As Michael’s life evolved, so did technology, “After my wife and I met and got married, I got away from photography for quite a bit because everything started to turn digital. Everything was so expensive, only to produce a lousy quality photo,” he explains. 

In 2009, Michael’s life took an unexpected turn when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. “It was a tough time, I was her sole caregiver while also working full time,” he shares. “For eight years she went into Boston for chemotherapy treatments non-stop. Through it all, it just ruined her body, and I was so overwhelmed. I needed to find a release.” 

Michael soon caved to the technological advancements of photography and bought himself a cheap digital camera, instantly finding himself flooded with nostalgia and the feeling of love he once held for the art of photography in his early years. With his camera in tow, Michael began venturing down to the Cape Cod Canal to take photographs, quickly running back home to share them with his wife, “It made me so happy to come home and show her my pictures. Right away she would ask ‘What’d you get? Did you get anything good?’” he lovingly remembers. “It was exactly what I needed and because of that cheap camera I was hooked again.” 

Sadly in 2018, Joanne Mondville lost her nine-year battle with cancer. Michael says, “If I didn’t have my photography, if I didn’t have that camera, I wouldn’t have made it through. Photography has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people, through Instagram and just being out shooting.” He shares, “When she first passed away, a couple of my friends on Instagram told me about some Bald Eagles that were close by so I decided I would go check them out. Through that experience, I met so many great photographers from the Cape and some of them had even gone through similar experiences. I ended up going up there every day and we would just talk; it was the most therapeutic thing for me.”

“Photography has opened up so much for me again,” says Michael who now shares his love of photography with his nephew Jamison. “I honestly can’t think of anything in life that I would rather do more.” 

In the next year, Michael plans to travel across the country to continuously improve his craft, capturing the overwhelming beauty of the world around him. 

To see more of Michael Mondville’s work visit his Instagram: @mondvi60. 

The post Photo Portfolio: Michael Mondville appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

“It’s a great place to come to work,” enthuses Bob Lacy about being a business owner on Cape Cod. Owner and founder of Chatham Sign Shop, Lacy has deemed himself a “true washashore,” having made his first trip to the Cape by way of sailboat almost 40 years ago. He took up a mooring off the shores of Chatham and officially made Chatham Harbor his backyard, starting down a path that would lead him to a lifelong love of Cape Cod — a love he still celebrates today with his beautiful craftmanship. 

When Lacy wasn’t enjoying life as a liveaboard back in those first few years before he became a permanent resident of Chatham, he spent his summers surfing in Hawaii and his winters backcountry skiing; an adventurer at heart, he often found himself conferring with elks, outrunning avalanches, and dodging grizzly bears. “All with no cell phones!” he laughs. And of all the many places in the world Lacy has found himself exploring, his art has been there too; Lacy has run Chatham Sign Shop for over 31 years now, and his handmade signs have made it to every continent. 

Sign making wasn’t Lacy’s first venture in owning a business; his love for craftmanship started years before, in a Sears department store of all places. “They were giving a demonstration with a machine that functioned as a crosscut saw,” explains Lacy, “and I thought, ‘I’ve got to get one of those.’” So, newfangled mechanical saw in hand, Lacy left that Sears and rented a shop in Waltham that eventually grew into a successful furniture company. “We developed into a 10,000 square foot furniture factory with 24 employees, and it took off. There was no IKEA back then,” jokes Lacy. “After I sold the company, I retired…sort of.”

Lacy spent his “retirement” touring the glacial landscape of Alaska, skiing any mountain he could climb, and surfing any wave he saw during the warmer months — he did his best to satisfy that adventuring spirit of his. Eventually, Lacy moved the boat that would become his home for a few years from Maine to Chatham, where he saw an ad for Hyannis Sign Shop. He bought that shop, as well as two other shops in the area, and merged them into Chatham Sign Shop. Today, Lacy still works in the shop every day, and at 87, he has successfully outrun the perilous monotony of life as a retiree.  

“When I started Chatham Sign Shop in 1989,” explains Lacy, “I also bought a plotter and a computer. That was state of the art back then — everyone else was making signs by hand. Someone told me that Chatham wasn’t ready for anything newfangled like that, but here we are 31 years later.” 

Though Lacy was ahead of his time technology-wise, each of his signs is still hand painted and carved, and it’s the individualism of each piece that Lacy loves best. For him, sign making is the perfect blend of personal and architectural; it takes empathy and understanding to know what a customer wants as well as a designer’s eye to execute a spectacular product. “We’ve made over 200 signs for people in the area,” says Lacy, “and that’s just residential properties. We also hand carve signs for businesses and residences all over the world. The fun part of the job for me is satisfying those customers. Every sign is unique, and people are just so appreciative when they see the final product.”

Lacy’s work not only adds beauty to the homes and businesses where his signs are found, it also contributes to the seafaring history of the region. Particularly with the resurgence of the popular tradition of naming one’s house, quarterboards — gilded, ornamental signs traditionally used to display the name of a ship — can often be seen along the sides of houses and barns, not only in Chatham, but across the Cape. And, the place to go for a one-of-a-kind, detailed quarterboard is, of course, Chatham Sign Shop. 

In the past, quarterboards from shipwrecks would wash ashore and be scavenged as decoration for local homes. Today, naming one’s house is a great way to add character and value to a property. A home with a name has an air of distinguishment — just think of The Breakers, the Vanderbilt family home in Newport, or Highclere, the Crawley estate in “Downton Abbey.” And, since homes play such a major role in one’s life, it seems only fitting they should have a name. Especially in one of the seafaring villages that dot the Cape, a hand carved quarterboard is the perfect way to christen a house and an intricate nod to the history of the region. “Chatham started the trend,” comments Lacy, and its one that Chatham Sign Shop is happy and well-equipped to continue.

Images that are common on quarterboards, like scallop shells to indicate a connection to the sea, and pineapples to show welcome, also harken back to whaling times. Lacy is a master at embracing the tradition, crafting elegant curves and using 23-karat gold leaf enamel to decorate his signs. Deeply incised letters add a touch of intricacy that also honors the history of the craft. He says his work is both a nod to the craftsmen that have handed down the traditions and a step into the future as new generations come up with fun and personal names for their homes. “I crafted one sign with a wave on it that said ‘awave from it all,’” notes Lacy about the creativity of his customers. 

Just like that sign denotes, Lacy too, is more than happy to live a quiet life in Chatham away from it all. “I love our little community and the customers that I get to see in person,” he says. Of course, Lacy’s storied legacy wouldn’t be possible without the love and guidance of a strong, resourceful woman. The gold leafing to the life that Lacy has built in Chatham—the detail and beauty that brings it all together—is his wife, Debbie. 

“I can’t tell you enough how much she amazes me,” emphasizes Lacy. “Debbie is really the one who has grown this business, and she blows me away with what she can do.” When Lacy met his wife in 1999—out dancing, of course—she was a nurse. When he showed her the sign shop, though, he says she was fascinated and immediately knew she wanted to work there. “She got her wish,” he laughs. “She really built this thing. She does all the gold leafing and trains all of our employees. The artwork of it all—that’s all her.”

“Sometimes, the best things in life are unexpected surprises,” continues Lacy. A ship long ago would wash ashore off Chatham, bringing with it spoils for mooncussers (pirates who preyed on shipwrecks) to scavenge, including, perhaps, a quarterboard. That quarterboard would one day find itself above someone’s garage, adding a nautical twist to a home and providing an homage to the treacherous work of grand five and six masted ships that had fallen victim to the renowned shoals of Chatham. Soon there are names hanging high and proud on other garages, and then 150 years later, people across the world are calling Chatham Sign Shop for their own quarterboards to adorn their homes. 

“That’s how I think of my wife. She went from a nurse to an integral part of a sign shop, turning out gorgeous oil paintings within just a few months, as if she was Michelangelo’s daughter,” says Lacy. “Like I said, sometimes the best things in life are completely unexpected.”

