and they’re like, I knew your dad, he was such a character, he was so special, and I get to hear all these stories. It’s so exhilarating, and I love it so much, and I feel so lucky to stay connected to him through this,” Caroline said. ______________________________________________________ Sarah Roberts is a staff writer for The Inquirer and Mirror, Nantucket’s trusted news source since 1821, and a frequent contributor to Nantucket Today.

AUGUST 2026 45

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48 Nantucket Today

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100 Indian Summers:

Nantucket One-Design Celebrates a Century on the Water

BY JAMIE CUSHMAN | PHOTOS BY DECLAN SCHWEIZER

Bobby Constable says there are only four rocks in Nantucket Harbor, and he’s hit them all.

Now the elder statesman of a family with deep roots in the island sailing community, Constable has spent his summers since he was 10-years-old cutting through the shallow shoals of Nantucket Harbor aboard his family’s Nantucket One-Design, better known as the Indian, a uniquely Nantucket boat that will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its inception this year.

The 21-foot day-sailer was conceived in 1926 when a group of www.ACK.net

sailors from Nantucket Yacht Club approached famed naval architect John Alden to design a boat specialized for the shallow waters of Nantucket Harbor. Their mandate for Alden and the new boat was two-fold: a sporty design that could be raced on Saturdays but also serve as a family boat for Sunday picnics.

The result is a design that has stood the test of time and become intertwined with the history of sailing on Nantucket. Inspired by old Wampanoag dugout canoes, hence the nickname Indian, the boat was designed with a wide center, shallow hull and retractable centerboard, with a draw of just nine inches that allows it to skim over the AUGUST 2026 49

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harbor’s shallow shoals, though you might hit a sandbar on occasion.

“There’s only about four rocks in the entire harbor, but there are a lot of shallow sandbars. It’s sort of funny how we did it with the sailboat. Except for the skipper, everybody runs to the bow, hangs off the headstand leaning out and the stern of the boat kicks up over the sandbar,” Constable said.

It’s a feeling unmatched by other sailboats.

“Modern boats have been designed through technology to simplify sailing,” current Indian fleet captain Anthony Schweizer said. “One person can sail a J-70, for instance, with a relatively novice crew and be able to instruct that person very easily. The great thing about an Indian is they’re sailed with three people and all three people have very important jobs. Everyone has something to do.

No one’s a passenger.”

A Family Affair Like many of the current members of the fleet, Constable said he was born into the world of Indian sailing. His father George Constable used to remark that he won the very first Indian race on Nantucket because his was the only boat that didn’t capsize. On Sundays they would pack as many as 10 or more people onto the boat and sail to Coskata or other spots around the harbor. www.ACK.net

AUGUST 2026 51

David Poor, another longtime member of the fleet, recalled that one of his father’s first experiences after purchasing Nippanoose in the late 1950s also involved flipping the boat while sailing with Carl Mueller. David graduated from Beetle Cats to Indians around 10 years old. Along with Constable, he and nearly a dozen other teenagers joined the fleet during the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the youth infusion nearly doubling the numbers of a fleet historically dominated by adults. The kids quickly discovered the independence the boat provided a teenager on Nantucket during a time before cellphones and the Internet.

“At that time having an Indian gave you freedom. I couldn’t drive, but I could go to Coatue and have a sleepover,” Poor said, also recalling sails to Tuckernuck for picnics with his family growing up. Nowadays with his children and grandchildren, there are three generations of the Poor family in the boat.

Down But Not Out By the mid 1980s, the fleet had dwindled to just two boats. Alan Newhouse, another longtime Nantucketer who grew up sailing Indians, brought the original hull from Nippanoose to Florida, where a fiberglass mold was produced. Newhouse towed the new boats back to Nantucket, where you will see them on the water today, boasting fiberglass hulls with traditional wooden trim and mast.

Time on the water includes a long-distance regatta that sees the fleet travel to Head of the Harbor and back, a 13-mile race that can take two to three-and-a-half hours, depending on the wind. One year it came down to just one foot as Bobby Constable squeaked by Newhouse. The next day features a different challenge every year that aims to test the sailors’ abilities in unique and unfamiliar positions, such as an obstacle course, sailing backwards or a Le Mans-style start that sees sailors sprint from the beach into their boat.

Off the water, each crew performs a skit with eight people, enlisting the help of family and pets. With the production value increasing over the years as more and more elaborate costumes and props are introduced, Poor said the necessary elements for a successful skit include children, animals, good singing and outrageous drag. And while the skit counts for just 5 percent of a team’s final score, participation is required to be eligible to win the Cup and Constable said the theatrical portion has actually determined the victor several times over the past 39 years.

“Frankly nothing persists for 100 years if there’s not joy involved.

Life just doesn’t work that way.”

— Anthony Schweizer

“It’s the combination of new and old that has allowed these boats to hang around for 100 years,” Schweizer said. “There’s less to maintain now, but they still have that complexity of having enough wood involved that people who love classic sailboats can get that sense of it. When you’re on the boat, you’re looking at a wood hull, there’s wood runners and things like that. It’s been a fun balance, and quite frankly, I think it’s the thing that has allowed the boat to not only renew but now thrive.”

Constable Cup The highlight of the season for the Indian fleet each summer is the Constable Cup. A mix of traditional sailing, unique challenges and even a theatrical contest, the three-day competition exemplifies the fleet’s spirit of sport and fun.

“I think that that event personifies why the fleet has persisted because we’re utilizing every aspect of the boat, and then we’re also 52 Nantucket Today

bringing this element of just fun and summer joy into it. Frankly nothing persists for 100 years if there’s not joy involved. Life just doesn’t work that way,” Schweizer said.

The Next 100 Years

The current fleet numbers around 20 boats, with about 15 or so of them still operable, and continues to thrive thanks to each successive generation continuing their family tradition. Its biggest threat lies off the water as the cost of living mounts and housing becomes harder to find on the island.

“The biggest risk to the fleet is that people who like to work on wooden sailboats can’t afford to live on Nantucket or can’t afford to make a living doing it on Nantucket, and that would be a real shame,” Schweizer said.

“Chris Westerlund used to be the guru of the Indian fleet, and he’s gotten older, and he’s retired, along with Ian McNeice. But Oliver La Farge studied under Chris. Pascal Antonietti works for Nantucket Community Sailing and is married to a Constable, so he married into this family and was sort of like required to learn how to deal with these boats, but it took many years. Like any trade, there’s a time period where you need to learn the craft, and we’re lucky that we have those two.” www.nantucketmag.com

The Nantucket Indian fleet competes during Race Week.

Though for some of the old guard, that won’t ever be a problem.

“You can’t put an IOD in your back yard. You can put an Indian in your back yard,” Poor said. “You can pay someone to take care of it, but also, Bobby likes to work on his boat. I love to work on the boat.

