Money raised to buy new boat for Nahant program will go to replace stolen one

NAHANT – The Nahant Sailing Program raised approximately $2,000 at their second annual Bunker Party and fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 6.Unfortunately, the money raised will be used to replace a boat that was reported stolen after the event.”We are raising the money to buy a boat? [which is] exactly what they stole from us,” said Nahant Sailing Program Treasurer and Board Member Philip Kersten. “It’s ironic in a way ? I’m just very disappointed. We’re on a very small island with a small budget and have no economies of scale and anything like that hurts us a bit.”The Nahant Sailing Program provides sailing instruction for beginner sailors to advanced racers ages 8 and older and adults, according to their website. The Friends of Nahant Sailing, a nonprofit that raises money for the program’s capital improvements such as boats, trailers and more, held the first of its two summer fundraisers on Saturday, Aug. 6 in the abandoned World War II-era bunkers at Bailey’s Hill.It was the second time that the club has held the fundraiser at the location, Kersten said, and the club was raising money to offset the cost of a new motorboat that instructors use to keep an eye on students.The program had set up two boats called Optimists – which are 7-foot-long boats for young children – on dollies at the entrance to the party. The boats were a sort of gate that could be pulled aside to let cars through.Kersten said that the party ended by midnight and that volunteers discussed whether to remove the boats before they left the party at 1 a.m. But they decided that there no real reason to be worried that the boats would be taken.”We were discussing, can we leave them here?” Kersten said. “But we said we leave them all summer at the wharf and what is the point?”But Kersten said that one of the boats was missing the next morning.He and other volunteers spent the next few days “scanning the whole island” to see if somebody had taken it as a prank. A board member ended up filing a report with the police last week.”Those events raise a lot of money” for capital projects like boats, Kersten said. “Now people start stealing them?” We need to find out another way to raise funds in Nahant.”Police said Monday that the theft report was still under investigation. Two minors were cited for underage drinking offenses in connection with the party, said Police Chief Robert Dwyer. No other incidents were reported.Meanwhile, Kersten is planning the next fundraiser for Aug. 27. The Fiesta will be held at Tudor Wharf from 4 to 8 p.m.