Visit Bob Lacy at the shop at 40 Kent Place, Chatham or online at chathamsignshop.com!

The post Signs of the Times appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

This particular water tower belongs to a venerable home that is itself well-known in the village: the Holbrook Cottage, a grand house with 9 bedrooms, stucco siding, and a roof of Vermont 

slate. For over a century, the “cottage,” along with its water tower and carriage house, has occupied a position of prominence here on the shores of Nantucket Sound, a position of individuality, of uniqueness. Stucco homes reference Spanish architecture and are thus common in the American Southwest, but it’s rather uncommon for them to stand amid Shingle Style mansions and white clapboard ship captains’ homes. Also unique to the Holbrook Cottage is its scale in relation to its lot; normally one finds such a large home tucked down a long driveway, surrounded by acres of an estate. Rather than a sprawling lawn or a putting green, the cottage has a seawall, the beach, and the harbor. It sits upon grounds of just three-quarters of an acre and pushes the term waterfront living to a literal end.  

George B. Holbrook was known as Captain Holbrook, a title fitting for the location of his Hyannis Port home but one that was also misleading. Born in New Hampshire in 1846, he joined the Union Army at age fifteen to fight in the Civil War. While he never attained the rank of captain either in the war or upon the sea, he did pick up the nickname. After the war, he moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and worked for the American Writing Paper Company, based in Holyoke. For some time, Holyoke’s mills made the city the paper capital of the country, and the American Writing Paper Company would eventually earn the distinction of producing over 75% of the nation’s “fine paper” for use as stationary and other writing pursuits. In his time with the company, Holbrook would rise to the position of treasurer and later to president. While in Springfield, he connected with architect George Wood Taylor who designed the summer cottage for him; it was built in 1905 and finished in Shingle Style. Taylor also designed a number of other homes in Hyannis Port and was prominent in the Springfield area. Although the home was winterized, the Holbrook family used their cottage as a summer home for the first few years. When the “Captain” retired in 1913, he and his wife Ellen moved to Hyannis Port year round. Holbrook would live there until his death in 1922 at age 76. Prior to their move, however, the main house burned to the ground in 1910. Holbrook was up in Springfield, working, but Ellen and their two daughters were in the cottage and escaped in time. In a feat of efficiency hard to imagine today, the home was rebuilt in just one year, and the family was able to enjoy their perch above the beach again in 1911 — this time with the stucco exterior that would come to define the home. 

According to some reports, a different water tower on this property predated the cottage and served some of the other homes in Hyannis Port before it became part of the Holbrook estate, but little is known of details. One thing that is clear, however, is that the existing tower hasn’t actually pumped water for a long time. Internationally acclaimed artist Sam Barber lived here for over 20 years, and during that time, he set up his “summer” painting studio in the tower. Craig Ashworth of E.B. Norris & Son Builders is currently renovating the carriage house, the main home, and the tower. He states, “Most every house at the turn of the century in Hyannis Port utilized a wind driven or steam driven pump to a collecting cask elevated above the highest floor. Holbrook’s water tower contained a 14,000 gallon wooden cistern. It was not practical in those days to regulate direct pressure on a house-by-house basis, so gravity was the means by which pressure was maintained.” The tower’s first floor served as a coal bin that fired a steam pump, and Ashworth speculates that the second story was “probably a ‘spacer’ to increase the vertical tank height, thus providing additional pressure to the main home’s second floor bathrooms.” It’s also possible, he suggests, that an engineer may have slept here while the pumping was taking place; it would take a while to fill the tank. The water tower was built in 1907 and was shingled like the rest of the property; after the house fire and rebuild, it was stuccoed to match the main building. Ashworth notes that old postcards depicted a pipe of 10-12 feet coming out of the roof. “It is my belief that it was the stack for the coal burning exhaust,” he says. “The additional height helped dispel the coal gas fumes and enhanced draft, especially on calm, hot days when the main house windows were open and the prevailing wind was from the southwest.”

While fire necessitated the rebuild of the Holbrook Cottage in 1910, water has led to the need for a second major renovation, for the sea has taken its toll upon the home over the years. Although it survived more or less intact, storms such as Hurricane Bob had battered its seawall, and the salt air and breezes require vigilance in the battle against the growth of mildew. Through the decades, a few different families would own the property, including the Gulliver family, the Horowitz family, and the Hunt family of Texas, best known for their attempt at cornering the silver market in 1980. In 1988, Sam and Janie Barber purchased the cottage, where they lived and worked as artists for 22 years. The property went on the market in 2010 and sold in 2012; the renovation began in earnest in 2020. The new owners, Craig Ashworth, and the rest of the building team have been meticulous in their efforts to restore the property accurately. The homeowner says, “From the outside, it will be identical to the way it looked in 1911.” In discussions with the Barnstable Historical Commission, the topic of shingles versus stucco arose. “We felt that part of the uniqueness of the house is the stucco,” says the owner. Because the stucco of the water tower had changed to a peachy-salmon hue at one point, and the color of the main house had become more yellow, the new owners and the building team were keen to restore both structures to their proper color. The team cut out pieces of the original stucco to try to recreate its appearance, and all three buildings will be finished in an off-white color with Essex Green trim. Part of its Historic Collection, the Benjamin Moore & Co. catalogue asserts: “This concentrated green inspires thoughts of storied academic settings overgrown with ivy.” Likewise, the team took samples of the old slate roofing to its source in Vermont. “They hadn’t seen this particular slate in a long time,” says the homeowner, “but they told us they knew the exact quarry it had come from, one that hadn’t been used in 40 years. And they were able to get more of that slate for our roof.” 

E.B. Norris & Son Builders have told the new owners that the house should be ready in the autumn of 2021. Just a few months ago, they capped the water tower with a new, octagonal roof made of copper, true to the original. For the next few years, until the copper turns green, expect the tower to live up to its misnomer as the Hyannis Port lighthouse with the sun’s beams reflecting out across the bay, a shining beacon to guide sailors and fisherman back home.

Chris White is a contributing writer for Cape Cod Life Publications.

The post The Lighthouse of Hyannis Port appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

Back in the 1980’s, when WMVY lived at 92.7 on your FM dial, the Tisbury-based radio station played a weekly show called “A Saturday Night Oldies Party.” Pete Fly-By-Night Sawyer hosted the program, and one of the songs in his rotation was a hit by the 1960’s dream-rocker, Donovan, called “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” The lyrics begin with a speaker who awakens from a deep sleep to discover that he’s beside the sea, “gazing with tranquility.” At this point, “the Hurdy Gurdy Man came singing songs of love.” In an interview with American Songwriter in 1988, Donovan admitted that he was unsure whether he’d written the song while on the beach in Jamaica or during his visit to India with the Beatles; either way the character moves through the song accompanied by guitar riffs from the legendary Jimmy Page. The Hurdy Gurdy Man was a bard who traveled the world, Donovan explained, and “spoke the timeless truth.” The shimmering song blended acoustic folk music with electric psychedelia and claimed a piece of the folk-rock pie that was just baking to perfection in 1968.

 It captured the sound and spirit of tumultuous times in a way that was nonsensical, whimsical, but above all else, optimistic. One could imagine the Hurdy Gurdy Man as a prophet of sorts, one spreading love and, in doing so, healing the world. It seems appropriate that the Martha’s Vineyard radio station would have revived this song in the late 80’s, as it ties in with some of the more bohemian sensibilities that have helped to define the island over the years. It is likewise fitting that Oak Bluffs-based painter Traeger di Pietro has created a new version of this archetypal character. Rather than singing songs of love, however, di Pietro’s character spreads love through his actions: he dances through playing cards, pours rainbows down upon the Earth, waters flowers and lawns with tiny hearts, and catches stars in a butterfly net — not to keep for himself, but to share with the world. Always dressed in his signature black tuxedo with pantlegs too short and white socks, he’s known far and wide as “The Messenger Man.” 

