Rainbow Fleet Nantucket

Nantucket, MA

On a mid-August Sunday, a flotilla of small single-sail Beetle Cat boats are annually paraded into Nantucket Harbor along the shore of Children’s Beach and the iconic Brant Point lighthouse. Assembled from around the island, an impressive variety of additional sailboats, yachts, ferries & powerboats, each regaled with their own bright flags, pendants, banners, & sails, accompany the smaller boats to a start line for a processional into the harbor, with a throng of viewers enjoying the colorful show. The Rainbow Fleet Parade has been a long-standing tradition for Islanders & visitors alike, perhaps recalling in a small way the heyday of Nantucket’s grandiose Whaling Ships.