There are not a lot of boats that can offer you that joy of spending five hours sanding the bottom of the boat.”

Constable laughed and said he still hasn’t found that joy. ______________________________________________________ Jamie Cushman is the former sports editor of The Inquirer and Mirror, Nantucket’s trusted news source since 1821, and an occasional contributor to Nantucket Today.

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AUGUST 2026 53

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T Honoring 100 years of sculptor David Hostetler

BY QUINN FRANKEL

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his December, celebrated sculptor, teacher and Nantucket fixture David Hostetler would have turned 100 years old.

For his wife, Susan Hostetler, who runs the Hostetler Gallery on Centre Street, the centennial has offered an occasion for mounting a unique retrospective, bringing together works from across her husband’s six-decade-long career into a single space.

Now open at Hostetler Gallery, Forest and Form: Wood Sculptures by David Hostetler offers one of the most expansive exhibitions of the artist’s carved-wood sculptures in recent years, and includes works spanning from 1962 through 2015. The Beach City, Ohio-born artist became internationally known for his bronze figures, several of which can be viewed as public art installations in front of Nantucket’s Greydon House hotel, the Artists Association of Nantucket on Amelia Drive, as well as at sites across New York City. This retrospective, however, returns the focus to carved wood sculptures that formed the foundation of his artistic practice and served as the starting point for many of his bronze works.

The exhibition also commemorates a career that stretched nearly 70 years and which Hostetler, who died in 2015 at age 88, dedicated to his fascination with the form, and with the female form, in particular. While this fascination continuously evolved, it remained rooted in a lifelong dialogue with nature, mythology,

AUGUST 2026 57

materiality and art history.

“I came up with the idea of Forest and Form because all the wood came from different kinds of trees, and all of the sculptures are about form,” Susan said.

The title feels particularly apt given that at the center of the exhibition stands a sculpture of a woman whose base is carved to resemble a network of twisted tree roots and branches, blurring the boundary between tree and figure.

Enamored by nature, Hostetler quickly fell in love with Nantucket when he first came to Nantucket in 1970.

“It was the clamming, the sunsets, the beach, the nature that spoke to his heart. He noticed the art scene and thought he could sell his art here,” Susan said.

David quickly began exhibiting through existing Nantucket galleries before opening his own at 2 Old South Wharf in 1983, with the encouragement of collectors who supported his work. Two years later, David and Susan met through an antiques-dealer friend of hers.

By 1987, Susan had become integral to the gallery’s operations.

The gallery eventually relocated to its current Centre Street location, where it has long housed Hostetler sculptures alongside exhibitions of other contemporary artists. Forest and Form’s Nantucket debut follows its spring opening at the Hostetler Gallery in Athens, Ohio, where David was an art professor at Ohio University and the couple shared a home together in the off-season.

Susan has continued David’s mission to promote the arts on Nantucket, balancing rotating exhibitions with stewardship of his body of work.

“David was so fascinating. I was living with a scholar, and it was so exciting. We had great discussions, and he was very encouraging of me to expand my own interests and experiment with the gallery,” Susan said.

Adding to the excitement of this year’s centennial retrospective is the presence of works that have never been shown before, including Hostetler’s 1962 painted elmwood carving, “The Bather.” “‘The Bather’ was the first full figure of the female form David carved. He was definitely inspired by American folk art at the time, and by that American frontal female figural image. The other inspiration for this piece was an antique boot jack,” Susan said.

“I have a body of work from our personal collection that nobody 58 Nantucket Today www.nantucketmag.com

has really seen before. It’s spectacular to have all these works nobody has seen. I normally do not show so many pieces at once, but I really wanted to create this more immersive experience of the carved figures in the space,” Susan said.

“It’s very difficult for art galleries to show a body of sculpture.

You have to move it, it’s heavy, it’s a long sale. But to see 1962-2015 in a range of years, all in the same The Bather, 1962, painted elmwood year is phenomenal. This is all possible because he made it a point of saving his art, of not selling all of his art. But now, I think it’s time for people to see these,” she said.

Also on display is a rosewood sculpture recently reacquired from a private collection following the owner’s passing, along with a sculpture carved from the historic elm tree that once stood outside the Coffin School. Until now, many of these artworks lived quietly in private homes, making this exhibition a rare opportunity to experience them together.

The range of sculptures spanning decades and placed alongside each other in the retrospective allows viewers to trace the evolution of Hostetler’s style.

“I think the softness of his sculptures was his way of exploring Jane the language of the full form. In 1962, ’63 and ’64, you get a softer body, but then his sculptures started to evolve into something more fashion-forward and dynamic,” Susan said.

Hostetler drew inspiration from varied sources including Nantucket landscapes, indigenous carving traditions, American decorative arts and imagery belonging to ancient Middle Eastern traditions and cultures. www.ACK.net

“Living on Nantucket every summer definitely informed the kinds of shapes and lines he used. He was also very inspired by the lady figureheads at the bows of ships he saw,” Susan said.

Hostetler’s artwork has left a lasting legacy on Nantucket artists and beyond.

Artist Association of Nantucket member Michael Rich, now a professor at Roger Williams University, remembers arriving on Nantucket three decades ago and being encouraged by Hostetler.

“I knew David 35 years ago. When I came to Nantucket as a young artist, David was very helpful and generous with his time. He was very encouraging, and always looked at my work and, in fact, at one point collected my work. He was a teacher for 30 years at the University of Ohio in Athens, and when I became a professor, we would trade stories about feeling like a famous artist one day and then coming into the classroom the next day with the slide projectors not working, which was very humbling. He was a wonderful teacher and a larger than life, generous spirit on the island when I arrived,” Rich said. ”I think David and I shared that kind of romantic spirit of what it means to be an artist, and definitely

Orange Dress AUGUST 2026 59

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looked at the Old Masters. I think of him often when I make wood cuts, which I wasn’t making at the time when he was alive, but I have started making in the last couple years. That was something he did adjacent to his sculptural practice. He was a huge influence in how I think about printmaking and extending that sculptural practice to two dimensions,” he said.

For Nantucket artist Illya Kagan, Hostetler’s influence was as much about his spirit as his sculpture.

“David was of a different generation of artists than me, he was of my dad’s generation, and they were close friends as well. I always connected with him while painting on the street or at the Artists Association. We shared the same sensibility, even though I’m a landscape painter and he was a figurative sculptor. In his drawings and studies, I liked the looseness of his lines, and in his finished sculptures, I loved the sinuous quality and the curvilinear aspects in the way he used line that I see mimicked in the landscape or maybe in the clouds,” Kagan said.

stayed busy, he was always working throughout his career and life.

When I would go to see him, he would occasionally have parties, and he was a fantastic musician as well. To me, it was the inspiration he found in life that most grabbed me and that had the biggest influence on me. He always had a smile on his face. I’d be painting on the street and he’d grab me by the shoulders and pat me on the back. He was a presence, and that speaks volumes,” Kagan said.