Traeger di Pietro’s Messenger Man is an almost “Banksyan” recurring figure in one of the two primary veins of the artist’s work, his “mixed media contemporary” pieces. Similar to the stencils of Banksy, which appear on the sides of buildings, out in the public eye, the Messenger Man appears in all manner of settings, perhaps lounging on a star or atop a collection of clock faces. “He shares love and brings happiness to people,” says di Pietro. “I’m taking a cliche and driving it overboard. If someone sees the work and says, ‘That’s so cheesy,’ my response is, ‘Thank you.’” For his mixed media contemporary pieces, di Pietro often works with canvas, but sometimes with masonite board, and he’s careful to make sure that the paintings are archival — heavily glued and layered so they’ll last. Generally, he prefers canvas because it’s lighter than masonite; most of his pieces are fairly large, typically ranging from 36” x 36” to 48” x 60”. Rather than go larger with his work, di Pietro explains, “I’d rather have ten separate paintings.” 

In many of the Messenger Man paintings, the character appears in the foreground, painted upon layers of newspaper; in one piece, he’s flying on a rocket across a background of partially obscured Peanuts cartoons. In another, he’s pouring buckets of rainbows over a page of classifieds and 1950’s advertisements for Zenith radios and Bell Telephone. “I want these paintings to be playful, simple. It’s what I see, but mixed with silly ideas.” At the same time, the inspiration is often deadly serious. Arising from his participation in Black Lives Matter meetings and protests during the summer of 2020, di Pietro wanted to create a shape that would symbolize equality, and he created a “start”, the combination of a star and a heart, as another way for the Messenger Man to share love and happiness. He describes his starts as “stars which connect to our hearts love, reshaping the way we see, think, and feel so that everything we do reflects love and equality for all.”

The artist’s journey of Traeger di Pietro most appropriately arises from an early love. He grew up in Swampscott, MA, where he spent a good deal of his childhood playing baseball. “It’s a sports town,” he says, but when he was 15, his life took on a new dimension. “I was trying to impress my girlfriend, who was artsy. I’d go to baseball practice then come home and paint at night.” For the next few years, and all the way through college, he led the double life of a baseball player — first for UNH, then for the University of Maine — and an artist. He was the only baseball player he’s known who majored in studio art. “It was kind of nice to get the best of both worlds,” he says. “I had way more friends because of my two groups.” Although he no longer plays baseball, he did begin a series a couple of years ago that combines the sport with his painting. Like the Messenger Man paintings, di Pietro’s baseball collection is part of his mixed media contemporary body of work. “Picasso Ump” is painted over images of Picasso from magazines, and “Who’s On First?” is a tribute to both Banksy and to the famous Abbott and Costello routine. 

On the invitation of a friend, who said, “Man, you gotta come down and paint the sunset,” Traeger di Pietro visited Martha’s Vineyard and quickly fell in love again — this time with the location. He found a job delivering soda all over the island, first driving for a Coca-Cola distributor, then for a company that moved Pepsi products. As the “Soda Man,” he worked a steady 40 hours per week, and because he was always on the move, he could achieve multiple goals throughout each day. “It was the perfect schedule,” he recalls. “I’d drive the truck for work each day, then come home and paint every night. I got to work and see the beauty of the island, the boats, the ocean, the clam diggers. I’d bring a camera and capture everything I wanted to paint.” In addition, di Pietro took notes about the way people treat each other, the way folks look at and interact with those who make deliveries to stores and restaurants — social hierarchies. “I use that subject in my painting, too,” he says. On his daily rounds, he would also knock grocery shopping and errands out of the way, freeing up more time. “Everything I was getting paid for was to feed my art,” he says. Even now, after he has given up his day job and is painting full time, di Pietro still follows some of his old routines, driving around the island, gathering inspiration. He lives in Oak Bluffs, eight miles from everything, with his beloved pets — two cats and a dog. “They sometimes pop up in my paintings, too,” he says. 

Most of the island-inspired art that di Pietro paints is quite different from his mixed media contemporary work. He classifies his other main style of painting as “classical everyday impressionism.” Some of his subjects in this collection include: clamdiggers, both at work from their boats and in waders; fishing boats; families and elderly couples walking along beaches or through green fields; folks mingling on city streets; a girl with a flower or with an umbrella. “This style is more painterly than my mixed media work, with an emphasis on brush strokes,” says di Pietro. Rather than trying to capture and recreate an image in a photo realistic way, he focuses on the emotions in a piece. “Sometimes I get emotional myself when I’m painting something that I care about,” he says. He paints from sketches and photographs, but one of his goals is to create layers and textures in his paintings. “Brush strokes show that you care about your subject,” he explains. Among the islandscapes of di Pietro, a recurring theme is that of people working on the water, especially in their foul weather gear. The oranges and yellows of Grundens overalls glow in their contrast to the more subdued colors of traditional wooden vessels. These overalls become both parts of the landscapes and disruptive focal points to them. In one painting, the red of a clam digger’s bib lights up like a holly berry against the green of a skiff, the greens of beach shrubs, and the blues, grays, and browns of the water, sky, and beach. 

In his two distinct styles of painting, di Pietro displays his artistic versatility, creativity, and range of interests. “I’m painting for myself,” he notes. That said, gallery owner Chris Morse represents both of di Pietro’s lines. He shows his classical everyday impressionistic paintings at Edgartown’s North Water Gallery, while he shows his mixed media contemporary pieces at the Field Gallery in West Tisbury. Morse’s third gallery, the Granary, often features his work, as well. In addition, di Pietro shows his work at Mikel Hunter’s gallery in Hudson, NY and at JCO’s in Los Gatos, CA. 

The Main Street Gallery in Falmouth, which opened this winter, will also represent him. Online, di Pietro actively posts his art on Facebook and Instagram, and he operates a side project on the latter platform, found at #onthewarehousefloor. Here, he’ll take a blotch from a warehouse floor or from the street or from the rock of a jetty and transform it into a little piece of art, which he then documents in a short video. 

While he’s no longer the soda man making island-wide delivery rounds, Traeger di Pietro is sharing his love and emotions through his paintings on a regular basis. “I’m making art and posting it; all my new stuff is up on Instagram,” he says. And he’s looking forward to summer. “I love it when the island fills up, and I love the energy,” he says. “I love being around people.”

You can find Traeger online at traegerdipietro.com.

The post The Message from the Messenger Man appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

It’s the Tuesday of the last week in July, and you need two rooms on Nantucket for this coming weekend, during the height of the season. You can try to go through one of the online booking agencies, but it’s complicated, because one of the rooms is for your teenage son and his female cousin, so there needs to be some accommodation for privacy, and also, is there a pool on the premises? And do they offer gluten-free breakfasts? And exactly how long is the walk to town because you’re just getting over a sprained ankle? 

It really would be better if you could speak to someone by phone. 

But who you gonna call?

    Bruce!

You’re planning a getaway of seven days or longer and have a budget that stretches anywhere from $10,000 to $35,000 a week. You want luxury accommodations in absolute privacy and a lead on a concierge service that can score you an in-house chef, a sunset cruise guided by an experienced captain, an in-home mani and pedi, and various other amenities. 

Or you want to set up lodging for your wedding guests or your family reunion. Or someone of note (we can’t say who, but it would blow you away) needs a personal protection service in addition to utmost privacy. 

Who you gonna call?

    Bruce!

Bruce is Bruce Harrison of Nantucket Accommodations. The company caters to the hoi polloi (like me, the one with the kid and his cousin, who always waits till the last minute), but also meets the needs of a more rarified crowd. The business has had a number of owners over the years, but Bruce has largely been its voice since the mid 1990s. Originally hailing from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, he came to Nantucket in 1981 to work for a summer at the White Elephant — hospitality is in his blood — and then forgot to leave.  

