Cape Cod: A Brief Maritime History
April 15, 2009
To the mariner, Cape Cod represents both a hazard and a haven. On a sunlit summer day, with balmy breezes and endless sandy coastline, boaters can be lulled into a sense of complacency, blissfully unaware of the treachery that lies beneath. It is the shallow sand bars several hundred yards off the beach that present the greatest danger. Here is where countless storm driven ships have grounded over the years, broken into pieces under the pressure of tons of raging water, and spilled their fragile contents and occupants into the bone chilling surf. So many ships have piled up on the hidden sand bars off the coast between Chatham and Provincetown, in fact, that those fifty miles of sea have been called an “ocean graveyard.”
In the early 1800s, there was an average of two wrecks every month during the winter. It was not, however, until 1872, that a really efficient lifesaving service was put into operation by the United States government. Stations were erected every five miles on the beach. Six or seven surfmen and a keeper lived in each station and kept a continuous watch. When a ship in distress was sighted, a red signal was fired from ashore to let the crew at sea know they’d been seen. Then the lifesaving crew went into action.
If the sea permitted, they launched their special surfboats–some equipped with air chambers (to help keep them afloat), cork fenders (to keep them from being smashed against the sinking ship), and righting lines (to use in case they capsized). When weather and surf were too violent to launch the surf boat, the alternate method of rescue was the “breeches buoy”. The buoy consisted of a pair of canvas breeches fastened inside a life ring and suspended from a life line and pulley system between the stranded ship and shore. A small cannon was used to shoot a lightweight line to the ship, which in turn was pulled on board by the ship’s crew. Simultaneously, the surfmen erected a twelve-foot wooden crotch to suspend the hawser line and breeches buoy above the surf and buried an anchor in the sand. In practice, the whole operation had to be done within five minutes. Only after all this was accomplished could one victim at a time be rescued as the breeches buoy was tediously pulled back and forth from shore. Visitors can view the breeches buoy in action at a drill given weekly during the summer months by National Seashore Rangers.
For a glimpse of the contraption in action, go see the movie “The Golden Boys”, which was filmed on location in Cape Cod in 2007 and, in part, at the Old Harbor Life Saving Station at Race Point in Provincetown. The climatic final scenes of the film depict a rescue at sea off the coast of Chatham. The film is currently playing at movie houses on the Cape and throughout the country.
To mark Cape Cod’s rich maritime history, the Annual Cape Cod Maritime Days is celebrated throughout the month of May. For more information and a schedule of events, which includes lighthouse and walking tours, nautical art exhibits, maritime lectures, boat-building exhibits, and kayak excursions visit http://www.ecapechamber.com/MaritimeDays/
Reminder: While visiting the Cape, we invite you to stay at The High Pointe Inn in West Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Something to Celebrate on Cape Cod
January 10, 2008
Winters are long on Cape Cod. Not necessarily cold, but often gray and lacking the colors that other seasons bring. Hence, one of our favorite winter pastimes is anticipating the arrival of spring, summer, and fall with their inherent seasonal offerings and requisite celebrations. Cape Cod is rife with special events that highlight our symbiotic relationship with the fruits of land and sea. The High Pointe Inn is an avid supporter of many of the events. In fact, Rich is a major contributor to the Wellfleet OysterFest, making his annual sacrifice of consuming 4-5 dozen oysters single-handedly. We are delighted to share with you a few of our favorite events, as well as a few new ones that aim to showcase the region’s culinary delights and prolific arts community. Be sure to make your reservations at the High Pointe Inn early, as we sellout quickly for most of these events.
Cape Cod Maritime Days, month of May
Cape Cod Maritime Days is a celebration of the Cape’s rich maritime history comprised of lighthouse and walking tours, nautical art exhibits and maritime lectures, boat-building exhibits, and kayak excursions. The month-long celebration also features the Cape Cod Maritime History Symposium and Annual Cape Cod Maritime Festival. For more information visit http://www.ecapechamber.com/MaritimeDays/.
Cape Cod Life’s First Annual FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL, June 1 – 4, 2008
Cape Cod Life Publications will celebrate the Cape’s distinguished culinary world with the inaugural “Cape Cod Life Food & Wine Festival” from June 1 through June 4, 2008.
The four-day festival will showcase the region’s finest chefs and restaurants through a series of wine dinners and “cultural” happy hours. More than forty restaurants from Provincetown to Bourne will hold dinners each evening highlighting their chef’s best. Joining the restaurants will be local and international winemakers who will offer pairings of spectacular wines from around the world.
