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Hurricane Dorian Scrapes Nantucket On Its Way To Canada

NANTUCKET (CBS) – As Hurricane Dorian passed just east of Nantucket, causing 50-mile-per-hour winds and high waves, it was moving more quickly than it did in the Bahamas - something to be thankful for.

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Hurricane Dorian passed just offshore of Nantucket on Saturday. (WBZ-TV)

"Most of the time, a Nor'easter for us lasts three or four days, so this is – 8 hours – this is nothing. We only have one tide cycle to worry about," said one islander.

Most of the attention was focused on getting on or off the island amid ferry cancelations. On Friday, the Steamship Authority put a reservation hold on ferries traveling to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

Some moved their departure up by a couple of hours, some opted to go to the beach and enjoy the waves, and others didn't know what they were going to do – it was all up to the Steamship Authority, the regulatory body for ferry operations to and from the islands.

"I hope I get home," said one woman, who had to work.

By noon, the slow ferry was making a trip to Hyannis. The Steamship Authority announced plans for the high-speed ferry to run Saturday night.

On Saturday afternoon, the Steamship Authority lifted its reservation hold for Martha's Vineyard, but said it planned to keep the hold in place for Nantucket through Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Nantucket Harbormaster tweeted out video of high waves off the southern coast of Nantucket, warning beach-goers to be careful of dangerous rip currents.

Dorain is now headed to the Canadian Maritimes, where it is expected to hit Nova Scotia en route to Newfoundland as a windstorm.

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