Manning the phones from an office across the road from the island’s airport, Harrison enjoys the challenges of helping people find what they need, whether they’re procrastinators who don’t plan ahead or those who book in advance. And you can drive him as crazy as you want with particulars. He doesn’t seem to mind — nothing ruffles him — and those who call him know this because he never makes you feel rushed.

Perhaps that’s why he’s able to say, “We have so many returning customers season after season. We have fun with them and have become almost friends with them over the years.” He calls what he does booking.com with a human connection. It’s an idea whose time came — and went — and now, thankfully, has come back. Talking to a real live person brings unparalleled benefits. 

What’s particularly great about the service (besides the fact that the hotel or B&B where you end up staying absorbs the cost of the booking fee) is that because Harrison lives on the island, he is familiar with every single space he rents. He is not telling you about it from what he has gleaned by glancing at a brochure. For instance, when he let me know that our room would be facing the pool, I was anxious because I didn’t want to have to hear any pool noise at odd hours. But he assured me that the building was set far back enough from the pool that I wouldn’t, and that I would appreciate the landscaping, as opposed to the nondescript parking lot that I’d see if he put us on the opposite-facing side. 

He was right. We were set way back, and the landscaped premises were lovely to look at as we had our coffee on the balcony each morning. The kids enjoyed being able to walk to the center of town in 12 minutes to do what kids do — see and be seen.

Some of the way Harrison works his magic is by managing people’s expectations. In many cases, that includes preparing them for a B&B experience when they might be used to hotels. Nantucket Accommodations can make reservations at virtually any of the island’s boutique hotels or full-service resorts if rooms are still available in those kinds of lodgings. But if they’re not and people want to come to the island nonetheless, he prepares them for the fact that staying in a B&B is going to be more intimate, less arm’s length. Nantucket Accommodations has a relationship with 95 percent of the B&Bs on the island. 

But it’s not just about B&Bs and hotels. Nantucket Accommodations has a number of exclusive relationships for private home rentals and co-brokes for others with all the island’s real estate agencies. That part of the business isn’t about catering to people who just want to stay a few nights but, rather, about serving those with more serious budgets who want to rent a place for a week or more, including high-profile people who need to keep a decidedly low profile while on island and might have very different requirements, not just for the accommodations themselves but for discretion.

Bruce can take your wish list as far as your check book will allow. For instance, for $35,000 a week in high season, you can rent an ultra-private retreat plus guest house on four acres atop the moors with what Bruce calls “rather commanding views out to the ocean.” There’s even a 360-degree widow’s walk for amazing sunrises, sunsets, and meteor showers. The six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom house (with a media room, heated saltwater pool, and in-ground hot tub) sleeps 12, while the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath guesthouse on the property (with its own private driveway) sleeps seven. (It cannot be rented separately to another party; your privacy remains intact.)

If a mere $19,000 weekly is what your budget will permit, you’ll be good to go in a century old, completely updated beauty that has beamed ceilings and sleeps 10, with panoramic ocean views of its own and rose – and hydrangea – strewn gardens to steal away to when you want to ditch the other nine. 

Prices come down into the teens and even lower — for instance, to $8,200 a week for a two-bedroom townhouse on Nantucket Harbor done up in soothing whites with spectacular views out to the water, especially from the dining deck. There’s even a ranch that sleeps six on the island’s west end for $2,600 weekly. It’s just a seven-minute walk from there to Madaket’s rollicking surf, and you can rinse off in the outdoor shower when you get back. 

No matter which home you rent, if you’re looking for concierge service, Bruce will connect you to the company’s liaison for Key Concierge, a five-star service that can do anything from the mundane (buy and deliver the groceries, pick up prescriptions, have bicycles brought to your doorstep) to the sublime (engage an in-house chef to cook for you and waitstaff to serve the meals, turn you into Thurston Howell III on a 95-foot private yacht, or order up an in-home massage). The firm places a concierge right on the island for each season so that whenever you arrive, your stay can pretty much be as indulgent as you wish. Guests at Nantucket Accommodations are able to log right into the company’s own branded microsite on the larger Key site.

Before choosing a home to retreat to, check out the virtual tours of the very high-end residences on the Nantucket Accommodations website, nantucketaccommodations.com. A couple of the virtual tours aren’t plain old videos but interactive installations that allow you to go forward, backward, or up or down a staircase to zero in on a feature that looks particularly interesting to you. You can even see the entire home as if it were a dollhouse with the outside walls cut away yet with all the furniture in place to give you a really good sense of what the place feels like when you’re in it. Think of it as a super easy-to-use video game that offers an augmented sense of what you’re signing on for.

The virtual reality feature appears on the site because Nantucket Accommodations owner Kenan Giguere, also an island resident, owns Giguere Interactive. It’s a company that specializes in immersive media, using Matterport Service Provider (think 3D technology) to make you feel as if you are there. (Giguere is currently in discussions with island museums so that people will be able to “visit” them and explore exhibits from home.) 

A few other things to know before you book. First, Bruce can engage in some pretty hire-wire reservation acrobatics, including finding temporary housing for construction crews and other teams of workers, booking lodgings for private flight crews (Nantucket has the second busiest of Massachusetts’s eight airports), and even making arrangements for wedding or reunion guests. “A lot of people put us in their save-the-date info as a source of lodging reservations,” he says. If you call him directly with enough advance notice, he may be able to book blocks of rooms in certain establishments, depending on the season and the availability. He has pulled some pretty remarkable rabbits out of his hat.

Second, if you absolutely must take your laptop with you to get work done in between massages, you can rent office space through another of Giguere’s companies, My Office, at nantucketcoworking.com. Eight workspaces are available, each with a private, lockable desk. There are also printers, a microwave, fridge, and 24-hour access with electronic locks. “We get a lot of stockbrokers in there,” Giguere says. “They’ll bring in several monitors.” (Somebody has to earn the money that pays the concierge service to hire a cook who steams the lobster tails and takes them out of the shell for you, right?) 

Finally, if you book a stay through Nantucket Accommodations, Bruce can get you a $15 discount on a round-trip ticket for the high-speed ferry out of Hyannis, operated by the Steamship Authority. The savings are enough for a couple of ice cream cones at the ever popular Juice Bar right in town on Broad Street. 

Who knows? Maybe I’ll see you in line there. I’m pretty sure the concierge service can’t guarantee getting the ice cream back to your rental property before it melts. 

To reach Bruce Harrison at Nantucket Accommodations, call (508) 228-9559. Visit nantucketaccomodations.com for more information.

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For many, the past year has been filled with more staycations and virtual cocktail parties than exotic vacations or adventures. National and global travel has been curtailed, but short-term rentals have seen an influx of business for families seeking in-state escapes from the confines of their homes. WeNeedaVacation.com (WNAV), the Cape and Islands’ premier rental company, has thousands of vacation rentals to peruse ranging from the coziest cottage to the grandest estates. 

A standout in WNAV’s catalog is the Captain Morse House, an impressive vestige of the Vineyard’s whaling industry. For an island vacation of the New England variety, this Edgartown rental encompasses the storied maritime history of Martha’s Vineyard with modern amenities and expansive accommodations for the perfect escape for you and your mates.  

Commanding the corner of Morse and Water Streets, the crisp white clapboard structure clocks in at almost 9,000 square feet. This stately manor, built in 1845, incorporates elegant elements fashionable to the early Greek Revival style. The building is named for Captain John Osborn Morse, a prosperous sailor and sea captain whose financial success is reflected in this grandiose home. The east facade hosts two tiers of Doric columns gracing the full-width porches that engulf the first and second floors. These provide the perfect haven for curling up with a cup of coffee while the echoes of the island’s history float in on the salt air from the harbor below. 