Additionally, Cultural Happy Hours will be held on June 2, 3 & 4 in venues that capture the area’s richness in art, history and nature. Guests will sample hors d’oeuvres and fine wines while enjoying art and music in three cultural venues – the Highfield Hall in Falmouth (June 2), the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster (June 3), and the Wellfleet Harbors Actors Theater in Wellfleet (June 4).
The festival will kick off with the Grand Opening Tasting at the splendid Rectrix Aerodrome in Hyannis on Memorial Day – Sunday June 1st from 3-6 p.m. The event will include local cuisine, wines from around the world, presentations from local artists and musicians, and cooking demonstrations from an elite group of celebrity chefs representing both Cape Cod and Boston. Chef Gabriel Frasca of Nantucket’s renowned Straight Wharf restaurant will lead an iron chef style cook-off against other top chefs to be announced soon. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and the Institute for Hospitality and Culinary Studies at Cape Cod Community College.
More information is also available at “http://www.festival.capecodlife.com/”.
Annual Cape Land and Sea Harvest (CLASH), September 25-28, 2008
The annual Cape Land and Sea Harvest is a celebration of Cape Cod’s agricultural and fishing heritage. The Cape enjoys a rich profusion of locally grown and caught foods, particularly in the autumn. Cape shell fishers bring in lobster, crab, oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels, while line fishermen are catching blue fin tuna, bluefish, cod, cusk, haddock, hake, monkfish, redfish and skate wings.
Meanwhile local farmers harvest their largest bounty of the growing season: apples, arugula, beans, beets, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, kale, leeks, melons, mesclun, pears, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries, scallions, shallots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips and winter squash.
CLASH combines a wealth of opportunities to savor the culinary delights of Cape Cod at venues across the region. For example, during the 4-day celebration:
Participating restaurants offer special tasting menus that showcase local ingredients.
Farms, cranberry bogs, fisheries, wineries, breweries and other agricultural businesses provide tours and behind-the-scenes views of their operations.
A season finale farmers’ market offers guests an opportunity to purchase locally harvested fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.
And, at the annual Cape Cod Oyster Festival, attendees feast on raw, baked, roasted and stewed oysters prepared by local restaurants, and sample wines from the best vineyards in the world.
Fall for the Arts Festival, October 4 & 5, 2008
The 1st Annual Fall for the Arts Festival, a joint effort between the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and Cape Cod VIEW magazine, will feature family-friendly performances and exhibitions showcasing the region’s exciting cultural scene, offering visitors and residents the opportunity to meet and talk with exhibiting artists, sample fine cuisine, enjoy live entertainment, discover cultural organizations, take a walk through history and even create their own works of art. Specific festival events and ticketing information will be announced in upcoming months. For more information contact the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod at 508-362-0066 x13 or email info@artsfoundation.org.
Annual Wellfleet Oyster Fest, October 18-19, 2008
The annual Wellfleet OysterFest is a two-day celebration of the famous Wellfleet oysters and its deep-rooted shell fishing traditions. Wellfleet’s town center comes alive for this street party that brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend full of food, art, music, fun and games.
This year’s event will take place Saturday and Sunday, October 18 & 19, 2008 and will mark Wellfleet’s eighth annual OysterFest. The event centers on Main Street in Wellfleet, and features local shell fishermen and women, who come in off the tides to offer their briny, luscious oysters and clams. Alongside the rawbars, restaurants serve up chowders, stuffed clams, and other traditional New England fare. In addition, more than 70 carefully selected artisans and artists show off a stunning range of arts and crafts including handmade jewelry, paintings, sweaters, soaps, furniture, jams, and more.
The highlight of the event is the annual Oyster Shuck-Off, a rousing timed competition where amateurs compete for the fun of it, and some of Wellfleet’s home-town shuckers have been fast enough to go on to compete nationally. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three winners. The OysterFest is free and goes on rain or shine.
Spectacle of Lights, late November through December; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 5pm to 9pm
Heritage Museums & Gardens presents its annual Spectacle of Lights, a holiday lighting extravaganza, with indoor and outdoor venues that dazzle the senses. Visitors stroll through the grounds, enjoying the unique beauty of the gardens and forests, highlighted by dramatic landscape lighting and appealing animated vignettes on the lawns.
Indoors, the Auto Museum features an antique toy train exhibit, a giant poinsettia tree, and Photos with Santa. The Art Museum hosts more displays, including a 12-foot Victorian tree adorned with hand-made ornaments. And visitors get to top the evening off with a complimentary ride on the recently restored Carousel!