Low frequency ferry! Climb aboard the Islanderfor ten hours of uninterrupted sounds recorded in the belly of a Steamship Authority ferry on the way to one of the islands. Included are low-frequency hums, waves, non-obtrusive announcements, some hopeful seagulls (more on the gulls below) and drifting notes and sounds. Whether you're studying, working, reading, sleeping, or unwinding after a long day, this immersive ambient soundscape provides the perfect background soundtrack. No talking, no interruptions—just pure ferry relaxation. Ignore the World.
If you want an audio experience that's more true to life check out last year's ferry episode. And like and follow and all that too!
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Vineyarders or Nantucketers might notice the Islander chugging across this week's episode cover. We’re pulling the beloved Steamship Authority ferry out of retirement (I don’t want to look at the photos from the Staten Island ship graveyard, thanks) for a magical journey across Vineyard Sound. The Islander abathtub-shaped vessel designed specifically for passage between Woods Hole and the islands was taken out of service in 2007. (This week’s episode uses recordings from within the Island Homebut shhh we're pretending.)
Also on the cover are a smattering of seagulls chasing the ferry and, a once-easy food source. I won't admit to ever tossing crackers or French fries off the stern to watch birds dive for the morsel before it hit the water. Yet it was common enough that you would see hundreds of birds trailing any ferry with a galley. The birds knew not to chase the "freighters"—at best, the freight ships had a soda machine and one urinal.
"'Ay Chief, don't feed the birds,'" became a more prevalent message in the aughts—or at least that was the first time I remember hearing it. A shiphand was shouting at a dad holding his kid, and the kid had a fat Cheeto outstretched toward a bird hovering in to snatch it from between those small fingers.
We humans love feeding small animals from our hands, amirite? But not people in need—ooph... no, we're not going there on a holiday (imperial holiday). I'm kidding. We're kidding. I'm kicking away the soapbox (turn off commercial news, commercial news lies).
It is a holiday in the States. And, to be serious for a moment, not everyone has a swell time when the sky lights up with merry-colored explosions. If you haven't guessed—we're back at the fireworks holiday. And while a night of fireworks means fun with beer, hot dogs, and brightly colored booms, for others it can trigger negative physical or psychological effects. (Also, I've heard we have some dog listeners, which are also affected by 4TH celebrations. So shout-out to any doggo listeners, enjoy a chill ferry ride.)
This isn't about any lost love of country—not everyone appreciates a blackened sky invaded by rings of light and screamers. One good friend who experienced combat described his neighborhood's personal fireworks displays as "thunderstorms on crack."
So if you're apt to pull your shades and pump up some sounds, may I suggest a long, low-frequency trip in the bowels of a magical ship on the way to paradise.
PS: The Steamship Authority ferries are a fave microphone spot for me. I've used their sounds in many of my otherworldly episodes, including as the foundation for the Starship Enterpriseand a Star Destroyer.