Now on view at Hostetler Gallery, Forest and Form: Wood Sculptures by David Hostetler celebrates the sculptor’s enduring legacy on Nantucket nearly 100 years after his birth. ______________________________________________________ Quinn Frankel is a freelance writer, former Inquirer and Mirror sports writer and frequent contributor to Nantucket Today.

“More than anything, I loved his joie de vivre, his love of life and the way he lived. He was really an inspiration in that sense. He

Hostetler drew inspiration from varied sources including Nantucket landscapes, Indigenous carving traditions, American decorative arts and imagery belonging to ancient Middle Eastern traditions and cultures.

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“

Sails are actually how mankind discovered the world. Think about Columbus, for example, and the Vikings. We discovered the world, and then we exploited it, all via sails and sailboats. With this project, in addition to bringing new life to these sails’ historic narratives and competitive lives, I want to communicate the need to save our oceans.

”

— Kos Evans

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New Life For Old Sails

Renowned maritime photographer-turned-sculptor Kos Evans brings Rock & Royals exhibition to Nantucket Race Week for U.S. debut

BY QUINN FRANKEL | PHOTOS COURTESY OF KOS EVANS

M

ulti-media artist Kos Evans made a name for herself as a photographer in the 1980s, capturing groundbreaking aerial images of the 1983 America’s Cup that reshaped the visual language of maritime photography and offered new ways to depict some of sailing’s most storied watercraft.

Long before drones and GoPros transformed maritime photography, Evans earned her daredevil photographic reputation by scaling towering racing-yacht masts without a harness to capture perspectives few photographers had attempted. Her visceral, birds-eye view images of the America’s Cup and Whitbread Round the World Races made her one of sailing’s most sought after photographers, documenting campaigns led

by British entrepreneur and 1983 America’s Cup leader Peter de Savary, and later American yachtsman Dennis Conner.

Today, Evans has traded the camera for needle, thread, pigment and sailcloth, cultivating a sculptural artistic practice centered around repurposing old sails and bringing new life to their storied pasts.

Evans’ sail-sculptures will make their U.S. debut during Nantucket Race Week with Rock & Royals, an exhibition of sculptural works created from retired sails once raced by royalty, rock stars and celebrated historical figures like President John F. Kennedy. Hosted by Nantucket Community Sailing at the Nantucket Historical Association’s Thomas Macy Warehouse, the exhibition transforms maritime artifacts into contemporary artworks while raising money for ocean conservation and youth sailing. A portion of the proceeds from the exhibi-

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tion will go to organizations that promote ocean sustainability and education, including Oceans Without Borders, the Schmidt Ocean Institute and Nantucket Community Sailing.

Alongside her maritime photographs, Evans has shot Formula One races and traveled the world on photographic assignments. Despite her longstanding career as a sports photographer, for Evans, the transition from photographer to sculptor has come as a natural evolution.

“As a photographer, I’ve pretty much done all you can do. I’ve photographed underwater, in war situations and done multiple expeditions,” Evans said.

“With digital technology, the whole game has changed. That’s really why I’ve expanded my creative side recently.”

Evans’ career has long been defined by a willingness to take risks, a sentiment that emerged while studying film, photography and television at the University of the Arts in London. Initially drawn to sports photography, Evans found herself learning both the creative and commercial realities of the profession under the mentorship of an editor at The Observer, who challenged her to balance artistic vision with the demands of imagery needed for publication.

“During my degree, I became very interested in sports photography. The picture editor of The Observer took me under his wing and gave me press passes, and became the critique for my work. He sent me projects, but it became a tricky time because I was a student, and I had my own idea about things. He was quite brutal with me.

I’d photograph football matches, for example, and I’d photograph behind the scenes and then be told by him that nobody would be interested in that, that people wanted to see people scoring goals and what-not,” she said.

“I had to learn the creative side, and learn how to commercialize my own creative side so that I could make money from my photography. You have to shoot what clients want and then put your own perspective on it. He was brutal, but that was the best way to learn.”

Evans’ fascination with photographing water unfolded almost by accident.

“While I was still at university, I had a book publisher call me and ask if I could do a picture of a man drowning for the cover of a book. My then boyfriend had to come to a swimming pool with me, and I did some underwater shots of him drowning, which ended up being the cover. I then did some photography for Yachting magazine.

I wanted to do a picture up the mast, which hadn’t been done before.

My dear father worked out a way of strapping the camera to the mast. He was an engineer, and designed a remote-control system that AUGUST 2026 63

allowed me to trigger the camera from a boat alongside the dinghy,” she said.

While working at the London Boat Show to earn extra money for her budding photography practice, Evans found herself in an impromptu contest with a fellow employee to see who could climb the towering mast of a square-rigger first. The contest launched her aerial style that became a hallmark of her career.

“There was a bet between my stand, the Blue Bird Marine stand, and the Yamaha stand as to who could get to the mast top. So, we had to climb into the boat show in the morning before there were any visitors or security guards there, and we had to climb up, by hand, 100 feet up to the top of the mast. You get to the top, and it’s about a four foot pull-up onto the button. You literally drag yourself up onto the pole and stand up against it with your feet on the disc. It’s the most unbelievable thing. So I climbed up, with no harness or anything, and thought to myself ‘wow, this is an amazing picture,’ so I took an aerial photo from that position and of course it got into all the newspapers, et cetera, and that sort of set me off on my career,” she said.

Photo: Kos Evans

Her aerial image appeared in newspapers globally and earned her reputation as “the masthead photographer.”

Evans’ eye caught the attention of yachting figures like British entrepreneur de Savary, who hired her as official photographer for Britain’s 1983 America’s Cup campaign aboard Victory. Later, Evans was hired as official photographer for two of Dennis Conner’s Whitbread Round the World campaigns, photographing Toshiba and Winston.

Having spent upwards of 40 years photographing atop the mastheads of famous sailboats, Evans’ newfound sculptural practice shifts toward exploring what sailing leaves behind, and does so with an eye on environmentalism.

“I’ve traveled on the water and worked for a lot of famous people, and over the course of that time, I’ve really noticed the degradation of the sea. Sailing is beautiful, and is rooted in a kind of environmentalism, but there is actually a lot that gets wasted,” Evans said.

Among that waste are thousands of retired sails discarded once their competitive lives end. Compelled to reduce this footprint with a new creative endeavor, Evans began researching the history of sails 64 Nantucket Today

and began to see beauty in weathered fabric.

“Sails are actually how mankind discovered the world. Think about Columbus, for example, and the Vikings. We discovered the world, and then we exploited it, all via sails and sailboats. With this project, in addition to bringing new life to these sails’ historic narratives and competitive lives, I want to communicate the need to save our oceans,” Evans said.

