One of our absolute favorite weekends this summer was spent in Provincetown – a bustling artists enclave located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod. Getting there from our mooring in Red Brook Harbor took us through the Cape Cod Canal and then straight across Cape Cod Bay and out of site of land. Emerging from the Canal into the cold waters and thick fog of Cape Cod Bay, we were thankful to have a new radar and updated chart plotter. Our first night on anchor was a bit sporty with strong southwest winds building impressive swells across the open harbor. The winds died down overnight and the remainder of our stay was glorious. In fact, it was so peaceful aboard Andante one would be forgiven for thinking that Provincetown was an equally sleepy village at the end of the road. In fact, the population of P-town swells from 3,000 year-round residents to 60,000 during summer and is known as a popular vacation destination for the LGBTQ+ community. We spent hours walking the neighborhood streets, admiring the meticulously maintained gardens and soaking up the atmosphere of kind acceptance that is so pervasive here. I think it is the contrast between peace and quiet aboard Andante and the vibrant celebration of life that is happening just ashore that makes this place so special.
The first leg of our journey took us through the Cape Cod Canal which is a manmade waterway that connects Buzzards Bay in the south to Cape Cod Bay in the north. Transiting the Canal can be exciting, requiring us to stay vigilant as we share the ‘road’ with big ships while negotiating strong tidal currents and large standing waves and eddies. The passage is visually stunning as we pass under the multiple train and traffic bridges that carry visitors from the mainland to the Cape. We purposely made our way north toward Cape Cod Bay early in the morning when the tide was with us and the recreational boat traffic was light.Monitoring Channel 13 is a must in the Canal to avoid other (much bigger) traffic, like this tug and tank barge which followed us out to Cape Cod Bay in the fog.The water on this side of Cape Cod is very cold and the fog can get pretty thick as a result. These waters are host to seals and whales (and their predators). We saw (and smelled) plenty of the former while at anchor and listened to the whale watching boat coming and going throughout our stay. In fact, it was on this trip that Captain Nicholas saw his first dolphins as they played around the boat one afternoon.Rainbows abound in Provincetown – a visual reminder of the culture of acceptance and inclusion that are hallmarks of this special placeMandatory shore stop: Fried Clams at John’s Footlong!We usually take several walks every day to give this gentleman an opportunity to stretch his legs and do his business. Provincetown gave us miles of opportunity to practice our ‘city walking’, treating us with its spectacular gardens and impressing us with its pet-friendly and vibrant downtownLong Point Beach is just a short dinghy ride across the harbor. The beautiful, remote beach sits at the very tip of Cape Cod and offers a pleasant change from the hustle of downtown Provincetown. We didn’t do much swimming here because where there are seals, there are usually predators too!Another foggy walk. The Pilgrim Monument barely visible in the background is the tallest granite structure in the US and commemorates the first landfall of Pilgrims. The tower standing at 252 ft tall is usually visible for miles across Cape Cod Bay. Not today!
Sail Andante 