Cuttyhunk - A Magical Island off Cape Cod?

by Jodie Montoya

In Shakespeare’s comedy, The Tempest, a shipwrecked party survives a spectacular storm and lands on a magical island. Nineteenth century scholar and author Edward Everett Hale suggested that this landscape of wilderness and meadow, “with its fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile,” lies just off the coast of Cape Cod. Whether or not Cuttyhunk is the scene for Prospero’s secret powers of nature, the island possesses its very own magic. This tiny, rocky island, a mere 2.5 miles long and 1 mile wide, was the setting for explorers, pirates and shipwrecks, and was visited by Wampanoag tribes, presidents, and soldiers. Originally named “Pocuohhunkkunnah” (probably meaning “point of departure” or “land’s end”) by the native Wampanoags, the island was discovered by English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602. Gosnold and his crew of thirty-two went ashore, built a fort, stayed for a month, and returned to England with a cargo of cedar logs and sassafras.

Gosnold bestowed the region with a legacy names, including “Cape Cod,” for the abundant fish he enjoyed, “Martha’s Vineyard,” for his daughter, and “Elizabeth Island,” perhaps for his sister or the Queen herself. Gosnold wrote detailed descriptions of his New World journey, which Shakespeare may have read as background for The Tempest. In 1688, businessman Ralph Earle, Jr., the island’s first permanent settler, promptly stripped the island of its lumber and its lushness, creating its windswept, open andscape.

The Slocum family owned Cuttyhunk for 200 years, until they sold it in 1858 for an unimaginable fifty dollars. The town of Gosnold (which includes all of the Elizabeth Islands and remains the smallest in Massachusetts) was incorporated in 1864, and a one room schoolhouse, cemetery, and library soon followed. In 1865, a group of wealthy New York gentleman established the highly exclusive Cuttyhunk Bass Fishing Club and built twenty-six fishing stands – long wooden platforms stretching out from rock to rock into the surf. Several presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt and Warren Harding fished on the island (the club is now a bed and breakfast).

The rocky shorelines and steep cliffs of the Elizabeth Islands, deposited by the melting glaciers about 18,000 years ago, differ from the sands of Cape Cod. In fact, many stones on Cuttyhunk are also found atop the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. The disastrous shipwreck that strands Shakespeare’s odd crew conjures images of Sow and Pigs Reef. This rocky ledge of Cuttyhunk slashed the hulls of many ships over the years, including the brig “Aquatic” in 1893 (five local rescuers died) and the whaling ship “Wanderer” in 1924. The aptly named Queen Elizabeth II struck a nearby rocky shoal in 1992.

Today, Cuttyhunk, where locals travel by foot or by golf cart, is home to about fifty year round residents and numerous summer wash-a-shores. Modern day voyagers, intrigued by cultural history, natural history, or simplicity, can board a ferry or join Mass Audubon aboard OceanQuest’s Venture Inn II for a guided, daylong tour. These late summer Sunday trips leave Wood’s Hole and head Westward between Buzzard’s Bay (named for ospreys which were called “little buzzards” by the settlers) and Vineyard Sound, passing the main islands of Naushon, Pasque, Nashewena, and Penikese, before reaching Cuttyhunk fourteen miles out. Passengers may observe the spectacular swarms of migrating tree swallows, as thousands congregate to feed on insects, bayberries and fruit. Bird watchers may spot several species of raptors, such as Peregrine Falcons and smaller Merlins (also known as pigeon hawks), which follow unsuspecting birds at very low heights and suddenly accelerate to catch them by surprise. On the return trip, the small Weepecket Islands are covered with numerous Double Crested Cormorants and the less common Great Cormorants. These striking birds dive up to thirty-five meters to capture fish and consume a pound or more each day.

Once on the island, visitors can choose a short tour of island history and landmarks or a longer nature and birding hike, after which they may explore or relax. Lookout Hill, rising 154 feet above sea level, offers a spectacular, panoramic view of the islands as well as the coastlines of New Bedford, Westport, Dartmouth, and even Newport. This hill was also home to one of the five bunkers built by the Coast Guard in 1941 to watch the surrounding seas for German u- boats.
Is Cuttyhunk magical? Betsy Dorbian returned from her Mass Audubon experience and described the island as “quiet, understated, and sweet,” evoking the pace and tranquility of a simpler time. “It was just the way it was. It didn’t care if it had tourists on it or not.” Cuttyhunk is an enchanting journey into the past. As Shakespeare notes at the end of The Tempest, “We are such stuff/As dreams are made on.”

