We took this photo earlier today of the Provincetown ferry, the Provincetown III, as it was fully beached on Nix’s Mate at low tide. Thankfully, reports are that nobody was injured after the boat reportedly ran around earlier this morning. Police and Coast Guard are on the scene, and will likely have to wait for high tide near 6:15pm this evening to pull her off the ledge. The ferry was reportedly an 8:30AM Provincetown ferry service leaving Boston, and likely hit the ledge shortly afterward as it was heading out for the 90 minute ride. Low tide occurred at 11:56 AM today, right around the time this photo was taken, which is why the boat appears fully beached here.
Nix’s Mate is one of the most dangerous parts of Boston Harbor. It is a large, submerged ledge that was previously and island. Given its strategic, visible location near the entrance to the harbor, it was once used to hang pirates to serve as an example. We have written in the past about Nix’s Mate here, and about the dangers of Boston Harbor which boaters need to be aware of. Accidents do happen, so this is a reminder to be safe out there!
