Curmudgeon objects to Nobska's whistle
BY MARY LANCASTER
When Flint Ranney, Nantucket's Steamship Authority representative, rescued the historic whistle from the Nobska before that last steam powered ferry was reduced to scrap metal this summer, local residents heralded the action and welcomed back the unique, deep sound they remembered from riding the boat until she went off-line in the 1970s.

M/V Eagle captain Al Brox explains the workings of the old brass steam whistle that was rescued from the SS Nobska this past summer.

In May, the whistle, made in 1925, was put on the MV Eagle serving the island and until recently all was well. Then a Hyannis curmudgeon who lives within about 100 feet of the Hyannis SSA terminal lodged a complaint that the whistle is too loud and disturbs his peace.

"He doesn't like it and complains about it being more penetrating and more difficult to live with [than modern whistles]," said Wayne Lamson, the SSA general manager, explaining that when a boat backs out of a port the rule is to alert other vessels with one long blast and three short blasts.

Lamson said the SSA had sound engineers take decibel readings on the Nobska whistle as well as the whistle on the MV Nantucket and the old whistle still remaining on the Eagle. They found that the Nobska whistle is actually quieter than the Eagle's other sounder, leading the board to consider using the newer model in Hyannis to assuage the resident while using the Nobska horn for Nantucket.

The problem is, everyone [except this fellow] liked the Nobska sound so much that the SSA was looking into finding similar old whistles to install on all its ferries.

"In my mind it's a marketing effort we're trying to expand," said Lamson.

Still, the engineers were brought back to investigate whether lowering the air pressure now operating the Nobska whistle would also lower its decibel level. Lamson does not yet know the results of that test, but expects it will be discussed at the board's November meeting.

"It's a different sounding whistle you're not acclimated to," said Lamson. "Maybe it's no louder but it's annoying because the brain isn't used to it. I don't want to trivialize this - we're trying to get some scientific data on whether it's louder than the old whistle, and if it is can we make an accommodation that would satisfy the neighbor and still use the whistle."

Lamson said the complaint has not interrupted Hyannis departure times of 9:15 a.m., 2:45 p.m. and 8 p.m.

"It will certainly keep sounding on Nantucket," insists Ranney.

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