Hy-Line Cruises

Hy-Line Cruises (colloquially referred to as Hy-Line, and legally Hyannis Harbor Tours Inc.) is a family owned and operated Massachusetts ferry and cruise company.[1] The company currently operates the second largest passenger ferry service between mainland Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket (after the Steamship Authority).[2] The company also operates sightseeing cruises and fishing charters. The company's main office is located at 22 Channel Point Road in Hyannis.

Hyannis Harbor Tours, Inc.
Hy-Line Cruises
TypePrivate
Industry
  • Ferries
  • Fishing charters
  • Sightseeing tours
Founded1962 (1962)
Founders
  • Richard Scudder
  • Robert Scudder
  • E. Raymond Taylor
HeadquartersHyannis, Massachusetts
Key people
  • Frederic Scudder, II (President)
  • Philip Scudder (Vice President)
  • Richard Scudder, Jr. (Vice President)
Number of employees
100 (year-round),
350 (summer)
Websitehylinecruises.com
Services
 Hyannis
Nantucket
Oak Bluffs
M/V Great Point in Hyannis

History

Hy-Line Cruises began operations in 1962 as Hyannis Harbor Tours run by Richard Scudder and his brother Robert. Originally, the company focused on sightseeing harbor tours, which it still does today. The company added deep-sea fishing charters in 1966 and started running seasonal passenger-ferry services in 1970, first to Martha's Vineyard and then to Nantucket in 1972 when Hyannis Harbor Tours bought out The Nantucket Boat Company, which at that time was doing business as Hi-line. Hyannis Harbor Tours took this trade name and changed it to Hy-Line.[3]

In 1995, Hy-Line Cruises started the first high-speed catamaran service to Nantucket; its original vessel was shortly replaced by a larger one in 1997, which in turn was replaced in 2003 by the Grey Lady.[4] Hy-Line introduced high-speed service to Martha's Vineyard in 2005, using its 1997-built ferry Lady Martha.[5] Another high-speed catamaran, Grey Lady IV, was delivered in 2016 to replace Hy-Line's monohull vessel, the Great Point on the Nantucket route.[6][7]

Current operations

Island ferry service

Hy-Line Cruises operates high-speed catamaran ferry service between Hyannis and Nantucket (year-round) and Hyannis and Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard (seasonally). The journey time is approximately one hour. The company also operates inter-island trips between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

All of Hy-Line Cruises ferry services are passenger only (although bicycles are carried for a small fee) due to the legal monopoly held on vehicle ferry service that is held by the Steamship Authority.[8] Any new Hy-Line services must be approved by the authority, which serves as a regulatory body for service to and from the Islands.

Sightseeing cruises

Hy-Line Cruises also operates seasonal sightseeing cruises in and around Hyannis Harbor, and the Cape Cod Canal, (the latter sailing from the Wareham village of Onset).

Fishing

Out of Hyannis, Hy-Line operates seasonal half-day deep sea fishing trips in Nantucket Sound. The fishing boats, Sea Queen II and Sea Swan, go out daily in the Spring and Summer to fish in Nantucket Sound. They offer bottom fishing trips for scup and black sea bass, along with Captain's Choice trips for whatever the captain thinks will be the best fishing.

Fleet
Vessel Service began[9] Route[9] Notes
MV Sea Queen II 1966[10] Aluminum monohull, rebuilt in 1977 by Breaux Baycraft and reintroduced to the fleet in 2000, used for deep-sea fishing trips[9]
MV Viking 1973 Cape Cod Canal cruise Steel monohull, built in 1954 by Blount Marine[9]
MV Grey Lady 2003 Hyannis–Nantucket High speed catamaran, built by Gladding-Heam Shipbuilding[9]
MV Sea Swan 2004 Aluminum monohull, built in 1995 by Breaux Baycraft, used for deep-sea fishing and seasonal cruises[9]
MV Lady Martha 2005 Hyannis–Martha's Vineyard High speed catamaran, originally named Grey Lady II[9] and served Hyannis–Nantucket route from 1997-2003
MV Vineyard Lady 2015 Hyannis–Martha's Vineyard High speed catamaran, built in 2007 by Yank Marine[9]
MV Grey Lady IV 2016 Hyannis–Nantucket High speed catamaran, built by Gladding-Heam Shipbuilding[9]
MV Jonathan Lewis Hyannis Harbor cruise Wooden monohull, built in 1963 by AW Covacevich Shipyard[9]

Former fleet

Hy-Line also acquired two vessels upon purchasing the Nantucket Boat Company in 1972.[10]

Vessel Service began Service ended Notes
Prudence[10] 1962
MV Sea Swan II[10] 1966 Used for deep-sea fishing trips[10]
MV East Chop[10] 1971 after 2012 Built in 1971[10]
MV Brant Point[10] 1972
MV Cross Rip 1976 Twin screw vessel, operated inter-island service Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard
MV Great Point[10] 1988 2016 "First-class" vessel serving Nantucket,[10] replaced by Grey Lady IV
MV Grey Lady[10] 1996 First high-speed catamaran service to serve Nantucket[10]

See also

References
  1. "Hyannis Area Chamber of Commerce Hy-Line Cruises". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  2. MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning (October 2012). Passenger Ferry Transportation in Massachusetts (PDF). Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  3. "Hy-Line Cruises - About Us web page". Hy-Line Cruises. Archived from the original on March 16, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  4. "Scudder family stays the course". Cape Cod Times. June 29, 2003. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  5. "Hy-Line suspends Vineyard fast ferry service for season". Cape Cod Today. October 13, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  6. "Hy-Line to Go High-Speed Only on Routes to Nantucket". CapeCod.com. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  7. "Gladding-Hearn delivers new Nantucket ferry to Hy-Line Cruises". Workboat. September 15, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  8. "About the Steamship Authority". The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  9. "Fleet". Hy-Line Cruises. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  10. "History". Hy-Line Cruises. Retrieved March 27, 2020.

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