As we pulled away from Nantucket for a day trip to the Cape, It became obvious that Nantucket it a REAL Nautical place. Sure, there are pleasure boats and recreational water craft, but essentially, without shipping, this place would be "Dead in the Water." It is a real island that depends upon ferries and freighters to get supplies and people to the island. Boats come from other places where they make things and bring those things to Nantucket for the people to sell and use. In Sarasota, we have yachts, sail boats, and excursion boats, such as the Marina Jack, which takes folks out on sightseeing cruises. Our only commercial vessels are fishing boats that catch mullet and other food fish, and pull up stone crab traps. The rest of our nautical scene is completely optional. We have marinas where you can see hundreds of boats that never go out to sea, or bay. They sit in their designated racks and gather dust. If they do go out, they take a few laps around an island pulling a water skier. Not that there is anything wrong with having a good time on the water, but it is NO seaport. The essence of my other island, Siesta Key, is not one of a nautical history, or whales, or commerce. And it is one more reason why Nantucket is a real island, whose core is defined by the lore of the sea.
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