Wellfleet

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Welcome to Wellfleet

THINGS TO SEE
PLACES TO EAT
PLACES TO STAY
WHERE TO DOCK

IF YOU WANT TO VISIT WELLFLEET BY WATER, YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR TIDES. THE HARBOR, TUCKED BETWEEN GREAT ISLAND AND INDIAN NECK, IS A COLLECTION OF SHIFTING BARS AND CHANNELS THAT, AT LOW WATER, CAN TEST EVEN THE BEST NAVIGATOR. THE TOWN ITSELF IS QUINTESSENTIAL CAPE COD: GRAY-SHINGLED COTTAGES SET ALONG WINDING STREETS, VIEWS OF LONG SANDY BEACHES AND SCENIC SALT MARSH, THE AIR REDOLENT WITH THE SMELL OF SALT AIR AND FRIED SEAFOOD.

Wellfleet is also a working harbor, home to roughly 100 oystermen and a handful of commercial draggers. Oystering has long been an industry here, thanks to the area’s fertile ecosystem, and the local shellfishermen can be seen tending their extensive grants in the harbor at low tide.

While Wellfleet’s inner harbor is not very wide or deep, especially at low tide, the town renovated and expanded its marina and launch ramp in 2008 to accommodate more boats.

Visiting boaters can either launch at the town ramp or arrange for a slip or a mooring at the marina, which offers a wide range of amenities. Wellfleet has clearly made a mission of attracting more seasonal and transient boaters.

During the height of summer, Wellfleet’s streets are alive with shoppers perusing the local boutiques and bookstores. Coffee shops buzz with caffeinated conversation, and the family-friendly beaches teem with happily screeching kids.

A nationally registered historic district, Wellfleet Center boasts buildings that date back to the late 1700s, well before the town’s transformation into first a thriving commercial port and then a bustling tourist destination. The center’s shops and galleries, about a 10-minute walk down Commercial Street from the harbor, are high-end, but welcoming.

Inside the gray-shingle and clapboard shops, one can find a trove of designer clothing, used books, jewelry and gifts. Local artists display creative metal sculptures, pottery and colorful seascapes at several galleries. On bulletin boards, signs advertising free Shakespeare at Baker’s Field and yoga on the beach hang opposite the show times for the Wellfleet Drive-In.

After Labor Day, things quiet down, although September and October can be a wonderful time to visit. Each October the town takes a break to celebrate its most famous product during OysterFest. Just when you thought the crowds had left Cape Cod for the off-season, they come flooding back by the tens of thousands to gorge on oysters and microbrews and listen to live music. The local oystermen enjoy a bit of adulation before the long winter months of solitary work. However, a mindful visitor will quickly understand that shellfishing is at the heart of Wellfleet, even during the height of summer.

Wellfleet is also a great place to see the Cape at its natural best. Almost 60 percent of Wellfleet is protected land. On the east side of the bay, the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on Lieutenant Island offers miles of trails for viewing osprey and blue herons amid sprawling salt marsh. The pristine marsh and tidal flats surrounding Lieutenant Island are also home to one of the largest and northermost populations of diamondback terrapins on the East Coast.

Heading west, you can beach your boat or hike for miles out to Great Island—part of a barrier beach extending south from the mainland—where sand dunes, pitch-pine forest and unbroken beach offer peace and quiet off the beaten path. Just be sure to inspect yourself for ticks after a hike in the woods.

Keep hiking south and you’ll arrive at Jeremy Point, reachable by foot only at low tide. Boaters, especially kayakers, have the best access to this spit of sand. You can drop anchor or simply beach your vessel on the harbor side, then hop out to swim in the surf, build sandcastles or simply relax. Just be sure to keep an eye on the tide or you may end up staying longer than you had planned.

GETTING THERE
Chart: NOAA 13250

Wellfleet Chart

Note: Be aware that the channel and depths in Wellfleet Harbor and on Billingsgate Shoal have changed considerably over the years, and that even charts a few years old may be out of date. Make sure you have the latest paper charts or updates on your plotter. Otherwise, follow the channel markers closely and you should have little trouble accessing the harbor.

Buoy G “5” just east of Billingsgate Island marks the channel entrance. Be careful to keep R “6” to starboard, as Lieutenant Island Bar is just east of the mark. The channel widens between Jeremy Point and Lieutenant Island, but narrows again as you approach the inner harbor.

The harbormaster warns that minus low tides can make navigation difficult, if not impossible, throughout much of the inner harbor up to the harbormaster’s shack.

