History

From Scudder & Taylor Oil Company

Hyannis Harbor Tours, Inc. was founded in 1962 by Richard and Robert Scudder along with E. Raymond Taylor. The Scudder brothers, both graduates of Massachusetts Maritime Academy, operated “Scudder’s Sunoco” on the corner of Ocean and South Streets in Hyannis. Mr. Taylor had long been involved in the oil business on Cape Cod and founded Scudder & Taylor Oil Company with Frederic Scudder, father of Dick and Bob.

With the election of John F. Kennedy in 1960, there was an increasing demand to view the homes in the Kennedy Compound. This encouraged the brothers to enter the marine sightseeing business from a parcel of land (received as payment for an outstanding oil bill) at the “north end” of the Ocean Street Docks.

When an advertisement was seen in a local paper listing the 150-passenger M/V “Prudence” for sale, the partners moved to acquire her.

To Hyannis Harbor Tours

The “Prudence”, circa 1911, began service in the summer of 1962 with the Scudder brothers sharing the captaining chores while the other ran the gas station. The “Prudence” acquisition proved to be very successful and Hyannis Harbor Tours was born.

In 1966, the sightseeing business expanded to include a new venture, deep-sea fishing. The “Sea Queen II” and “Sea Swan II” handle the fishing duties, plying the waters of Nantucket Sound on full and half day fishing excursions.

The Scudder brothers made another important decision in 1970 when they contracted to build a boat to run seasonally to the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The M/V “East Chop” (named after a lighthouse on the Vineyard) was launched in 1971 and began daily trips to the island from the same docks at the “north end”.

Establishing Hy-Line Cruises

In 1972, a decision was made that helped put the company in the position it is in today. Hyannis Harbor Tours bought out Nantucket Boat Company. The sale included three of its five vessels, their docking facility, ticket office, parking lots and the trade name Hi-Line, which the new owners changed to Hy-Line. Hy-Line was now operating two boats seasonally to each island (including the newly built M/V “Brant Point”) at the “south end” of the Ocean Street Docks along with the sightseeing and fishing boats at the “north end.”

Hy-Line’s philosophy of “opportunity through growth” continued in 1988-1989 with the introduction of a “first-class” traveling option to Nantucket aboard the newly built, 800 passenger “Great Point.” We also started, through licensing of the Steamship Authority, seasonal service between the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard commonly known as “inter-island” service with the M/V “Cross Rip” based on Nantucket Island.

Expanding our Ferry Services

The seasonality of the business changed in 1996 when we introduced a new and innovative traveling option for the public – year-round high-speed service to Nantucket. The high-speed catamaran “Grey Lady” cut the travel time to Nantucket in half and concentrated heavily on customer service and amenities. The service proved to be so popular that ”Grey Lady II” was built in 1997 to provide further comfort and convenience to our passengers. Hy-Line Cruises welcomed their third generation high-speed Nantucket ferry, “Grey Lady” in April 2003. This solidified Hy-Line’s position as one of the most successful passenger ferry services in the country.

In the summer of 2005, Hy-Line embarked on a new adventure to provide high-speed ferry service from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard. Hy-Line reacquired their “Grey Lady II” and renamed her “Lady Martha” to provide this one-of-a-kind service.

The growth of Hy-Line hasn’t been limited to its Hyannis and island operations. In 1977, we introduced our receptive operator division called Cape Cod Custom Tours. They provide all phases of itinerary planning for motor coach companies and tour operators traveling to Cape Cod, the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, New England and the Canadian Maritimes.

In 1979, we began operating cruises on the Cape Cod Canal from Onset with the purchase of Cape Cod Canal Cruises. The M/V “Viking” runs daily cruises on the canal along with charters and nighttime specialty cruises.

Hy-Line’s “north end” sports a Bait and Tackle Shop with all kinds of fishing supplies and accessories.

Additional Boating & Tour Services

Ferrying passengers to and from the islands may be our biggest business, but we still stick to our roots with sightseeing and Deep Sea Fishing trips daily throughout the summer. Almost 70,000 passengers enjoy these trips annually!

Sight-Seeing Tours

One of the only tours of Lewis Bay, the best way to see the memorable sights and beauty of Hyannis is by the sea with our Hyannis Harbor Cruise. Relax and enjoy the views as your guide explains the various points of interest you see along the way. It’s a fascinating (and sometimes comical) history that includes aspects of our maritime industry, the people who established our waterfront community, and some of the area’s most interesting sights. Onboard, we offer snacks, drinks, and a variety of indoor and outdoor seating options! At certain times throughout the summer, we offer specialty cruises such as our Ice Cream floats, Local Libations Cruises, and starting this summer our Live Music Cruises. These cruises are so much fun, and we really do have something for all ages! You’ll definitely want to check them out.

Deep-Sea Fishing Trips

For someone who wants a little more action, we offer half and full-day Bottom and Deep Sea Fishing trips!  Cruise into Nantucket sound with us and find yourself in the best place around to catch scup, tautog, blues, stripers, and sea bass. We try to make it easy for everyone, no matter your skill level, and offer free bait, help with anything you could need, and rod rentals for an additional fee. It’s definitely an experience you don’t want to miss out on!

Cape Cod Canal Cruise

Last, but certainly not least, we offer Cape Cod Canal Cruises out of Onset, MA. This is the only sightseeing tour on the Cape Cod Canal, and something you do not want to miss out on during your trip to Cape Cod.

The Cape Cod Canal is a man-made canal, a National Civil Engineering landmark, and the widest sea-level canal (without locks) in the world. It was built to create more efficient nautical trade routes, opening in July 1914. Passage through the Canal is safer than having to maneuver around the dangerous shoals and unpredictable currents surrounding the Outer Cape, and also saves ships more than 160 miles of travel, instead of having to navigate around the tip of Cape Cod. We offer 2 & 3 hour sightseeing cruises, guiding you down the canal and pointing out all of the prominent landmarks along the way. Along with our sightseeing cruises, we also offer live music cruises (21+), and friends & family music cruises for all ages. These cruises sell out fast, so be sure to get in on it before it’s too late!

From our small start with a gas station and a single boat, to now a multi-faceted corporation we certainly have grown a lot over the years! Today, Hyannis Harbor Tours, Inc. d/b/a Hy-Line Cruises has grown to about 350 employees with about 150 of those being year-round employees. Today the company is led by the principals:  Susan Scudder DeMartino, Philip Scudder, and Murray Scudder. Our history is something we are proud of, and we definitely have something to please anyone and are excited for you to come aboard and enjoy our services.

The Scudder Family History

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