2008 A Look Ahead
Transportation
Getting to and from the island will remain pretty much the same next year, with the boatlines and airlines maintaining their regular schedules.

The Hy-Line's fast boat, The Grey Lady, will continue its year-round service, with the traditional passenger boat, The Great Point, resuming service to the island in late May. The Hy-Line again will provide summer transportation to Martha's Vineyard, with boats leaving from Straight Wharf. The Hy-Line has relocated to its original ticket office near the end of Straight Wharf for a month or so while upgrades are being made to its new ticket office.

The Steamship Authority plans no changes to its schedule in the upcoming year, but has approved the following fare increases:
High-Speed Service
Adult
One-way $30.50
Child/Senior
One-way $23.00
Auto Rates
In-Season (04/01-10/31)

Under 17 feet	One-way	$185.00
17' and over	One-way	$210.00

Off-Season (01/01-03/31 and 11/01-12/31)
Under 17' One-way $125.00
17' and over One-way $145.00

The MV Iyanough, which was taken off-line for the winter on Dec. 28, will resume service April 15.

At the airport, Nantucket Airlines and Island Air will move a couple of doors down to the building used by Continental Airlines and Jet Blue last summer while renovations continue at the main terminal. Temporary trailers will serve as security screening areas and ticket counters for flights to Boston and New York. Passengers can expect the renovations to last into 2009.

- Steve Sheppard

This is one radical looking trimaran, but we're still scratching our heads trying to figure out why its owner lipo-sucked his own fat to make biofuel for the 78-foot craft on his way to attempting to break a world speed record for circumnavigating the globe.

Oh, now we get it. It's a publicity stunt to popularize biofuels, and now it's gone beyond the prototype stage and it's ready to roar around the world. Pete Bethune, the captain of the sleek ship EarthRace, had enough fat taken out of his body to produce about 100 ml of fuel, and two of his corpulent buddies have contributed some of their own personal lard, where the resulting 10 liters of fat will be enough to help the boat travel about seven miles.

But isn't the circumference of the world a bit more than seven miles? Indeed it is, about 24,000 more miles will need to be navigated to make it all the way around. Bethune plans to use other biofuels (not made from human fat) to make the trip, in which he hopes to average around 29 mph for 65 days in attempt to beat the current world record of 75 days. Never mind that fat publicity stunt, the real journey begins March 1 of next year.

- The Daily Mail