Faces Of Nantucket: Santiago Oviedo and William Crowley

When it comes to summer jobs on the island, getting to be out on the waters of Nantucket Harbor and taking in the sights and sounds of Straight Wharf has got to be up there among the best.

This summer, 14-year-old Nantucket kids William Crowley and Santiago Oviedo are taking in that experience every day working their first summer gigs at Jim Mondani's Island Boat Rentals.

From cleaning and preparing the fleet of rental vessels, to assisting customers, launching and helping dock boats, and, of course, checking the booking website, William and Santiago are absorbing a crash course on the business and life on Nantucket Harbor during the peak of summer. They may just be heading into ninth grade next month, but for now they're the face of the boat rental operation down at the dock.

“It’s a fun job to do and it was an available one,” said William, who's also preparing for the upcoming high school golf season. “Most of the rentals are back-to-back-to-back-to-back…Yesterday we had to send off three at a time.”

Santiago, who joined Island Boat Rentals after playing one of the lead roles in The Dreamland Stage Company's production of "Newsies" earlier this summer, was brought into the job by William, his close friend.

“I like boats,” Santiago says when asked why he was drawn to the job. “This is the closest I can get to boats."

As he prepares to enter Nantucket High School in September, Santiago is juggling his job with his commitment to the Whalers' football program, as he’s already started preseason training.

When asked about his hobbies, Santiago laughed and said, “Hanging out with that guy,” nodding toward William. The two friends both bike to work each day, starting their shifts early in the morning and working together until the afternoon.

Mondani, a former corporate lawyer in Boston and North Carolina, left that career behind in 2011 and moved to Nantucket with his wife. He founded Island Boat Rentals and it's been a staple on the harbor every summer since.

“I usually employ local kids,” Mondani said. “I keep a string of them going – watch them grow and go to college.”

Mondani keeps William and Santiago on their toes with the demands of the boat rental business. Customers primarily book their rentals online, and a valid boater’s license is required to take out a boat. William and Santiago further assist customers by teaching them about the harbor’s range, the speeds allowed, and the ferry channels they need to be aware of.

As the summer draws to a close and the boys prepare to get back to school, they will take with them the lessons and experience gained over a summer on the water - one they will not soon forget.