Brompton on Nantucket, Part II: Arrival

It's 9:45 a.m., and life is good on the slow ferry to Nantucket.  I'm sitting in a booth with my Brompton on the floor next to me and my bag, helmet, and Kindle on the table.

As Cape Cod fades into the distance, we pass by other ships going to-and-from Nantucket, like this freight-only ferry also run by the Steamship Authority:

It isn't long before we're completely out of sight of land.

I've heard it said that the sea is the greatest wilderness there is, which always seemed like an odd statement to me.  But you definitely feel it on the Eagle, as it gently rocks from side to side over the vast white-capped ocean.

"Well, at least I'm doing better than on my first trip," says a man into his cell-phone sitting in a booth nearby, apparently fighting off seasickness as he works on his computer.  "I decided to stay in my truck last time.  Big mistake!"

As the Eagle rolls over the ocean's gentle swells, it does take a bit of vigilance to keep walking in a straight line.

At 10:30 a.m. I head to the snack bar for lunch.  It's early, but I'd been up since 4:30 and I decide I'd rather spend my time on Nantucket bicycling than searching for a place to eat.  I purchase a tuna sandwich, chips, and a diet coke and bring it back to my booth.  It's a really good sandwich!

Our time out-of-sight of land is short, but it's just long enough to leave thoughts of the mainland behind as the first hints of Nantucket come into view outside the smudgy window.

They soon take shape as Nantucket's fantastically remote Great Point Lighthouse...

From that moment on, it's as if a whole new world unfolds before our very eyes.

After our two-hour ferry crossing, it's a bit of a shock seeing not only a sandy island emerge from the horizon, but a busy town.

We make a gentle turn around the little harbor light...

... and slowly approach the Nantucket Steamship Authority terminal.

And with a very nice thud, the Eagle has docked, lines and ramps are secured by the Steamship Authority staff -- and we're officially on Nantucket!

After carrying my Brompton and bag off board, I being the quick process of unfolding the bike and attaching the bag to the frame's carrier block as trucks unload from the ferry's hold.

"That's so cool!" I hear someone call out from above as I complete the Brompton unfolding show.  I look up, and see that it's coming from a porter on the ferry.  "I've been wondering how that works for the whole trip!"

I call out my thanks, hop on my Brompton, and ride into town.