Evans reached out to sailors, prominent yachting figures, philanthropists and those she had worked for and met throughout her career to see if they would be willing to donate old sails rather than consigning those materials to a landfill or a life in storage.

Many said yes, including rock stars like The Who’s Pete Townshend, and royalty, like former King Juan Carlos I of Spain, who contributed his winning sail from a 2017 Vancouver regatta, as well as His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Other prominent figures whose sails are featured in Evans’ sculptural works in Rock & Royals include former U.S, President John F. Kennedy and the most decorated sailor in Olympic history, Britain’s Ben Ainslie.

Nantucket philanthropist Wendy Schmidt has also donated sailcloth from Santana, Humphrey Bogart’s storied 55-foot Sparkman & Stephens classic wooden yawl built in 1935 that is actively raced

by Schmidt.

“I’m making a couple of pieces from Santana sailcloth. Wendy has also written a paragraph to put on one of the sails. The emphasis for her project is on her philanthropy, the Schmidt Ocean Institute. They sent me some beautiful pictures of some of the beautiful crustacea and marine life they’ve discovered quite deep in the ocean. One of the pieces will feature one of these photos, and another will be related more to Humphrey Bogart and eel grass,” Evans said.

The Kennedy sail fell into Evans’ possession thanks to James Hartley, CEO of the historic British sail-making company Ratsey & Lapthorn, who had done his best to carefully preserve the sail for years.

“James said, ‘I’ve got this JFK sail, I’ve kept it for years and it’s very precious to me, but it’s sitting in a bag with rust on it. It looks horrible, so let’s do something about it’,” she said.

“For many of these individuals, donating their sails means donating a piece of history, a piece of cultural heritage and their maritime careers,” Evans said.

Transforming these historical sails into art has, for Evans, involved imagining techniques to best narrativize and express their importance. The process has also been considerably more complicated than merely cutting swathes of their fabric. Evans has spent the better part of three years experimenting with printing methods, washing techniques and textile treatments to determine how each unique section of material would accept pigment.

“Some sails arrive to me very salt-crusted and degraded. You have to perform tests on the various sections. I’ve learned, over three years, the different processes that work. I’ve gone to different people who work with different types of fabric to understand how to do www.nantucketmag.com

Kos Evans discusses with sail technicians the materials used in one of her pieces.

this, my daughter included, because she is a fashion designer and understands fabric well,” Evans said.

“For the Ben Ainslie America’s Cup sail, we had to have five people open the sail up onto a polo field and hold it down so it didn’t blow away.”

Several of the pieces in Rock & Royals also reveal Evans’ experiments with cyanotype printing, a 19th-century photographic process originally used to create architectural and yacht blueprints using sunlight to expose images.

The result of Evans’ creative project are sculptures that not only preserve the physical material of sails, but which breathe new life into their important personal and social histories, recasting them as something beautiful to be put on display.

“I want people to think differently about throwing their sails away.

I’m hoping people will enjoy the stories I’m trying to express about these sails, and the ways in which I’m trying to bring them back to life again,” Evans said.

Evans’ repurposing philosophy, rooted in a broader commitment to marine sustainability, made her Rock and Royals exhibition a natural fit for a partnership with Nantucket Community Sailing during this year’s Nantucket Race Week, running from Aug. 6-16.

Nantucket Community Sailing president and CEO Diana Brown www.ACK.net

first learned of Evans’ work through Jeremy Pochman, CEO of 11th Hour Racing, the ocean sustainability initiative founded by Schmidt.

“It was serendipitous,” Brown said. “I heard from Jeremy back in early spring of this year introducing me to Kos. He said they were looking for an opportunity to do a USA premiere of her Rock and Royals exhibit, which had exhibited in Monaco at the Monaco Yacht Club last year and in Barcelona just after the 2024 America’s Cup held there under the title Carbon Canvas.”

“Jeremy and Kos were eager to have the exhibit held here during Race Week, because that’s when people will be here who will really care about her work. We jumped on the opportunity immediately because we thought it was so perfect for us.”

With its advocacy for marine sustainability and cultural preservation, the Rock and Royals exhibition spoke directly to many of the values central to Nantucket Community Sailing and the island’s sailing culture.

“There is so much synergy between her practice and Nantucket Community Sailing. Kos’ background is as a marine photographer, and the art she is doing now to create sailing sculptures out of these historic sails really resonates not only with me personally, but with a lot of the people who participate in Nantucket Race Week.

Especially for the Opera House Cup regatta, we have a lot of people AUGUST 2026 65

66 Nantucket Today

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with very historic boats, and while they may not have owned the boat since 1908 or 1932 when it was originally made, they own these old wooden boats because they are in love with them and they want to preserve their history. I think some of these boat owners may be inspired to give Kos one of their sails and ask her to make a special sculpture about their boats, from their boats’ storied pasts of winning races around the world,” Brown said.

Beyond their artistic value, the exhibition supports organizations such as Oceans Without Borders that are dedicated to protecting the waters that inspired Evans’ work. A significant portion of the proceeds from the auction of Evans’ Santana sailcloth sculpture will directly benefit Nantucket Community Sailing.

“Part of our mission at Nantucket Community Sailing is to instill a deep respect for the marine environment in our participants. People who sail care a lot about water quality and protecting our harbors, shellfish and eel grass. That is a sentiment that we share with Kos,” Brown said.

Housed in the Thomas Macy Warehouse along Nantucket’s waterfront, the exhibition occupies a building whose own history reflects centuries of maritime commerce, exploration and craftsmanship.

“I’m really grateful to the Nantucket Historical Association for letting us use the Thomas Macy Warehouse downtown. Before we found that as the site for Kos’ exhibit, I looked at every possible big space I could think of on Nantucket. We really wanted something downtown that was accessible to our participants. The Thomas Macy Warehouse is not only a great location, but it’s an antique building. They restored the brick and it’s gorgeous. The history of the building and the warehouse being on the waterfront is sort of in keeping with the ethos of her exhibit,” Brown said.

www.ACK.net

As part of Rock and Royals, Ratsey & Lapthorn CEO Hartley will give a talk during Race Week about the company’s 235-year history of sail-making.

“They’ve been making sails for 235 years, and they do a lot of it with hand sewing and detailing. They made all the sails for the America’s Cup boats for the first 100 years of the America’s Cup. They help Kos sometimes when she has a very delicate, old sail that needs special stitching to keep it held together for her art. They also help her source some of her sails given that they’ve been in this business for so long and are therefore so well connected. What’s really cool is that the CEO of Ratsey and Lapthorn, James Hartley, is going to come over to Nantucket to be part of the exhibit and support Kos. He’ll be giving a talk to anybody who is interested about their 235-year history of sail-making,” Brown said.