Guests step back in time through the understated-yet-handsome entry porch on Morse Street, flanked by slender, fluted columns. A carved wooden eagle watches from the frieze above the door. Antique furnishings and decor in colors reflecting the ocean hues and summer sunsets capture the essence of the home’s past. A collection of period and maritime artwork adorn the walls, while an assortment of decorative carpets accent the honey-gold of the old wood floors throughout the home. A spiral staircase serpentines up to the second floor from the East Wing’s front hall, evoking the drama of a bygone era. It enchants those who experience the home, and for Captain Morse House owner Platt Johnson, it is a beloved architectural detail.

Johnson’s parents purchased the property in the mid-1950s, and over the years renovated and updated the home. His father installed two new kitchens to create the separate rental zones, the proceeds from which helped finance the maintenance and upkeep of the grand property. Johnson’s mother, a buyer for the Federated Department Stores, had an intuitive eye for design and was responsible for the styling of the home’s interior. Johnson himself continues to enhance and update the property, most recently installing MERV 13 air filters and in-duct UV lights to the three HVAC ventilation systems. 

Other contemporary updates and modern amenities see to the creature comforts of the clientele. Boasting a dozen bedrooms and seven baths, the home has the capacity to accommodate up to 25 guests. If your crew is on the smaller size, the home can be rented by the wing-either the East or the West-each with six bedrooms, a handful of bathrooms, private kitchen, living and dining rooms, and access to the lush backyard and patio space. Bedrooms are appointed with a range of bed sizes, from king to twin, each with high-quality mattresses and linens ensuring guests drift off to sleep in total comfort. The second floor queen bedroom of the East Wing has elevator access from the first floor living room.

The living rooms are equipped with HD televisions and access to cable and streaming services—as well as a variety of games and puzzles—if stormy weather leaves guests stranded inside. If the vacation cannot be fully free from work, high-speed Internet and Wifi throughout the home make logging on for emails a breeze. The home’s kitchens offer all the tools necessary for creating gourmet meals at home, along with a Bull brand grill and rotisserie right outside for those quintessential summer cookouts. The home and grounds provide a handsome backdrop for weddings, reunions, birthdays, cocktail parties, or any event that seeks to add a touch of history and casual elegance to the experience, available to those renting the home.

Moving offsite, guests can walk the same path Captain Morse took to the Harbor to see his ships, a mere 200 feet down Morse Street. Head just two blocks east to reach Lighthouse Beach and the Edgartown Lighthouse, which, in its second iteration, has illuminated the waters for generations of sailors. A quick trek southwest from the house along Water Street -and a jog up Main Street—takes you to the heart of Edgartown. An array of shops, eateries, and galleries line the streets, interspersed with historic churches, museums, and cemeteries. The town of Edgartown fronts the calm, warmer waters of Nantucket Sound to the north as well as the beautiful, open Atlantic Ocean off popular South Beach to the south. Wherever your wanderings, each street in Edgartown offers a gallery-like experience of stunning homes and scenic views, each more impressive than the next. 

For Johnson, his stewardship of the Captain Morse House keeps in the tradition his father started by making the home available to rent, and he plans to continue celebrating the home in this way, saying “renting the house allows us to continue to own, improve, and also share it with people so they can make their own wonderful memories.” 

Helping make this tradition possible is WeNeedaVacation.com (WNAV), a local and highly esteemed company facilitating vacation rentals like the Captain Morse House across the Cape and Islands. For over two decades, Joan and Jeff Talmadge have made the rental process a breeze—for homeowners and vacationers alike. WNAV’s success has roots in a humble beginning. The couple started the web-based vacation rental company when they bought a vacation home in Orleans and wanted to rent it out. Jeff had worked in software development and saw the future of rental transactions taking place on the Internet. In 1997, Jeff built out the website while Joan fielded phone calls from realtors, property owners, and potential customers from their kitchen table. 

Joan jokes that at the time many people were not regularly using the Internet, let alone thinking about it as the place to search and secure house rentals. Now, web and app-based rental services are commonplace, but WeNeedAVacation.com was on the first wave of internet-based vacation rental services. The company has since expanded beyond Joan and Jeff to a team of 10, and from facilitating renting just their own home to over 4,000 properties. Throughout this impressive growth, they have maintained the personal touch for owners and renters alike. 

“We do take great pride in that because in this era of the Internet, so much of that personal nature is lost,” Joan says. “We have to keep up with modern times and technology, and we certainly do that, but we also feel strongly about maintaining the personal side as well.”

For the Talmadges, this business model has resulted in many repeat customers, and the success of this has been experienced first-hand. They still rent the same home that started the company in the 90s, and have seen it become a multi-generational retreat for one family, with the annual pilgrimage forming memories and traditions across three generations.  

WNAV is as invested in the people they serve as they are in the places they rent. In the wake of the pandemic, the team at WNAV hosted a contest dedicated to those who stepped up for their community in the face of COVID-19. Titled “Who Needs a Vacation,” this contest solicited nominations from the public through the WNAV Facebook pages. The grand prize was $1,500 to spend on any vacation rental on the WNAV site, and a gift basket filled with $400 worth of treasure from local businesses. 

The response was incredibly positive and created the difficult and humbling process of narrowing down the finalists and selecting the winner. The selected contest champion was a disabled Gulf-war veteran who went above and beyond to ensure the people she serves at the veteran’s association have their needs of housing, food, medical services, and emotional support met throughout the pandemic. 

The positive response radiated out to WNAV’s network of homeowners and a handful stepped up, and without solicitation, offered vacations at their properties for the three runners-up. WNAV has offered giveaways and contests before, but for Joan, this one was especially meaningful and emotional. 

“I just am so thankful for people who have done so much. I feel there’s been so much loss and hurt,” Joan says. “We’ve had other contests before, but this was the most moving because we were rewarding someone who had sacrificed a great deal.”

Whether it is getting away with friends and family, immersing oneself in local history, or giving a getaway to those who give so much of themselves, there is no undervaluing how important and meaningful a quality vacation can be. 

Learn more at weneedavacation.com!

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As the country reopens and days get warmer, folks are yearning to reunite with loved ones and enjoy the bustle of the Cape at its peak season. The right rental property makes all the difference for your getaway, as you cozy up in a home that feels like your own by the time you depart. With a large space like this secluded Orleans home, complete with four bedrooms and two master suites, multiple families can gather, family reunions can be planned, and groups of friends can rejoice at safely coming back together. Throughout your stay, take a quick drive to town to discover the quaint shops, galleries, restaurants, and bike paths around town that make Orleans a beloved family friendly destination. 

A private sanctuary like no other, this is the perfect spot for a multifamily vacation. Built by Eastward Companies of Chatham in 2018, this stunning home is surrounded by untouched conservation land and water views of Little Pleasant Bay. With comfortable, yet quality design choices and the beach just steps away, this home is just right for those searching for peaceful, quality time with loved ones. Listed by Pretty Picky Properties as a part of their “Luxury Collection,” the home features high grade linens and towels, private chef coordination, and property specific tablets for property and area information and mid-stay cleanings. 

On the first floor, the open concept living space has a bright and welcoming aura. The overall airy and coastal design mixes with industrial accents for a luxurious, modern feel. Upon arrival, the comfortable sitting and dining area greets guests with room for the whole group to gather, whether around the fireplace or at the large dining table. Expanding the space, the cathedral ceiling in the sitting area adds to the airy atmosphere, along with the walls of windows drawing in ample natural light. Past the dining table, double French doors open up to the large screened patio overlooking the first-rate outdoor living space.

As you settle, the kitchen quickly unfolds as the heart of a rental home. Here, luxurious and spacious design create an exquisite ambiance complete with top-notch appliances. The oversized island with seating for five, expansive counter and cabinet space, wet bar and refreshing design choices make this an area the group will never want to leave. The island is truly the crown jewel of the interior, sporting a granite counter top and painted a soothing blue, while the white cabinetry and backsplash keeps the kitchen feeling clean and refreshing. As with Pretty Picky Properties’ Luxury Collection, the home features private chef coordination if desired, and in the layout of this kitchen, it would make an interactive activity for the group.