-

Mass Audubon cruises leave from Waterfront Park, Wood’s Hole during the summer months.
Preregistration required. For more information and to register, call 508-385-7656.

Jodie Montoya is Education Coordinator for Massachusetts Audubon

Yarmouth, Cape Cod - This Columbus Day Weekend will see the 30th anniversary of the Yarmouth Seaside Festival. There will be craft fair with over 125 crafters from all over the country, a giant parade, continual musical entertainment, high-quality children's events, kayak and canoe race, 5K road race, greased pole contests, pie-eating contests, fireworks display and more. Over 25,000 people attended last year's event. Find more information here.

Fall is Best Time to Visit Cape Cod
Top 10 Reasons from www.MoreBeach.com 

Each summer millions of tourists visit Cape Cod for a vacation between Memorial Day and Labor Day. With 600 miles of coastline and 150 fresh and saltwater beaches the Cape is a great place to get away from the heat. But here’s a secret - Cape Cod locals believe that fall is truly the best time to visit.  Here are the 10 most popular reasons to come to Cape Cod this fall along with a short list of places for rentals and lodging:

1. Crowds are gone - There are no more miles-long backups getting onto and off of the Cape. Waiting at restaurants is over. Beach parking lots have plenty of spaces, bike trails are wide open and getting a tee time for golf is a snap. It's even possible for a car to make left-hand turn again!

2. The weather is perfect - It's comfortably warm during the day and nicely cool at night. The sky is a brilliant blue and the lower angle of the sun creates stronger shadows that inspire artists. Sunrises and sunsets are fantastic.

3. No more bugs - Bites from greenhead flies and the tiny flying pinheads that locals call "noseeums" are fees, like beach parking, paid only from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

4. Free access to all beaches - During summer you need to have a town beach sticker to visit many of the Cape’s best beaches – beaches which are truly for “locals only.” There is no reciprocity between towns so a sticker from Sandwich, for example, will not be helpful in Wellfleet. In the summertime the beaches that are available to the public often charge parking fees of $15 per day. After Labor Day all of the beaches are open and the parking fees are gone. In early fall the water is still warm enough to enjoy.

5. Prime time for bird watching - Cape Cod is a rest stop for birds migrating south for the winter. The marshes and ponds are great for viewing.

6. Great shopping and loads of activities - Ten years ago much of the Cape closed up after Labor Day. Not anymore. Today all of the best shops remain open through Christmas. Season activities are plentiful.

7. Friendlier locals - Cape Codders smile again when the tourist deluge becomes a drizzle. Just stop and ask one where you can get the best "chowdah".

8. Fall foliage late in the season - When the leaves have peaked in New Hampshire and Vermont they’re just getting started on the Cape - until then, flowers of all shapes and colors are still in bloom.
9. Great surfing and fishing - Hurricanes following the Gulf Stream often send clean overhead waves to Cape Cod’s Atlantic beaches. The stripers and bluefish are back. Join in or just watch the fun.
 
10. Find great deals at Inns, B&Bs, Hotels, Resorts and Rental Homes.  Here are two great ideas:

• - Located in historic Sandwich, just over the Sagamore Bridge, the Belfry Inn & Bistro offers sumptuous décor, imaginative interiors and outstanding service.  Many rooms feature fireplaces, whirlpool tubs for two, stained glass windows, private balconies, and many unique touches.
  
  
• - With a great view of Provincetown from a private beach, Truro Adventures offers luxury 5, 6 and 7 bedroom homes with deluxe amenities such as tennis court, basketball court, putting green, bocce, widescreen TVs, exercise machines and much more. This fall 2008 through spring 2009 the homes may be rented for a weekend (2 nights minimum) rather than a full week.
  
  

Note to vacation property owners and managers: This article was sent out to all local and national media in the United States via PRweb. If you would like to be included in our next promotion please contact Mike Marks via email at Mike@MoreBeach.com or by phone at 508-255-5227.