As Nantucket Race Week brings together fragments of the world’s greatest sailing communities, Rock and Royals offers a rare glimpse at how art can at once honor sailing’s remarkable past while transforming and challenging its future.

Creating a space that inspires that kind of conversation has in many ways been what is most meaningful to Evans.

“The main idea of this project is to make beautiful artworks that transmit a communication about the importance of sailing and the importance of the sea,” Evans said.

Rock & Royals will run from Aug.12-14, upstairs at the Thomas Macy Warehouse, 12 Straight Wharf. _____________________________________________________ Quinn Frankel is a freelance writer, former Inquirer and Mirror sports writer and frequent contributor to Nantucket Today.

AUGUST 2026 67

It’s in their blood The DeCosta family has lived on, fished from and been committed to Nantucket since the 1940s.

BY CAM GAMMILL | PHOTOS BY KALE QUIGLEY

68 Nantucket Today

www.nantucketmag.com

L

ast fall, Bob and Ray DeCosta were off-

on Nantucket with his family in the 1940s.

shore chasing bluefin tuna. That alone

Before charter fishing became part of the

was nothing unusual. The DeCosta’s have

island’s tourism economy, Nantucket was

spent decades pursuing tuna in the waters

still deeply tied to its working waterfront.

surrounding Nantucket. Giant fish, long days

Fishermen sold nearly everything they

and endless preparation have become part of

caught. Bluefish, cod and striped bass moved

the rhythm of life aboard the Albacore.

directly from local boats into local markets.

Yet sometime after they landed a roughly 900-pound bluefin, Ray turned to his father and said something that caught Bob by surprise.

“This is the first tuna that just you and I ever caught together,” he said.

Ray Sr. embodied that era.

After serving in the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army, Ray S. returned to Nantucket and joined the fire department while building a life around fishing. Long

No clients. No mates. Just father and

before he owned a charter boat, he commer-

son. For a family that has spent generations

cially fished the beaches around Great Point,

on the water together, the moment carried

Coatue and the outer harbor. Back then, not

unexpected weight.

many people owned boats. Nantucket’s fish-

Nantucket’s fishing history is often mea-

ing culture largely existed from the sand.

sured in catches. Giant tuna hauled over

“We’d go to Great Point, camp out for

gunwales. Striped bass landed under moon-

the weekend and sleep in the Jeep,” Bob

lit skies. White marlin flags flying from out-

recalled. “My mother, father, sister and I

riggers after a successful tournament day.

would stay out there and fish.”

Yet the true history of Nantucket fishing has

Just a family, a Jeep, a beach fire and the tides.

Ray DeCosta Sr. surf-fishing.

Photo: Bill Haddon

never really been about fish. It has always been about people.

It is about fathers teaching sons. It is about knowledge passed from one generation to the next. It is about learning to read the water and drive a boat before learning to drive a car. The fish may bring us together, but it is the relationships built around them that keep our fishing community alive.

Few families embody that tradition more completely than the DeCostas.

For generations, the DeCosta family has been woven into the fabric of Nantucket fishing. While many know Captain Bob DeCosta through Albacore Charters, his decades on Straight Wharf or his reputation as one of the island’s premier tuna captains, those accomplishments only scratch the surface.

The larger story is one of family, service and stewardship. Like many island stories, it begins with the generation before him.

Bob’s father, Ray DeCosta Sr., arrived Ray DeCosta filets a striped bass for one of his customers after returning from a successful trip. www.ACK.net

AUGUST 2026 69

When Bob’s father first started charter fishing, there were only four or five charter boats on Nantucket.

Trips cost roughly $50. A $5 tip was considered significant.

70 Nantucket Today

www.nantucketmag.com

Bob remembers a Nantuck-

synonymous with Nantucket

et where nearly every fish was

fishing. Much has changed since

sold locally. His father would

those early years.

fish around his shifts at the fire department, spending nights on the beach before working mornings or fishing days after overnight duty. Bluefish were smoked locally and shipped throughout the country. Commercial fishermen filled Straight Wharf. An ice house stood nearby. Fish-cutting stations lined the harbor.

“There were probably 20 or 30 guys fishing full-time,” Bob said. “And then scalloping in the winter.”

That Nantucket has changed but not disappeared. We still value the waterfront, our fishery and our community. That sense of history and knowledge remain aboard the Albacore.

Bob began fishing with his father around the age of 10, initially because he hated staying with babysitters and would

Like many sons of fishermen, Bob eventually tried carving out his own path. During high school he worked nights stocking shelves at the A&P while spending free days offshore fishing for swordfish and marlin.

Later came military service of his own, following his father into the 101st Airborne. “I think I joined Airborne mostly because my father was Airborne,” Bob admitted.

After returning home each summer to fish, Bob eventually ran private boats and traveled south to fish tournaments in Florida and the Bahamas. Yet no matter where he went, Nantucket always pulled him back.

When his father became sick and died in the early 1990s, Bob took over the family charter business. Thirty-three seasons later, the DeCosta name remains

When Bob’s father first started charter fishing, there were only four or five charter boats on Nantucket. Trips cost roughly $50s. A $5 tip was considered significant. Most trips centered around bluefish, and striped bass were surprisingly scarce.

Today, Nantucket’s charter fleet has evolved into a collection of highly specialized businesses. Some captains focus heavily on light-tackle stripers. Others target offshore tuna. The clientele has changed dramatically as well.

“The people coming here now want experiences,” Bob said. “They want to catch stripers on light tackle. They want to cast.

They want tuna.”

Bob adapted alongside the fishery itself.

For years, much of his fall revolved around commercial giant bluefin tuna

simply run away to the boat

fishing. Eventually, however, he

instead. Eventually, his father

began shifting toward a more con-

stopped fighting it.

servation-minded charter model

“He’d just say, ‘Come fishing’,” Bob recalled.

As a young boy, he would stand on the bow casting into schools of

focused on catch-and-release fishing, education and experience rather than harvesting every fish possible.

bluefish around Coatue and Great

That transition mirrors the

Point. When he hooked one, he

broader evolution of Nantucket

would hand the rod back to a pay-

fishing.

ing customer to reel it in.

“The fish are more valuable

That was the beginning.

recreationally than they’ll ever be

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AUGUST 2026 71

Photos: Albacore.com

72 Nantucket Today

www.nantucketmag.com

Places like Straight Wharf are not simply docks.

