Sure sign of summer: Yacht season has arrived on Nantucket

On Nantucket, the arrival of a 262-foot megayacht signals the height of summer maritime spectacle. The Excellence, owned by Herb Chambers, was spotted entering Nantucket Harbor on Wednesday morning after departing Provincetown the day before, according to Marine Traffic data. At 262 feet, it towers over nearby vessels, including the 151-foot Grey Lady IV observed at Brant Point, illustrating the scale of today’s superyachts. Built by Abeking & Rasmussen in 2019, Excellence features a slender reverse bow and a glass superstructure, cruising about 13 knots with a maximum near 17 knots. Chambers has indicated he uses Excellence mainly as a charter vessel, spending more time aboard its smaller sister, Excellence V, when not at sea.

Excellence sailed from Provincetown on Tuesday morning and reached Nantucket the following day, after a prior stop at Boston’s Fan Pier. The yacht’s draft is 11.5 feet, close to Nantucket Boat Basin’s 14-foot limit, highlighting access constraints in peak season. The vessel’s price and size contrast with ferries: a round-trip on the M/V Eagle costs about $93, while a week-long charter on Excellence runs well into the seven-figure range, about $1.199 million more than the ferry. For visitors, the megayacht’s presence remains a seasonal spectacle that frames Nantucket’s maritime atmosphere and economic footprint around Brant Point and the harbor.