The Brewsters, comprising Great Brewster and Little Brewster Island, are particularly nice to visit this time of year. As mentioned in previous posts, Boston Light, which is located here, is the only fully manned lighthouse in operation on the East Coast. Positioned at the end of the rocky outcrop of Little Brewster Island, you can visit the lighthouse and take a guided tour- check out this link for more information. One can see how this location was chosen for a lighthouse given its proximity to the Nantasket Roads Channel, and the treacherous nearby rocks. Just East of Little Brewster Island are some rock outcrops called the Shag Rocks, named for the Shag- a species of bird which inhabits the rocks.
Nearby Great Brewster Island is a much larger island with a large sand dune. This island is not accessible by public transportation, but can be accessed by private boat. The walk to the crest of the dune provides a stunning view to the East of Boston light and the Atlantic Ocean. I have accessed this island by throwing an Anchor just west of Great Brewster and swimming to shore. If you decide to visit this island, beware of the Seagulls. They use this island to nest and are not used to seeing humans. As a result, they tend to become quite aggressive!
A great mistake mariners make here is to cut across the Brewster Island spit, which extends probably a quarter mile at least West of Great Brewster Island to a rocky outcrop of a ledge, pictured below. In what is a deceptively calm and open stretch of water, the sandbar is fully submerged near high tide and most any boat trying to cross it will run aground. As previously mentioned, I have seen boats stranded on the Brewster Island Spit, and it is not a fun experience for those involved given the high visibility and rough nearby waters of Nantasket Roads. This spit makes our list of the dangers of Boston Harbor, which I would encourage boaters to use caution around.
Below is a photo of the waters near the spit (Between the rocks and the lighthouse) at high tide. Notice the spit is not visible, but it is there- right below the water!