They are repositories of island memory. commercially now,” Bob said.

tucket and new Nantucket simultaneously.

simply docks. They are repositories of island

It is an important perspective coming

Bob still relies heavily on instinct built

memory. The stories, relationships and tra-

from someone who grew up during the

through decades on the water. He studies

ditions tied to those slips matter just as much

final years of Nantucket’s truly commercial

conditions, tides and bait with the confi-

as the businesses themselves. Families like

waterfront. Yet perhaps the most fascinating

dence that only experience can provide.

the DeCostas help preserve that connection.

part of the DeCosta story is now unfolding

Ray, meanwhile, has brought an entirely

In a world where technology chang-

new layer of finesse and modern perspec-

es every season and Nantucket continues

Bob’s son Ray grew up on the Albacore

tive to the business. Drones. GoPros. Light

to evolve, the DeCosta family represents

much like his father did before him. Like

tackle tuna fishing. Advanced electronics.

something increasingly rare: knowledge

many children raised around boats, he

Social media. “He’s not even letting me post

passed directly from one generation to the

initially battled seasickness. He eventually

on Instagram anymore,” Bob joked.

next, preserved not in books or screens,

through the next generation.

grew out of it, though his obsession with fishing never faded.

“T here tuna

was

fishing

Ray now rigs most of the tuna tackle him-

but on the water. The boats have changed.

self, researches gear obsessively and helps

The harbor has changed. The fishery itself continues changing.

a

poi nt

where

shape the charter business for a new gener-

really

hooked

him,”

ation of anglers.

Bob said.

Yet the most important lessons are still

“I used to be the only one allowed to touch

taught the same way they always have been

Today, Ray serves as a full-time Nantuck-

terminal tackle,” Bob said. “Now he does it all.”

standing shoulder to shoulder on a boat with

et firefighter while simultaneously helping

More importantly, Bob trusts him com-

someone who cares enough to pass them

lead one of the island’s most respected char-

pletely. “If I had to walk away tomorrow,

along. Long after the fish are forgotten and

ter operations.

Ray could run the boat every day and be just

the boats replaced, those lessons remain.

The parallels between the generations are

fine,” he said with pride.

And thanks to three generations of

impossible to ignore. Ray Sr. served in the

That may ultimately be the true measure

101st Airborne and on the fire department.

of a successful fishing family. Not records.

students every season.

Bob served in the 101st Airborne and vol-

Not giant fish. Not decades in business. But

___________________________________

unteered with the fire department for two

the ability to pass knowledge forward.

decades. Ray now works full-time for the Nantucket Fire Department while preparing to eventually inherit the family business.

“That’s where the fire department connection comes from,” Bob said. “My dad.”

Nantucket itself is facing many of these same questions.

Straight Wharf continues evolving.

Commercial fishing infrastructure has steadily disappeared. Slip space grows

In many ways, the same values that define

increasingly valuable. Traditional own-

successful firefighters also define successful

er-operated businesses compete against

fishermen: preparation, calm under pres-

corporate pressure and luxury develop-

sure, teamwork and trust. Fishing, like fire-

ment. With respect to the charter business,

fighting, creates brotherhood. “You develop

“I like the fact that it’s all owner-operated,”

your network,” Bob said. “It becomes a

Bob said. That sentiment feels increasingly

brotherhood.”

important.

Today, the Albacore reflects both old Nanwww.ACK.net

DeCostas, they continue to find new

Cam Gammill writes the “Fish Finder” column for The Inquirer and Mirror, which runs weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day. He is a regular contributor to Nantucket Today and the co-owner of Bill Fisher Tackle.

Because places like Straight Wharf are not AUGUST 2026 73

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AUGUST 2026 77

Who Lives in the Saltmarsh?

BY GINGER ANDREWS

78 Nantucket Today

DRONE PHOTOS BY DEAN GEDDES

www.nantucketmag.com

S

altmarshes are the biological gold standard for rich habitat. Nantucket has 1,600 acres of marsh. The Nantucket Conservation Foundation owns approximately 1,200 acres and is actively involved along with

many other partners to conserve, study and protect them.

Not only is the biodiversity within the marsh impressive; it is the food source for a host of larger creatures whose lives range all the way to the ocean on one hand to fresh-water ponds on the other.

Protected from stronger wave action by a barrier beach or dunes, the foundational salt marsh resident is smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, a tough, salt-water-loving plant. It grows to the level of high tide, and enjoys being submerged twice a day. As sea level rises and the marsh grasses grow along with it, a fibrous layer of mud forms below.

By measuring the depth of the marsh, it is possible to track sea level.

The expected rise through the mid-20th century was about an inch in 90 years.

But it has increased measurably in the last few years. Even so, on a geologic scale, Nantucket’s deepest marshes are relatively recent, forming somewhere between 3,000 to 6,000 years ago.

On bare sand, a short modest succulent known as salicornia puts out the welcome mat for Spartina. Under the right conditions it helps turn regularly inundated beach into marsh. sea lavender also grows in the marsh, although the marsh elder, Iva, is relatively rare here. At the higher, inland edges of the marsh, cordgrass Spartina patens makes the transition to dryer land.

Every year, marsh grasses die back in the winter, creating leaf litter which nourishes the marsh. Runoff adds silt, sand, algae and more vegetative debris.

In the normal course of things, each year the marsh gains a little more height and a recharge of nutrients.

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AUGUST 2026 79

Those nutrients feed phytoplankton, single-celled animals that live in the water column. These in turn nourish filter-feeders such as ribbed mussels, soft-shell clams and quahogs. Snails and Phytoplankton

periwinkles consume leaves and detritus.

The silt and mud also feed polychaete

worms, a major food of fish and shorebirds. Glass shrimp, white and grass shrimp, also food for larger organisms, thrive in the marsh.

Fiddler crabs, a favorite food of whimbrel, rock crabs and others are food for shorebirds. Sheltering in holes and crevices are larval fish and shellfish. Baitfish include three species of stickleback, two types of killifish – which eat mosquito larvae – mullet, silversides and menhaden. These are eaten by juvenile bluefish, striped bass and flounder. Eighty percent of recreational and commercial fish depend on coastal salt marshes at some stage in their lives.

American eels reverse the strategy. Where fresh water runs into a marsh, juveniles – known as “glass eels” because they are like transparent strips of jelly with eyes – leave the Sargasso Sea seeking freshwater ponds where they live for many years. The varying salinity of the marsh helps them transition. At maturity, they return to the Sargasso Sea to reproduce.

But in terms of sheer species richness, insects top the list.

There is a saltmarsh moth and a salt marsh woodlouse. Terrestri-

80 Nantucket Today

Salicornia grows along the water’s edge.

al amphipods, crane flies, greenheads, horse and deer flies, many species of spiders, beetles, ants, bees, wasps, mosquitoes and true bugs inhabit the marsh and serve to feed hungry fish and birds.

An obvious and stately summer resident is the great egret. Blindingly white, yellow-billed, long-necked, long-legged and cautious, they stalk the marshes from early April to late fall. Two actually remained through one entire mild winter. More active are snowy egrets. Great and little blue herons stop off. American oystercatch-

www.nantucketmag.com

ers, arriving in early March, depend on the mud or “horse” mussels.

