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Sankaty (steamboat)
Encyclopedia
The Sankaty (a.k.a. HMCS Sankaty, a.k.a. Charles A. Dunning) was a propeller
-driven steamer
that served as a ferry
to Martha's Vineyard
and Nantucket in Massachusetts
; in Rockland, Maine
; Stamford, Connecticut
and Oyster Bay, Long Island
; Staten Island, New York; Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island
and Caribou, Nova Scotia
; and served as a minelayer for the Royal Canadian Navy
during World War II
.
in Quincy, Massachusetts
and launched in 1911. It was 188 feet (57.3 m) long, a slim vessel with twin propellers and twin smokestacks. It had a 36 feet (11 m) beam, and drew 9 feet 6 inches of water.
during the Civil War
) it marked the end of the paddlewheel steamer era for the Cape and Islands.
The Sankaty rolled much more than the sidewheelers that preceded it. Because of this, the ladies' parlor and toilet was situated on the upper deck in a location to reduce the motion and vibration while on the rough waters of Vineyard Sound
.
harbor. It drifted across the Acushnet River
in flames and crashed into the famous whaling ship Charles W. Morgan
, setting it on fire as well.
Sankaty was raised, sold and rebuilt with an open deck for use as a car ferry in Rockland, Maine. A few years later it was sold again to serve as a ferry between Stamford, Connecticut, and Oyster Bay, Long Island.
It also evidently served as a Staten Island Ferry
.
of Prince Edward Island
, Canada, but before it began service it was requisitioned by the Royal Canadian Navy to serve in World War II as a minelayer
, HMCS Sankaty. After the war it was renamed the Charles A. Dunning, and served from 1946 until 1964 in the waters between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia. During this period its capacity was twenty-three cars and four trucks. It was sold for scrap in 1964, but sank en route to Sydney, Nova Scotia
.
In 1994, The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority
began service of a new freight vessel Sankaty, named after this old steamer.
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
-driven steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
that served as a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
and Nantucket in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
; in Rockland, Maine
Rockland, Maine
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination...
; Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
and Oyster Bay, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
; Staten Island, New York; Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island
Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island
Wood Islands is a Canadian rural farming and fishing community located in southeastern Queens County, Prince Edward Island on the Northumberland Strait....
and Caribou, Nova Scotia
Caribou, Nova Scotia
Caribou is a small Canadian rural community in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.Located on the Northumberland Strait northwest of the town of Pictou, Caribou is named after the Woodland Caribou which used to live in Nova Scotia until European settlers hunted the herds to extinction in the 19th century...
; and served as a minelayer for the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Construction
The Sankaty was designed by Chauncey G. Whiton, built by the Fore River WorksFore River Shipyard
The Fore River Shipyard of Quincy, Massachusetts, more formally known as the Fore River Ship and Engine Building Company, was a shipyard in the United States from 1883 until 1986. Located on the Weymouth Fore River, the yard began operations in 1883 in Braintree, Massachusetts before being moved...
in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
and launched in 1911. It was 188 feet (57.3 m) long, a slim vessel with twin propellers and twin smokestacks. It had a 36 feet (11 m) beam, and drew 9 feet 6 inches of water.
Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Ferry
From its construction in 1911 until 1924, the Sankaty operated as a ferry serving the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. While not the first propeller-driven steamer to serve these islands (which was the Helen Augusta which substituted for the MonohansettMonohansett (steamboat)
The Monohansett was a sidewheel steamer operating as a ferry serving the island of Martha's Vineyard during the end of the nineteenth century. It was named after Monohansett Island, a tiny twelve-acre island off Naushon.-Construction:...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
) it marked the end of the paddlewheel steamer era for the Cape and Islands.
The Sankaty rolled much more than the sidewheelers that preceded it. Because of this, the ladies' parlor and toilet was situated on the upper deck in a location to reduce the motion and vibration while on the rough waters of Vineyard Sound
Vineyard Sound
Vineyard Sound is the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Elizabeth Islands and the southwestern part of Cape Cod from the island of Martha's Vineyard, offshore from the state of Massachusetts in the USA...
.
1924 fire, Maine and New York Ferry Service
On the night of June 30, 1924, Sankaty caught fire and burned down to its steel hull while tied up overnight in New BedfordNew Bedford
-Places:*New Bedford, Illinois*New Bedford, Massachusetts, the most populous New Bedford**New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park*New Bedford, New Jersey *New Bedford, Ohio*New Bedford, Pennsylvania...
harbor. It drifted across the Acushnet River
Acushnet River
The Acushnet River is the largest river, long, flowing into Buzzards Bay in southeastern Massachusetts, in the United States. The name "Acushnet" comes from the Wampanoag or Algonquian word, "Cushnea", meaning "as far as the waters", a word that was used by the original owners of the land in...
in flames and crashed into the famous whaling ship Charles W. Morgan
Charles W. Morgan (ship)
Charles W. Morgan was a U.S. whaleship during the 19th and early 20th century. Ships of this type usually harvested the blubber of whales for whale oil, which was commonly used in lamps...
, setting it on fire as well.
Sankaty was raised, sold and rebuilt with an open deck for use as a car ferry in Rockland, Maine. A few years later it was sold again to serve as a ferry between Stamford, Connecticut, and Oyster Bay, Long Island.
It also evidently served as a Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.-Overview:...
.
Canadian service
In 1941 the Sankaty was purchased by Northumberland FerriesNorthumberland Ferries Limited
Northumberland Ferries Limited is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada and headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island...
of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Canada, but before it began service it was requisitioned by the Royal Canadian Navy to serve in World War II as a minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
, HMCS Sankaty. After the war it was renamed the Charles A. Dunning, and served from 1946 until 1964 in the waters between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia. During this period its capacity was twenty-three cars and four trucks. It was sold for scrap in 1964, but sank en route to Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
.
The new Sankaty
The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority
The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, referred to coloquially as The Steamship Authority or simply the SSA, is the statutory regulatory body for all ferry operations to and from the Islands from the Massachusetts mainland, as well as being an operator of ferry service...
began service of a new freight vessel Sankaty, named after this old steamer.