Cape Boating Ideas

[capecodder]

I'm going to be vacationing in Dennis (Bay Side) for the last 2 weeks of August and will have my boat (18' Grady White CC). I'm looking for a couple of ideas for day trips with the family.

I am very familiar with the waters of CC Bay so no need for ideas there. I'm more interested in non-CC Bay trips.

We have three kids 6 and under, so there are some things to consider.

1. Would like to be relatively protected (obviously depends on wind direction). Vineyard not a candidate.

2. Would like to have a "destination" to get out and spend time. Monomoy? Nauset outer beach?

3. Need a ramp with decent logistics given the family.

Couple of thoughts I had were Pleasant Bay including a stop at the outer beach, Exploring the west side of Monomoy (weather permitting) and walking the beach.

Any other ideas or suggestions? Even for those two ideas I don't know where to launch etc...

Thanks!

[Sluggoslinger]

Definetly do monomoy, the kids would love it! If you put in at barn hill in chatham it is very easy to get out there and you are protected the entire trip. You also don't need a resident sticker there.

Its easy to get out if you follow the channel markers or follow another boat. there are plenty of places to anchor and go to the beach. There is one spot on south beach where it is a 100yd walk over to the ocean side and the beach is pristine.

Feel free to ask any questions

Bring bug spray as the greenheads are awful this time of year.

[fishsmith]

Vineyard sound is 74 degrees, if you plan to do some swimming, and the scup fishing is great. Right inside Waquoit bay is a nice place to get out and run around too.

[capecodder]

Slinger,
Where is barn hill? Decent ramp?

Any thoughts on pleasant bay as to where to launch?

Thanks!

[Fishin' Blues]

Middle Ground, Vineyard Sound for some decent fishing. Falmouth Harbor ramp. Hour before to an hour after high tide is what I used to do. The water rips pretty good there.

[numbskull]

Launch in Falmouth, run south along the Elizabeths until you come to Tarpaulin Cove.....have a swim.......continue south until you come to Quicks Hole......nice beach there, eat lunch.......go through Quicks into Buzzards Bay and south again to Cuttyhunk.....walk around......come home up Buzzards Bay to WoodsHole (Woods Hole has a neat small aquarium for kids (free) but dockage is tricky....make it a rainy day car trip) and through back to Vineyard Sound, around Nobska and back to Falmouth. Wind usually builds from SW during the day, but you'll have it on your tail coming home. A short stretch at Nobska can get messy if the tide is ebbing against the SW wind, but slow down and you can get through it safely in a 18ft Grady. Another neat kid trip on the Cape, not boat related, is to go to the trout hatchery on 6A in Sandwich, take a picnic and plenty of quarters....you can hand feed the fish......strikingly peaceful place...and not far from Sandwich Museums and Heritage Plantation which has a neat collection of antique cars.

[capecodder]

Well we had a great time taking 4 trips to three spots. Slinger we put in first at Barn Hill and spent the day just outside the harbor on the beach then cruised through the passage (now closed off at the end) between the northern tip of Monomoy and South Beach.

Also did a day on Sandy Neck on the sand bar and two trips through Pleasant Bay to the southern portion of Nauset Beach. We anchored right by the new cut in the beach on the inside, what a great time.

My family and friends really enjoyed the exploring that the boat afforded us, can't wait for next summer!

Thanks for all the suggestions.