The home features two master suites, both with en suite bathrooms, one on the main level and another on the upper level. Each are in keeping with the home’s coastal, calming atmosphere. The two masters offer desired privacy and luxury during a multifamily vacation, providing moments of repose during a bustling week.

Four additional bedrooms are nestled in throughout the home. Two are located on the upper level, one with a queen and another with two queen beds. The upstairs is also equipped with a TV lounge area for the kids to enjoy a movie or game night. The large navy couch and bean bag seating are fun and cozy for the kids, and with the vaulted ceilings, the room is dynamic and visually appealing. On the lower level, you will find a king bedroom and a final bedroom with a king and two bunk beds, as well as a finished workout room with a Peloton bike and free weights.

Outside, the pool, fire pit, and grilling area is so grand that you may never want to leave these grounds. The completely custom heated gunite saltwater pool adjoins with a hot tub and is enclosed by the conservation land for a retreat-like experience. Around the pool sit multiple lounge chairs and a dining table, and a spacious outdoor shower is tucked away to the side. For those late summer nights, the patio space and the gas fire pit are perfect areas to gather and sit back in the colorful array of Adirondack chairs.

Steps away, the screen porch is a secluded area to unwind away from the sun for quiet conversation around the table or curled up on the couch. With the selection of so many areas to relax, the group can disperse and enjoy smaller, intimate moments. 

Aside from the comfort of the house itself, extra amenities including bikes, billiard and ping pong tables, Sonos Sound System, and Smart TVs are available. In this one-of-a-kind Orleans property, you can unwind with the kids right next to the beach, while still feeling at home and enjoying the property. Thanks to Pretty Picky Properties services, your entire process will be seamless.

From Barnstable to Eastham, Pretty Picky Properties manages over 150 private homes for vacation rentals, each with its own quality accommodations and prime location. Pretty Picky is known for its high-touch, friendly service, with on-site greeting and detailed turnover service. Their Luxury Collection is an option for larger groups, with higher occupancy homes complete with high end interior and exterior designs, pools, and extra services not often found in the vacation rental market. This Orleans home is a new rental for 2021 and is a prime testament to the caliber of the Luxury Collection. Family owned and operated since 2003, Pretty Picky is operated by licensed brokers with over 30 years of marketing and personal relationship management skills and a genuine love for Cape Cod.

With an especially exciting summer to come, this rental is the perfect spot to soak up the natural beauty of Cape Cod. Available year-round, secure this property in the off season for a quieter getaway. In this prime location, idyllic summer days are spent strolling to the Little Pleasant Bay beach and along the quiet conservation land, floating in the pool and gathered around the fire pit. After a refreshing stay, parting will surely be bittersweet. For more information, head to prettypicky.com or call (508)-896-3241.

Brenna Collins is the story editor at Cape Cod Life Publications.

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Nestled atop the tip of the mainland in Provincetown, Del Mar Vaction’s showstopping “Stairway to Heaven” property is perfect for a group that’s looking to get away and enjoy the kind of luxury only dreamt of. Del Mar’s unique contribution to the busy vacation rental market is found in their ability to attract and manage high-end homes paired with high-end service, and Stairway to Heaven exemplifies all that Del Mar has to offer all in one spectacular property.

The home features a 270-degree view of the very edge of Cape Cod and an endless expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. Guests can scan the horizon from the tip of the Cape all the way to Plymouth. With three levels of decking overlooking the Province Lands, the home features three levels of sunning decks, which provide the type of privacy celebrities in search of a respite from peeping photographers would appreciate. “One of the coolest features, and what helped it get its name, is the ‘living wall,’ a folding slider where the whole wall opens up at the top of the staircase onto a café deck. It’s about eight feet wide, so as you’re walking up the staircase, you feel like you’re walking up a stairway to heaven,” Luke Chapman, president and founder of Del Mar explains. The sunning decks, one of the best amenities the property has to offer, were designed for full privacy, providing guests with a getaway within their getaway, despite being minutes from downtown Provincetown. Perfect for tanning, grilling, relaxing and stargazing, these decks are truly the star of the show. 

Every room in this house is sumptuously comfortable and well-appointed with its own en-suite bath, with two bedrooms featuring water views and the third boasting a walk-out sun deck. The master bedroom boasts a floor to ceiling, westward facing glass wall and a private patio. On the same floor, the second bedroom welcomes guests with high ceilings, tons of natural light and pops of color. On the ground floor, guests staying in the third bedroom have complete privacy as they have the floor to themselves, as well as their own patio and outdoor shower access. Each bathroom provides a private spa for guests to take some time for themselves and perfect their self-care routine. With three bedrooms and three and a half baths, this home is able to sleep six, making it the ideal getaway for a family or group of friends. The thoughtful design and innovative architecture allow for plenty of space for both alone time and group activities, making this property perfect for any kind of stay.

 Chapman says, “Three couples can book it together and still feel like they have their own space within the home. Because of its location and its indoor/outdoor living, even though it’s only an 1,800 square foot home, it feels like a 5,000 square foot home. All of its living areas are so dynamic.”

Striking white cabinetry and contrasting black marble countertops in the bright, welcoming kitchen provide a perfect spot to gather and prepare dinner with the expansive sunsets taking center stage in the evenings. Stainless steel appliances make cooking and cleaning a breeze, leaving guests time to enjoy the sun’s descent over the bay thanks to windows on almost every side. The living room, complete with a newly renovated fireplace keeps the summer night chill away, and allows plenty of space for guests to gather and relax. Reminding guests that they are in the oldest art colony in America, throughout the house, original artwork is on display, helping guests feel like they are somewhere very special while they also feel like they are at their own home away from home. 

While the home boasts water views at almost every angle, there is no direct beach access from the house. But since the home is on the very narrow tip of the Cape, world-class beaches like Herring Cove Beach are a quick walk down the road, and Race Point Beach is only a five-minute bike ride away. Points of interest like the Old Harbor Life Saving Station, which is located off of Race Point Beach in the Province Lands, provide history and interest for visitors. The station was originally built in Chatham in 1897 and, after being decommissioned in 1944, was moved to Provincetown by barge when the National Park Service purchased it in 1977. Open seasonally, the station now acts as living history, with rescue reenactments and informational visits. In addition, biking and nature trails are abundant within the Province Lands, and a stop at the Visitor Center provides visitors an unforgettable experience of a 360 degree view from indoor and outdoor observations decks. 

One of the reasons Provincetown has become such a desired destination for visitors, renters and seasonal homeowners is because of the unique buzz found along iconic Commercial Street which is just a quick jaunt down the road. The endless array of shops ranging from home and kitchen goods to antiques to boutique clothing to bookshops and everything in between make for exploration that will be remembered. Commercial Street has something for everyone, whether you prefer well-known brands or small, independently owned gift shops, and is the place to be for food and drink connoisseurs alike. Coffee shops and bakeries for every taste provide fuel for a day of exploring. Scores of restaurants with world-class cuisine, range from quick, grab and go local fare to high-end, date night hideaways. And the bars, clubs and breweries will keep the vaction celebration going long into the night.

Stairway to Heaven provides the perfect balance between stepping into the raucous and rich experience found in the heart of Provincetown and the luxurious pampering an architecturally sophisticated property with once-in-a-lifetime views can ever hope to offer. Sourcing the kind of property typically only experienced by lucky homeowners who have been fortunate enough to build a masterpiece in one of the most extraordinary settings in the world, is what the team at Del Mar Vacations does every day. Provincetown has much to offer, for every kind of visitor, and Del Mar, with Stairway to Heaven and other properties, provides vacationers and stay-cationers alike with the ultimate luxurious getaway. Visit thisisdelmar.com for more information and to book your stay!

Visit thisisdelmar.com to book your vacation or list your home!