Migrating whimbrel search for crabs, worms, even leaves and tubers to fuel their journeys between Tierra Del Fuego and Hudson Bay. Black-bellied plover, greater and lesser yellowlegs, least sandpipers, marbled godwits, you never know who will drop in for lunch or a midnight snack.

But no bird is more intimately connected to the marsh than the saltmarsh sparrow, an eastern, North American endemic. It nests hidden in the grass, hatching young between full-moon tides. Its eggs can even take short immersions in case of high water.

With so much in common, it’s surprising how much individual personality Nantucket marshes have.

water table, creating a small freshwater wetland.

On the south side, another set of dunes protects a marsh bordering Madaket Harbor. Cacophonous willets nest in profusion. Visiting black skimmers sometimes fish the ditches on windy days; Blackcrowned Night-Herons snack on fish or an unwary Vole.

On the opposite shore Madaket Harbor leads into Hither Creek.

An artificial estuary, Madaket Ditch, was originally dug by the cooperative labor of English settlers and local Wampanoags in 1686. It connects Long Pond to salt water. The increased marsh was used for salt hay and the ditch for an alewife fishery. But eventually the Native Americans were excluded, to their detriment. Salt water flows through a series of pipes, ditches and culverts. In the 1980s, some of the pipes were exchanged for wider, deeper culverts, which has made for a more brackish pond. But it is still an active herring run, much to the local ospreys’ delight.

Folger’s Marsh, located between the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum and the University of Massachusetts field station, connects to Nantucket Harbor through a natural estuary on the north side. It has two fresh water sources. One leads through a narrow stream to a pond dug in the 1930s or 1940s. The other goes under Polpis Road through a culvert. Vegetation transitions from Spartina to sedge, narrow-leaved cattail and juncus, to a tiny, blueberry-shaded spring. Although all our marshes suffered more or less from ditching for agriculture and WPA projects in the 1930’s, this is one of the least disturbed.

A fiddler crab scurries across the sand, looking for a place to hide.

Eel Point, at the west end of the island, is a fascinating maze of marsh and dune. Drowned old marsh, sometimes visible at low tide, holds the end of the point at the channel. Some rather large barrier dunes sit atop parts of former marsh.

On the north side a flat open beach provides nesting habitat for American oystercatchers, least terns and nearly-invisible – and highly endangered – piping plover. Barrier dunes protect an estuary and salt pond affectionately known as “the bathtub.”

In the inner marsh, snowy owls and northern harriers hunt in winter, tri-colored herons and red-necked phalaropes sometimes appear in spring, and ospreys nested on the beach before given a pole. Further east between the dunes, wind created a blowhole down to the Mallard ducks visiting an icy Folger’s Marsh. www.ACK.net

AUGUST 2026 81

Snowy Egret 82 Nantucket Today

Western Reef Heron

Eurasian Whimbrel www.nantucketmag.com

And it has the distinction of being the site of the first North American record of western reef heron, an African species that landed in April 1983 and remained until September, enthralling birders before migrating with egrets.

At Medouie Creek on the north side of Polpis Harbor, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation did an experimental restoration. A section of marsh was blocked off by fill some time in the 1930s. This created a fresh-water impoundment that was overtaken by invasive common reed, while equally invasive green crabs and purple marsh crabs were destroying Spartina along the edges.

With a culvert, ditch and oyster castles to protect the edge of the marsh, along with intensive trapping of invasive crabs, the inner marsh has been restored. It is maintaining increased biodiversity as well as keeping up with the sea. A rare – for this side of the Atlantic – Eurasian whimbrel was seen there last winter. More than just

An endangered piping plover with a chick.

a success for biodiversity, it demonstrates a very successful coastal resiliency project. Go marshes! ______________________________________________________ Virginia “Ginger” Andrews comes by her love of birds through her late mother, ornithologist Edith Andrews. Ginger gives bird walks and does barn owl research for the Maria Mitchell Association, and writes the weekly “Island Bird Sightings” column for The Inquirer and Mirror, Nantucket’s trusted news source since 1821.

Egrets at Folger’s Marsh. www.ACK.net

A great egret looking for his next meal.

AUGUST 2026 83

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Hear the ocean from this very high-end home that lives large on one acre in Surfside. House is like new and was built to the highest standards of construction and finishes. Total of 13 rooms includes 3 spacious bedrooms, 4+ high-end bathrooms and with a 6-bedroom septic system. Expansion potential and pool possible. $4,200,000 | Penny Dey

Ideally located just minutes from Main Street, this distinguished circa-1800 residence presents a rare opportunity to own a piece of history with modern sophistication. The beautifully landscaped grounds, complete with mature plantings and three off-street parking spaces, set the stage. Inside, grand ceilings, five working fireplaces, and bespoke designer finishes define the interiors. Carefully executed upgrades preserve the home’s architectural integrity while elevating everyday living. $4,295,000 | Linda Bellevue

PEACEFUL POLPIS SANCTUARY

COASTAL COTTAGE

Nestled on over 2.5 acres and surrounded by conservation land, this enchanting estate captures the romance and serenity of the countryside. Featuring a gracious Main House and charming Guest Cottage, the property is framed by magical gardens and lush natural beauty, offering exceptional privacy and an atmosphere of peaceful elegance. $7,595,000 | Linda Bellevue

IN-TOWN LOT – VACANT LAND

Discover this charming single-story cottage offering spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and direct beach access. Designed for comfortable and effortless living, featuring spacious living areas with soaring vaulted ceilings that enhance the sense of space and light. Large doors open onto an expansive deck, providing an ideal setting for relaxing and entertaining while overlooking the pristine beach.

Two bedrooms and 1.5 baths. Wake up to the sounds of the waves and enjoy stunning sunsets and sunrises from the comfort of this home.

Vacant Lot opportunity in the Residential Old Historic District. The property is located a short distance from the heart of Nantucket Town. This oversized lot is situated across from Nantucket Land Bank property with views of the historic Old Mill. The lot is just over 5,600 square feet, offering over 2,250 square feet of available ground coverage. This is a rare opportunity to build your Nantucket dream home.

$2,995,000 | Penny Dey

$2,700,000 | Angel Frazier

Penny Dey, Principal Broker, GRI, ABRM Linda Bellevue, GRI, CBR Heidi Drew, ABR, RSPS, SRS Peter DuPont Angel Conrad Frazier

82 Easton Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 www.ACK.net

Mary O’Donnell, Office Manager Erikka Perkins, Admin: Bus. Operations Yesenia Valer, Office Manager Mamta Dey, Office Assistant

Mary D. Malavase, GRI, ABR, SRS, RSPS Meg Ruley, ABR, RSPS Lisa Sherburne, ABR, RSPS Melinda Vallett Geri Walker, RSPS, SFR

•

508-228-7707

•

NantucketRealEstate.com AUGUST 2026 89

WHO’S WHO IN REAL ESTATE MARY D. MALAVASE

HEIDI DREW

BROKER, GRI, ABR, RSPS, SRS, SFR Mary@NantucketRealEstate.com M: 508-221-2093 O: 508-228-7707 x 219

BROKER/PRINCIPAL, ABR, RSPS, SRS Heidi@NantucketRealEstate.com M: 508-325-2121 O: 508-228-7707 x 212

This space could be yours

LINDA BELLEVUE BROKER, GRI, CBR Linda@NantucketRealEstate.com M: 508-325-2700 O: 508-228-7707 x 235

in the 2026 issues of Nantucket Today.