Last week the federal government officially declared Cape Cod Bay a no discharge zone - boaters will no longer be allowed to flush marine toilets into Bay waters.  731 square miles is now protected, an area bigger than the Cape Cod Bay itself.  Boston Harbor  received  a no-discharge designation at the beginning of the month.   Dumping sewage from boats into Nantucket Sound is currently still allowed.

“The goal of the EPA is one no discharge zone from Casco Bay in Maine to the Connecticut Border"  - Robert Varney, Regional Administrator of the EPA

Here's the EPA press release:

Boston, Mass. – July 14, 2008 – With state and local backing, EPA is designating Cape Cod Bay as a “No Discharge” area. This status means that discharges of treated and untreated boat sewage are prohibited within these Massachusetts state waters, including the Towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans, Brewster, Dennis, Yarmouth, Barnstable, Sandwich and Bourne. The designation is for the single largest area of protected coastal waters in the Northeast.

In May, the Mass. Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), in partnership with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, the Nantucket Soundkeeper, and the towns on the Cape Cod Bay side petitioned EPA to approve the No Discharge designation. Following consideration of the request, and a 30-day public review and comment period, EPA will approve the request to protect these coastal waters from boat sewage.

“Cape Cod is cherished by hundreds of thousands of people throughout New England and beyond. Putting this important protection in place will help safeguard people’s enjoyment of this special, beautiful place,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England Office. “Achieving this designation for Cape Cod Bay is a major milestone in EPA’s effort to protect the entire New England coastline from boat sewage. These Cape communities are leading the way nationally about how we can better protect our environment.”

"The designation of a No Discharge Zone in Cape Cod Bay is a victory for the grass-roots organizations on Cape Cod who worked tirelessly on this issue, for the state as a whole, and for the people who come from all over the world to visit this special region of the Commonwealth," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles. "With this key piece of the puzzle, we are well on our way of achieving Governor Patrick's goal of a statewide NDA covering all of the state's coastal waters."

To qualify for a No Discharge designation, the applicant must show there are enough “pumpout” facilities where boaters can get their sewage holding tanks pumped out. This particular area has an estimated 7,000 boats, of which only 3,590 are large enough to have a head or toilet on board. There are a total of eight pumpout facilities in the proposed area, five fixed shore-based facilities and three pumpout boats. In addition, there are two pending pumpout facilities which should be operational in the summer of 2008. There are approximately 19 marinas, 14 yacht and five public landings and piers; and 42 beaches in the area.

Boat sewage can lead to health problems for swimmers, closed shellfish beds and the overall degradation of marine habitats.

The Association to Preserve Cape Cod, the Nantucket Soundkeeper and MA Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) initiated the No Discharge Area designation process in the summer of 2007 to safeguard local marine resources. Working together, the groups held informal meetings in the area where staff presented an overview of the proposed area for designation, outlined the designation process, described the beneficial environmental impacts of establishing the No Discharge Area and received input from the public.

"It's been an honor to work on the NDA designation as part of the Working Group. We want to thank the towns, harbormasters and organizations who supported the NDA and made it possible. We look forward to helping to designate the next NDA on the south side of Cape Cod," said Maggie Geist, Executive Director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod.

"Today's designation is vital not only to protect Cape Cod Bay, but also to set the stage for another critical NDA designation over on the other side of Cape Cod, in Nantucket Sound, which we hope can take place in short order now and create an envelope of protection for both sides of this peninsula," said Susan Nickerson, Executive Director of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound and Nantucket Soundkeeper.

With today’s designation, there will be one continuous No Discharge Area for the coastline of Massachusetts from Provincetown all the way to the end of Boston Harbor in Winthrop.

In addition, many other areas in New England already have designated their coastal waters as No Discharge areas, or are in the process of doing so. These include:
- All state marine waters of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire
- In Massachusetts: Harwich, Waquoit Bay, Nantucket Harbor and Buzzards Bay (including Wareham and Westport), Plymouth/Duxbury/Kingston area, Scituate, Marshfield and Cohasset, Salem Sound, and Boston Harbor.
- In Maine, Casco Bay;
- Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog in Vermont.

More information:

No Discharge Areas in New England