SS Nantucket (1956) facts for kids

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|} The SS Nantucket was a special ship. It was the very last steam-powered ferry that regularly sailed on the East Coast of the United States. This ferry was owned and run by the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. It carried passengers and vehicles between 1957 and 1987. Later, it was renamed the SS Naushon.

Contents

• Ship Design and Features
• Ship Incidents
• Life as a Casino Ship
• Fun Facts
• Gallery

Ship Design and Features

The Nantucket was first designed so cars and trucks could drive straight onto the ship at the front and off at the back. This is called "drive-through" loading. However, the front doors didn't work well, so they were sealed shut early on.

After that, vehicles had to load only through the back door. Sometimes, they used a new door cut into the right side of the ship near the front. Both ways made loading slower and more complicated. The ship always had to back into its dock. This made it harder for the Nantucket to stay on schedule compared to newer ferries.

One person, Joseph Chase Allen, once said the ship had "an impressive absence of beauty."

The Nantucket had three decks above the main freight deck where vehicles were stored. These decks were for passengers.

• The Mezzanine Deck had rooms for storing luggage. It also had special staterooms that passengers could book for extra comfort. These rooms were meant for longer trips, like those from New Bedford to Nantucket. But passengers didn't really like them, so they stopped being used when the New Bedford route ended.
• The Main Deck had indoor seating, including big, round booths with red seats. It also had a snack bar. Outside, there were open-air seating areas at the front and back of the ship.
• The Upper Deck was reached by stairs. It was completely open-air, with lots of seating. The ship's lifeboats were also kept on this deck.

In 1974, the Nantucket was renamed the SS Naushon. This happened because a new, modern ferry, powered by diesel, was built and given the name Nantucket. The steamer kept the name Naushon for its last 14 years of service. Two other ships had been named Naushon before, one from 1846 to 1848 and another from 1929 to 1942.

Ship Incidents

The Naushon had a few interesting incidents during its time in service:

• On April 5, 1980, the Naushon had to make an emergency stop in Vineyard Haven Harbor. The ship's boiler feed-pump failed, and it lost power while sailing from Nantucket to Woods Hole. To stop from drifting, the crew dropped the anchor. However, the anchor got stuck on a rock, and strong currents pulled the ship. A Coast Guard vessel was also tied to the Naushon, adding more pull. The anchor dragged for about 700 feet (210 m) across the seafloor. It then snagged and broke several power cables that supplied electricity to Martha's Vineyard. When the ship's repairs were done and the anchor was lifted, power to the island stopped. The broken cables were found later.

• On August 10, 1981, while sailing towards Woods Hole in thick fog, the Naushon crashed head-on with another ferry. This other ship was the 156-foot (48 m) truck ferry Auriga. The Auriga was leaving Woods Hole with 16 passengers and several vehicles. The Naushon was carrying 350 passengers and vehicles. Sixteen people were hurt in this accident, which happened more than a mile offshore.

Life as a Casino Ship

The former SS Nantucketat Mhoon Landing in 2007

After its ferry days ended in 1987, the Naushon became a floating casino. From December 1993 to October 1995, it was known as the Cotton Club riverboat casino. It was docked in Greenville, Mississippi.

The Cotton Club didn't stay in Greenville for long. In October 1995, it was bought by a company called Alpha Hospitality. Alpha replaced it with a bigger casino ship. The Cotton Club was then moved to a new location, renovated with a "Roaring Twenties" theme, and renamed Bayou Caddy's Jubilation. The company hoped this smaller ship would cost less to run.

However, Bayou Caddy's Jubilation was not successful. It was open from December 1995 until July 1996, when it was shut down. The company had already planned to close it because it was losing money.

The ship sat unused for several years. In July 1999, it was transferred to another company, Casino Ventures. They planned to fix it up and use it as the Splash Back casino at Mhoon Landing in Tunica, Mississippi. The ship was moved into a man-made pond at Mhoon Landing. This was tricky because the Mississippi River had low water levels.

Even though the new owners hoped to open the casino quickly, they were still looking for money to finish the project in 2003. The casino was finally taken apart in 2012.

Fun Facts

• The Naushon can be seen in the 1975 movie Jaws. Footage of the Naushon and another ship, the Islander, entering Tisbury, MA was used in the movie. It showed many unsuspecting beachgoers arriving on "Amity Island." You can spot it about 45 minutes into the film.

Gallery

Naushon leaving Nantucket harbor, August/September 1971.

Naushon underway in Nantucket Harbor, September 1979.

Naushon warping in, September 1979.

The SS Naushon passing the MV Uncatena in Nantucket harbor, September 1979.

"Splash Back" at Mhoon Landing, June 2007

"Splash Back" at Mhoon Landing, June 2007