The post Stairway to Heaven appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

BAR BETS AT BARNEY’S

Time and the accretion of myth have clouded many details, but Bob Horan, his brother Joe, and Bob “Red” Luby competed in the debut regatta. It was an, “I can sail my boat to Nantucket faster than you, and let’s make it interesting!” kind of challenge after a few drinks at Baxter’s Boathouse in Hyannis.    

Luby won the race on Memorial Day 1972.  

Luby would later say of that first race that “Nobody had anybody onboard who knew how to sail a boat, but it was a lot of laughs.” Indeed, at one point Luby was spelled at the helm and in the time it took him to visit the head, the neophyte crew had managed to turn the boat on an opposite heading, essentially sailing back toward Hyannis as fast as they could!

The first race ended with a jarring anti-climax.    

Nobody was waiting to hail the triumphant sailors, indeed the Nantucket Boat Basin was closed! The second year, by word of mouth, Figawi grew to 15 boats. Stan Moore won aboard a crazy-looking contraption called Moby Dick.  

Puritan of Cape Cod’s Howard Penn brought his redoubtable organizational abilities onboard and the newly organized Figawi Committee booked Cap’n Tobey’s Chowder House on Nantucket’s Straight Wharf to host the 1973 post-race party. By 1979, they added a lay-day on the island; a Sunday without racing meant they could relax, maybe throw a clambake.  

1979 also brought the first Figawi tent, a modest affair perched on the end of New Whale Street.

Today Figawi is not one event, as much as several overlapping carnivals.  

Certainly, it is a great regatta. There is a palpable sense of camaraderie among the crews, captains congratulate or commiserate, and to walk the docks with a just-won silver trophy in your hands is to be granted temporary celebrity status. But Figawi is also an all-the-trimmings lobster clambake. It is a dance party—boisterous live music fills the big party tent while revelers take their life in their hands on the drink-slick dance floor. It is a joke telling session as the tent temporally becomes a stand up comedy revue. It is a high school regatta, it is a fundraiser, and it is mainly a chance to get together, sail fast, and see friends, as the event heralds the unofficial start of the summer season. 

It wasn’t always smooth sailing.  

1980 is remembered by many as the “Hurricane Figawi.” When one boat pitch-poled (flipped forward end-over-end) and later sank, it was Camelot to the rescue!  Bob Labdon plucked the four-man crew from the cold water in a remarkable display of seamanship. It was so rough—10- foot seas and the wind gusting over 40-knots—that the 48’ Camelot’s bow was rising so high as to expose the front half of her keel; when they’d plunge into a trough, crewmember Brooks Smith would pluck them from the icy sea. Figawi committee member Charlie McLaughlin was on the scene and later described, “But for their skill, there would have been four deaths.  It was the finest act of seamanship I have witnessed in 65 years on the water.  

The 2011 Figawi was so rough—with the wind “blowing like stink”—that nine of 13 divisions were ominously listed with “no finishers due to weather.”

Today, Figawi is made up of hundreds of boats, thousands of racers, and thousands more “racer chasers” who come by motorboat, ferry and airplane to join the scene. You know something has gone next-level when football party boy, Rob Gronkowski shows up, as he did in 2016.  

CAPTAIN.The captain, or skipper, “drives” the boat.  Whether using a tiller or a steering wheel, he controls the helm—it’s his show. He gets the glory, he takes the blame.   

OWNER.Many owners bring in a “hired gun” skipper to give them an edge. The owner has one important job, he writes the checks!  He also controls the all-important wristbands (required to enter the party tent) and the limited supply of red Mt. Gay hats emblazoned with the Figawi Race logo and year; extremely valuable bargaining chips during the weekend, and later instantly recognizable from Chatham to Beacon Hill to Wall Street. The skipper may get the glory, but the owner keeps the trophy.  

TACTICIAN/NAVIGATOR. Also known as egg head, the professor, spreadsheet Pete. This guy will have dials, anemometers, gauges and stopwatches swinging from his neck. If he’s wearing a watch, it’s digital. He can do algorithms in his head, but is also prone to locking his keys in the car with the lights on.  

GRINDERS. Or goons, or gorillas. These are the guys wrestling the handles on the big drum winches that keep the sheets (lines that control sails) in place and adjust them on the fly. Grinders can be identified by their huge shoulders and powerful thirst.  

BALLAST. Also known as rail meat, rail monkeys. These least experienced of crew members all sit on one side to help balance the boat, then crab scramble to the other side when the boat tacks (changes direction into the wind). The motion of a sailboat through the water is the sum of the forces acting upon it. When those big sails are full of wind, despite the heavy keel down below, the boat leans over (heels). Rail meat collectively act as a counterweight to this heeling force. Totally exposed on the windward rail with their legs dangling over the water, they take the worst beating of all the crew; cold waves, cold spray, and aching back muscles—they earn those wristbands the hard way.  

THE VIEW FROM THE RAIL

I chanced into the 1994 Figawi on a second-hand invite. 

I was rail meat on my neighbor’s O’Day 29. The owner (quite literally, a rocket scientist) to maximize the efficiency of the propellor (less drag though the water) wrote a computer program the night before the race!  

We avoided collisions with other boats (narrowly), missed slamming into a metal harbor buoy (by an even more narrow margin), and sailed across the finish line in fourth place, earning the owner an engraved silver platter.  

Over the years I crewed on a J-35 and a Nonesuch 30.  I have occasionally cheated and accepted an invite on a motorboat—what some sailors derisively refer to as “stinkpots.”  

By 2014 I had been promoted to de-facto tactician amongst a crew who didn’t know jib sheets from Egyptian sheets. We started in dead last—13th in our class of, well, of 13 boats—but after an astute tactical change we began to run down the field from behind, overtaking one boat after the another (a thrill that can only be experienced, not described) and earning our skipper second place and a shiny silver cup.  

HARDWARE

It is a timelessly enchanting notion—to pack a bag and set sail for unseen shores. Unlike many regattas, which simply circle buoys on a created course, Figawi is actually a race to someplace. 

Sailing is all about the hardware; trophies are enduring monuments. Indeed, the oldest trophy in sport is the America’s Cup.  

Figawi’s free-spirited festivities draw boats not only from the Cape & Islands, but attract the best from Newport/Marion/Marblehead ports also.    

Bob Solomon comes all the way from Indiana to skipper Perfect Summer. A veteran of 28 Figawis, from 2014 through 2018, Solomon would invite wounded veterans aboard, not as mascots, but actually to help in the crew. When Solomon departs Hyannis harbor and sails up the jetties with a massive—I mean drive-in movie screen massive—US flag flying from the aft stay, he has set the tone for the whole weekend. 

Figawi has always attracted big talent. Bill Koch sailed Matador to first place in A Class in 1986 and 1987 (five years later he went on to win the America’s Cup). The late Senator Edward M. Kennedy won F Class aboard his beloved schooner Mya in 1989.  

MEMORIAL(S) DAY

A garrulous walrus of a man, Jeffery Foster is credited with hosting the very first joke telling session in 1977. Foster had run hard aground in Nantucket harbor and started telling jokes to pass the time until the rising tide freed his keel. Today, the Band of Angels—a troupe of merry pranksters who perform classic bits—host the event on Sunday in the tent, where the jokes are 50 shades of inappropriate and which they bill as, “A champagne brunch, you bring the brunch.” We lost Foster in 1997. Today the winner of the team race is awarded the Jeffrey Carter Foster trophy in his memory.  

Warren Thatcher “Barney” Baxter, Jr., passed in 2000. He was a genial host and enjoyed having the unofficial post party every year at his waterfront bar at the end of Pleasant Street.  To this day, the original Figawi trophy hangs on the wall in the Boathouse Club of Baxter’s Boathouse.  

Ed O’Neill was an accountant by trade, a photographer by inclination and a bon vivant by nature. Figawi’s official photographer enjoyed rock star status on the docks and in the tent until his passing in 2013. 

