P'town

That's Provincetown, MA for you non -Cape Code natives... Provincetown is the first place that the pilgrams landed. Even before Plymouth Rock. The guide book we're using says that the pilgrams landed here, reprovisioned lumber from the trees in addition to food (wild game, etc) before setting off again to find a suitable place to settle. That would be Plymouth Rock. If you can look at the cop's shirt very carefully, you can read "Pilgrams First Landing Place". Honest.

We left Onset at 4-oh-my-god-too-early-30 am on Thursday, the 3rd, to catch the current for the Cape Cod Canal.

The canal is only 8 miles long but the current can be strong enough to turn a smaller boat around. At some points, our boat speed was 7.3 kts, and the speed over ground, as measured by the GPS, was 11.5 kts. Have to use the current instead of fighting it - that's why we got up so early. Look at the eddies in the water below -- these are strong, forceful counter-currents all along the canal.

We got to Provincetown by noonish, in plenty of time to get an anchorage in the harbor. The tidal range here is an amazing 9 ft. Check out the green boat in these shots - it was sitting in neck-high water , at the far right in the picture, when we went into town. Look carefully at the second pictue of it completely out of water at the far left.

P'town is a flourishing artists colony and a thriving gay community. It's a great place, open atmosphere, lots and lots and lots of tiny shops, and wonderful restaurants. Today, July 4th, was the annual parade and fireworks. Yulp, that's us waiting for the parade. and yes, Virginia, it's cool enough up here to wear jackets in the morning.

Here's a bit of P'town --- the shoe seller.... I'm sorry I missed the stiletto heels he had on.

There was a big party, live band, etc, at the end of the public dock. Apparently this is where the beautiful go to see and be seen. LOOK at those ripped bodies! yes, this is Bobbie writing this! It looks like a Chippendale convention! There must have been a hundred of these body builders, all shirtless to show off the bod, partying in the 60 something temps.

oh, yeah, I forgot ... it's also a fishing village. :-)

The fireworks were grand. There were several points along the pensula that we shooting them off. This is from the P'town dock.

Off tomorrow morning for Gloucester, MA - probable last stop before Maine.