Call your advertising representative 508.228.0001

Elizabeth Almodobar Sales & Rental Agent

elizabeth.iprop@gmail.com mobile: 508-685-7703 office: 508-228-6999 ext 118

islandpropertiesre.com

George N. Vasvatekis

Mara E. Vasvatekis

Broker Associate

Sales Associate

781.635.4601 george.vasvatekis@cbrealty.com

90 Nantucket Today

949.463.3106

Zero Main Street Nantucket, MA 02554

mara.vasvatekis@cbrealty.com

www.nantucketmag.com

WHO’S WHO IN REAL ESTATE Ann Maury

SALES & RENTALS

M (508) 527-1045 O (508) 325-5000

57 Main Street, Nantucket ann.maury@congdonandcoleman.com www.congdonandcoleman.com

ETHAN ULMER sales & rental agent

• 508.228.2266, ext 117 • 5 0 8 . 9 0 1 . 3 8 5 8

T 508.228.2266, ext 115 C 508.221.8866

ethan@greatpointproperties.com

greg@greatpointproperties.com

1 North Beach Street, Nantucket, MA 02554

1 North Beach Street, Nantucket, MA 02554

OFFICES IN TOWN & SCONSET

OFFICES IN TOWN & SCONSET

This space could be yours

in the 2026 issues of Nantucket Today.

Call your advertising representative 508.228.0001

www.ACK.net

AUGUST 2026 91

WHO’S WHO IN REAL ESTATE Lisa Winn

Gary Winn

Broker

Broker/Owner

lisa@maurypeople.com

gary@maurypeople.com

617.281.1500

508.330.3069

37 Main Street, Nantucket MA 02554

37 Main Street, Nantucket MA 02554

maurypeople.com

maurypeople.com

Morgan Winn Sales Associate morgan@maurypeople.com 508.332.9088

37 Main Street, Nantucket MA 02554

Susan Chambers Broker susan@maurypeople.com 508.228.1881 ext. 100 cell: 508.560.0671 @susanchambersnantucket www.susanchambersnantucket.com 37 Main Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 maurypeople.com

maurypeople.com

Mark Norris Sales Associate mark@maurypeople.com 508.228.1881 ext 185 Cell: 508.566.2013 37 Main Street, Nantucket MA 02554 maurypeople.com

Sheila Carroll

Agent | Sales and Rentals Sheila@maurypeople.com 508.228.1881 ext. 129 cell: 508.560.0488 37 Main Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 maurypeople.com

This space could be yours

in the 2026 issues of Nantucket Today.

Call your advertising representative 508.228.0001

92 Nantucket Today

www.nantucketmag.com

WHO’S WHO IN REAL ESTATE Marybeth Gibson

Jessica Newman

Sales Associate

Sales Associate

marybeth@maurypeople.com

jess@maurypeople.com

508.325.2897

978.979.0588 37 Main Street, Nantucket MA 02554 maurypeople.com

Sarah S. Punnett SALES ASSOCIATE

Susan Renzulli BROKER ASSOCIATE

OFFICE 508.228.9117 MOBILE 508.332.0528 OFFICE 508.228.9117 MOBILE 508.901.1226

E-MAIL Susan.Renzulli@raveis.com

E-MAIL Sarah.Punnett@raveis.com

Robert Young

BROKER ASSOCIATE

Blakney Young SALES ASSOCIATE

OFFICE 508.228.9117 MOBILE 508.325.1571 E-MAIL Robert.Young@raveis.com

OFFICE 508.228.9117 MOBILE 508.367.4280 E-MAIL Blakney.Young@raveis.com

This space could be yours

Melanie Gowen SALES ASSOCIATE

OFFICE 508.228.9117 • CELL 202.365.0240 Email: melanie.gowen@raveis.com

www.ACK.net

in the 2026 issues of Nantucket Today.

Call your advertising representative 508.228.0001

AUGUST 2026 93

Your Guide to Dining Out Check out these featured restaurants from the 2026 Nantucket Restaurant Guide, considered “The Bible of Where to Eat” on Nantucket by visitors and islanders alike.

Published by The Inquirer and Mirror.

jettiessandbar.com 508.228.2279 4 Bathing Beach Rd.

Company oftheCauldron 508-228-4016 • 5 India Street Reservations Requested

www.companyofthecauldron.com Start your day with a breathtaking Water View at Gyp~Sea Café Nantucket!

Breakfast • Lunch • Take Out Children’s Beach, Harbor View Way 774-333-3807

gypseacafenantucket.com 94 Nantucket Today

www.nantucketmag.com

48

The Inquirer and Mirro

48

The Inquirer and Mirror

GOURMET WRAPS SMOOTHIES & BOWLS

To Go!

508-228-8810

1 MILLER LANE 508-228-6900 x515

CooksCafeNantucket.com

NRWAY@NANTUCKETINN.NET

ORDER ONLINE

ET

3 17 Ocean Avenue Siasconset thesummerhouse.com

A

N

Dinner 508.257.9976

PS

AY SCOO W

NT CK U

57 Old South Road 978-766-7415

Lunch & Dinner 508.257.4542 www.ACK.net

AUGUST 2026 95

Where the food is made

Ships Inn American Brasserie Romantic Candle-lit Dining Room

A Nantucket Tradition of Good Taste with love and care.

Locate d on the Su rfside Bike P ath

63 Surfside Rd 508-228-2712 yummynantucket.com

Tacos, Sunsets & Madaket Mysteries

WAKE UP WITH MILLIE’S! The best mornings start with Breakfast from Millie’s Rotary

96 Nantucket Today

Accepting reservations up to 7 days in advance Visit our website to book

13 Fair Street 508-228-0040 shipsinnnantucket.com

Complete LOBSTER DINNERS Just Say How Many!

PICKUP & ISLAND WIDE DELIVERY

The beloved Nantucket escape located at 326 Madaket Road

MILLIESNANTUCKET.COM

Featuring seasonal specials and Ships Inn classics

Open Daily 8am-9:30pm at 1 Sparks Avenue milliesnantucket.com

MILLIESLOBSTERCO.COM

www.nantucketmag.com

www.ACK.net

AUGUST 2026 3

Motorized Shades for Smart Home Living

PowerView+ Automation

134 Orange Street • marinehomecenter.com • 508-228-0900