One other note of caution: When entering and leaving Wellfleet Harbor, keep at least 1,000 feet off the wreck of the freighter James Longstreet (south of buoy G “3”), which was once used for target practice by the military. The bottom surrounding the wreck supposedly contains unexploded ordinance. The area is well marked on charts.

Dockage, Moorings and Service

  • The Wellfleet Town Marina (508-349-0320) is the only show in town when it comes to transient dockage and launching. With recently updated (2008) facilities, electric and water hookups, pumpout service, and gas and diesel, the marina is a great place to bring your boat. The marina also maintains moorings, complete with a dinghy for transient boaters to borrow. Contact the marina for reservations, especially during the summer. There’s a $10 daily fee for use of the ramp (see ramp info below).

Anchorages

  • There is a large anchorage with good holding ground west of G C “11”, north of Smalley Bar and east of Great Island, in 7 to 20 feet of water. Before anchoring, consider the 10-foot tide difference in the harbor. The area offers good protection from winds from the west and southwest. It also offers ready dinghy or kayak access to Jeremy Point and Great Island.

Harbormaster

Launch Ramp

  • The state launch ramp in Wellfleet Harbor ($10 fee) features floats and plenty of parking for trailers. Most boats can be launched here except for the hour on either side of low tide.

Boat & Kayak Rental

  • Wellfleet Marine Corp. (508-349-6417): Located at the Town Pier and Marine, WMC rents sailboats (up to 19’), skiffs and bowriders (to 16’). Full- and half-day rentals are available.
  • Jack’s Boat Rental (508-349-9808): Located on Rte. 6 in Wellfleet, Jack’s rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboats.

Getting Around

Bike Rental:

Taxi Service:

  • Wellfleet Taxi (508-349-9969)
  • Cape Cab (508-487-2222)

Provisions

  • Boathouse Fish Market (508-349-7377): Fresh local seafood store located at the Town Pier. Also sells chilled appetizers, boiled lobsters, clambakes and heat-and-serve meals.
  • Wellfleet Market Place (508-349-3156): Located on Main St., not far from the harbor.
  • Hatch’s Fish & Produce (508-349-2810): Also located on Main Street. Great spot for local seafood and produce. Open mid-May to mid-Sept.
  • Box Lunch (508-349-2178): Prepared sandwiches and more to go.

Things to See and Do:

  • Great Island Trail: Visiting boaters can take a taxi or bike to the entrance of the Great Island Trail, a couple of miles down Chequesset Neck Road from Mayo Beach. You can also take a taxi to the entrance of the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary off Route 6.
  • To beach or anchor your boat off Jeremy Point, look for buoy “8” and carefully make your way to shore. Keep an eye on your depth and your chart. Don’t try and pass between Great Island and Jeremy Point.
  • For more information on Great Island and the other beaches comprising the Cape Cod National Seashore, visit the National Park Service.
  • For more information on the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sancturary go to Mass Audubon.
  • Wellfleet Oyster Fest, held each October, is a celebration of the local shellfishing industry and the bivalves that make it happen. Lots of food, drinks, live music and more at a time of year when the harbor is less crowded.
  • Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (508-349-6835): Play performances and avante garde film showings held in a small theater near the harbor.

Shops:

  • Bank Square (703-628-2787): 4 unique gift, art and clothing stores in one location.
  • Wellfleet Marine Pier Store (508-349-6417): Tackle, bait, souveniers, clothing, books.
  • The Secret Garden (508-349-1444)
  • Moby’s Cargo (508-349-3900)
  • Eclectic Co., (508-349-1775)

Galleries:

Where to Eat

  • Mac’s Seafood, Wellfleet Town Pier (508-349-0404): Offers traditional fried seafood, vegetarian entrées and burritos right on the harbor. Great fried clams!
  • Mac’s Shack, 91 Commercial St. (508-349-6333): Serves sushi alongside fresh raw oysters.
  • The Wicked Oyster, 50 Main St. (508-349-3455): A great place to chat up the locals and watch a game while dining on some of the freshest seafood Cape Cod can offer.
  • Bookstore and Restaurant, 50 Kendrick Ave. (508-349-3154): Good food a short walk from the waterfront. Closed from Dec. to Feb.
  • The Juice, 6 Commercial St. (508-349-0535): Great for a muffin or smoothie around trips to the beach, shopping or hiking.
  • Lighthouse Restaurant (508-349-3681)
  • Sweet Seasons (508-349-6535)
  • Wellfleet Town Pizza (508-349-6400)
  • Winslow Tavern (508-349-6450; www.winslowstavern.com)

Where to Stay

General Information

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Launch Ramps
Where to Stay
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Harbor Master and Harbor Info
Getting There
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