Sailing Away - 30 Years of Shallow Waters, Sandy Shores, and Summer Breezes on Cape Cod Bay
By Steve Mague, CZM

I started sailing Cape Cod Bay when I was 11 years old. My cousin, a Navy officer stationed in Davisville, Rhode Island, used to come up to Eastham several weekends a month and began to teach me the basics of sailing on his 19-foot sloop. While we’d usually leave from Rock Harbor, the destinations varied from the Brewster flats to Wellfleet Harbor to Billingsgate Island. From the first sail, I still recall the noise and chaos associated with getting under way, followed by the comparative silence and feeling of power as the boat began to surge forward in response to wind and helm. More than 30 years later, this familiar sensation welcomes me at the beginning of each new sail.

Through the years, ideal sailing wind (or not) the bay always offers something new to see with each sail. Sometimes it’s breaking schools of bluefish or stripers, terns and gulls squawking and screeching as they dip for the sand eels being driven to the surface. Other times, it’s a great leatherback turtle, head out of the water like a periscope, or an ungainly ocean sunfish breaking the surface with a dorsal fin that, to the uninformed, conjuring up images of Jaws. Occasionally, a school of Atlantic whiteside dolphin can be seen cutting through the water with amazing speed and dexterity. Less frequent sightings include the annual September visitations of basking sharks (in excess of 20 feet) or the 40-foot finback whale—both real attention-grabbers in a 12-foot sailboat.

In addition to its marine life, the shores of Cape Cod Bay provides ample opportunity for exploration. From the Great Marsh in Barnstable Harbor, to the Brewster and Eastham flats, to Jeremy’s Point (the prominent barrier spit that forms the westerly limit of Wellfleet Harbor), and Great and Griffin Islands (former islands that are now connected) that extend the Cape Cod National Seashore west into the bay, there is no lack of things to investigate. Anchoring in a sheltered spot (winds in the summer are predominately sou’west,) the bay’s islands are a great place to stretch the legs and have a picnic. Billingsgate Island, once the home of a small fishing village that’s now covered at high water, is a spot of interest. Depending on the tide, one can see the remains of a former lighthouse (built in 1858) and, at low water, the original breakwater is still visible.

Today, much of my summers are still spent sailing on Cape Cod Bay. Although I’ve moved up slightly to an O’Day 20 and sailed to Cuttyhunk, the Vineyard, and the south side of the Cape, the familiar sights and experiences never seem to get boring. With each sail a new sea, reflecting the wind and weather conditions of the day, is waiting. Moored in Wellfleet Harbor during the week, this centerboard sloop, while not fast, takes full advantage of the shallow waters of the Bay and its 10-foot tidal range. With the increased size and a cabin, I now enjoy the same experiences with my wife, Dirkje, who early in our relationship vowed not to be a sailing widow. A book, a promise to stop at Billingsgate or another destination for shell and artifact collecting, and a picnic lunch in tow, and we’re off to spend another day sailing and exploring. Occasionally, we even spend the night anchored in Barnstable Harbor.

Recently our sailing experiences have expanded to include our 7-year old nephew, Brendan, who lives in Sandwich. Previously, although showing some interest, sailing took a back seat to other outdoor activities like Little League, soccer, lacrosse, fishing, and playing on the beach with other kids. This past summer, however, Brendan’s shown more interest in sailing and accompanied us on several of our day trips. Despite standing only a little over 4 feet tall, and having to crane his neck to see over the cabin, he exhibited great focus in steering the boat for extended periods of time. As we sailed, he would ask us questions about how the boat moved through the water, fascinated that the sail functioned more like the lift associated with an airplane wing the closer we sailed to the wind, grasping the function of the centerboard, and even showing a genuine understanding of the preliminary concepts of coastal piloting.

As we sail, his questions move from the techniques of sailing and navigation to the types of marine life around us and the nature of the abutting shores. Often incisive, and sometimes difficult to answer, they show a real desire to understand Cape Cod Bay. With the knowledge that my old Widgeon will some day be his, I marvel at the timeless and compelling power of the Bay, and wonder if his interests will continue. The same qualities of the Bay that have so intrigued me over the years remain, and sailing—an activity that is enhanced by specific local knowledge—provides an opportunity to foster that interest in him.

Billingsgate Island and the old target ship, the Liberty ship James Longstreet—once landmarks visible from over 3 miles away—can now only be seen at low tide. In many places, the shoreline has retreated significantly, causing beaches to vanish at high tide. And during the past 20 years, the boating population has increased to the point where empty summer horizons are distant memories. But schools of bluefish and stripers accompanied by a hungry entourage of screaming terns and gulls still feed in the rich waters. Dolphins, blackfish, sunfish, basking sharks, seals, and the occasional whale still return in the late summer. Brilliant sunsets continue to flourish over the waters of Cape Cod Bay, lending credence to the words of that great philosopher Yogi Berra who observed, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Photograph by Debbie Lee