Both Horan brothers and “Red” Luby are gone from us now, as are senator Kennedy and Pam Duggan.

In 2012 Figawi lost its true exemplar, Howard Penn. Affectionately known as the Silver Fox, “Howie Figawi” was a tireless promotor of the event since 1973. He could always be seen a little behind the scenes, a bemused smile on his face. The Howard K. Penn Spirit Award Trophy is awarded annually in his name.   

But Figawi sails on, largely due to the organizing skills and social graces of many people who volunteer their time to make this a memorable event for all—Chris Standish, Tony Prizzi, John Osmond, Milton Salazar, Leo Fein, Tom Duggan, Donna Nightingale, Joe Hoffman, Chris Kelsey, Bob Haag, Russ Wilkins, Andrew Nugnes, David Crawford and Shelley Crawford Hill.  

Walking into Hyannis Yacht Club on the Friday before the race; the adrenaline-soaked semi-controlled chaos at the starting line; scores of popping spinnakers splashing colors that fill the horizon; finally sighting through binoculars the bouncing, wavering, bobbing buoy that marks the finish line; easing around Brant Point Light on the island, seeing that familiar field of masts in the Boat Basin, looking up at those Nantucket church steeples—knowing that you’ll soon be folded into a moveable feast for a weekend of genial, plaid-clad wanderings.  

And every year, the last song on Sunday night in the tent is “God Bless America” as Figawi gives thanks to the Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.  And let me tell you, from tough-guy crew members to wives and girlfriends to the saltiest wharf rat, there isn’t a dry eye in the house. 

Rob Conery has sailed in over 20 Figawis without sinking any boats (but he did fall off one once). He splits time between his native Cape Cod and the mountains of Maine, where he runs a fishing camp called Black Jack Fly.

Learn more about Figawi, and check out the 2021 schedule at figawi.com!

Figawi is also a Cape Cod LIFE Best Of Winner! Check it out here!

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The summer of 2020 became a season fraught with changing habits and expectations of how to enjoy the most treasured time of the year. Families and social circles were hungry for opportunities to gather together, all while being carefully conscious of remaining safe and healthy. It is therefore no surprise that getting out on the water suddenly became an attractive and viable option for both experienced and novice boaters. The boating industry as a whole has been significantly impacted by the increased interest and investment the public has had on available inventory, supply lines, dock space and overall activity. Whether you are in the market for a new or used vessel, looking to repair or restore a boat you already own or just want to get out and enjoy the Cape and Islands from a different point of view, there are plenty of options to experience one of the region’s greatest assets.

Matt Thompson from Oyster Harbors Marine in Osterville says that while some of the timelines for delivery of new boats extend into 2022, there is still selection within both their new and used boat inventory. “We are lucky that our relationships with our customers have been built over many years,” says Thompson about the venerable boat yard that has been selling and servicing boats for the better part of 35 years. “When a client is ready to buy a new boat, we often take their previous vessel in trade, so we are lucky to have inventory.” Thompson also explains that the surge in the popularity of boating last summer was eye-opening. “We sold a brand new boat to a customer in August so his family could use it for two weeks before going back to their home in California. That was quite telling for us,” Thompson explains. As a result the company pro-actively ordered as much inventory as possible in anticipation of another busy season, positioning them with plenty of product for a wide variety of buyers.

Oyster Harbors represents 10 different manufacturers of boats that run the gamut from center consoles like Regulators and Everglades to serious off-shore fishing vessels capable of landing marlin, tuna and swordfish such as the Viking line of yachts. In addition, the yard’s Custom Shop can fabricate custom interiors and specialized equipment installations for some of the most discerning powerboat and sailboat clients around.

Thompson says that boating doesn’t have to be an all-in commitment for individuals or families. In fact, he notes that some of his happiest customers are those that find just the right slice of leisure time to enjoy their investment. “The high-quality day boats we offer are the perfect solution for that person that looks out the window and sees a great day shaping up and decides to take a few hours out on the boat. They make a couple of calls, pack a quick cooler and that’s it. They are able to jump aboard, with a few friends or family and go out for a quick cruise.”

John Cornish of Wareham’s Atlantic Boats confirms the popularity of the smaller boats like the Sea Pro and Carolina Skiffs that they represent. “A lot of our boats are used for fishing,” Cornish shares. “But they are also great for families. They are the perfect option to get to beaches that are less crowded or just go out for a ride.” Atlantic boats not only sells, and services new and used boats and parts, but their full-service operation includes a impressively stocked marine store and a full-service marina in quaint Onset Village that offers slip and mooring dockage on a seasonal basis, and transient dockage by the hour or overnight, as well as a popular waterside family restaurant.

When asked why he thinks boating activities have exploded in popularity since the beginning of the pandemic, Cornish says it is simple. “People are looking for things they can do with restrictions. The past year has been an endless rollout of everything people can’t do. When you are out on a boat, with people you know and trust, it is like going back to a happier, simpler time. You can just have some fun.”

For those that aren’t interested in everything boat ownership has to offer, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the local waterways while someone else is responsible for the maintenance and everything else that comes with ownership. Fractional ownership companies like Freedom Boat Club, with Cape locations in Cataumet, Falmouth and West Dennis, offer the joy of owning a boat with fewer headaches. Fractional ownership is akin to membership in any other type of club—members are able to reserve and use the facilities and equipment, in this case boats, fully fueled and tied up at a dock, ready to go. The added benefit? Reciprocal privileges at other Freedom Boat Clubs as well as a roster of other clubs around the country.

The ease of getting out and enjoying our waterfront landscape can also become a delightful reality at a much slower pace. The world of kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding slows things down to a manageable and restorative pace that appeal to paddlers of all ages. Kim Fernandes of Cape Cod Kayak says they have been extremely busy from last summer right through this spring. The Bourne-based business sells new kayaks and accessories as well as provides rentals for a few hours or several days depending upon the clients’ needs. Kayaks can be delivered to local waterways and their kayak tours will introduce customers to local waterways, flora and fauna for a few hours with a knowledgeable guide.

Mike MacAskill, owner of North Chatham Outfitters in Chatham says his customers get the benefit of his knowledgeable staff that are passionate about the adventures his opertaion supports. The expansive retail operation has most anything anglers, paddlers and SUP enthusiasts are looking for. “We offer classes for people wanting to transition from spin reel fishing to fly fishing,” MacAskill explains. “Our guides will take you to a shore location where you are almost guaranteed success. But if you want to fly fish from a boat, we also offer excursion trips that run the gamut from out on the Monomoy flats to something more adventourous in the Nauset rips.” MacAskill says this summer they will also offer Stand Up Paddle Board lessons, tours and early morning yoga.

Adventure Chatham, a division of Cape Cod Beach Chair in Harwich, sells and rents Stand Up Paddle Boards, as well as offering SUP tours. One of their most popular tours involves a night paddle, around the monthly full moons. Their fully-stocked retail operation on Old Queen Anne Road has all the gear you need as well as countless other fun stuff you never imagined you were coveting.

Local cruise options can also provide a bit of adventure, an opportunity to learn about the region and of course the photo opportunities are endless. Falmouth’s Liberté, a classically built schooner that sails out of Falmouth Harbor does several daily trips in Vineyard Sound with glimpses of the Vineyard and Falmouth coastline while enjoying the quiet peace found while under sail. Insider’s tip: in August the sunset sail captures a “pocket-sunset” as the sun sets perfectly in Woods Hole Passage.

Provincetown’s Moment Sailing Charters also offers a serene adventure aboard a Sparkman Stevens designed sloop named Moment. Owner and captain Chris Bartic offers two-three hour daytime cruises, a sunset cruise and are available for chartered events like weddings or other special occasions.

Whatever the summer holds for visitors and residents of the Cape and Islands, there is no excuse to miss out on the adventures on the water.

Julie Craven Wagner is the editor of Cape Cod LIFE. 

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. 

Explore. Dream. Discover.
~Mark Twain

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