Six USS Nantucket Crew Members Arriving On Island Thursday

Six crew members from the USS Nantucket are coming to town this Thursday to form a stronger connection between the ship and the island it is named for.

As the island’s sponsor of the ship, the Great Harbor Yacht Club is arranging their visit and itinerary. Great Harbor Yacht Club representative Bob Monahan told the Current that the schedule will include a visit to the Whaling Museum, a tour of downtown Nantucket, a trip to the Sankaty Lighthouse, and at night out at the Boston Pops. They also plan to participate in some beach cleanup activities and meet with town representatives including Harbormaster Sheila Lucey and Town Manager Libby Gibson.

“They do this from time to time to connect the ship to the island,” Monahan said. “We try to put together a number of activities to give them a sense and feel for the island.”

There is some disagreement about whether ship itself is coming to Nantucket. The Boston Globe reported that the Navy had issued a statement saying that the ship and its full crew would be travelling to the island, but Monahan told the Current that only six sailors were coming to Nantucket. The Current could not immediately obtain a copy of the Navy’s statement or independently verify the Globe’s claim.

Commissioned in 2024, the ship is the fourth Navy vessel to be named after Nantucket. At the time it was commissioned, the Navy deemed a full trip to Nantucket highly logistically challenging.

On the ship is a case that contains the flag of the Wharf Rat Club, as well as Nantucket hats, letters from the Sconset Trust and The Inquirer and Mirror, various coins marking the christening of the ship, a command sticker with the crest of the USS Nantucket, a sticker from Coast Guard Station Brant Point and a miniature lightship basket. A Nantucket flag hangs behind the bridge. The door to the commanding officer’s quarters is marked with a wooden sign reading, “Sankaty Head.”

The sailors will arrive Thursday and depart Monday.

The USS Nantucket is sponsored by Polly Spencer. Spencer and her husband Richard Spencer, the former secretary of the navy, own a house on Nantucket and spend a considerable amount of time on the island.