Can someone give me some advice on boating the bay while in cape cod????

[bassmantweed]

I am in Orleans for the next week. I brought my 19 ft stingray with me but i am having a heck of a time finding places to take her. She is very seaworthy and is equipped with marine radio chart-plotter compass i have paper charts and compass too..... I am an above average captain. That being said there is no way i am going ocean side.

I would love to go bay side but am afraid of getting stranded. Is is as simple as putting in a few hours before high tide and making sure i am out a few hours after? Is there a safe formula i can use?

Any other areas i can go without traveling all the way to buzzards bay?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Can someone give me some advice on boating the bay while in cape cod????

Generally speaking, you don't want to go to Buzzards Bay with a 19ft. Although yesterday would have been a fabulous day for it.

You will want to study up on the charts before hand and plan your outing accordingly. Don't go through the canal, because that blows.

I assume that you are not used to the tides, based on your comment/question? It all depends on the launching ramp, and most good public ramps should support launching at any tide. You just need to be aware of the more shallow areas and those goddam rocky areas. particularly around low tide.

As you are in the area and launching, etc., strike up some conversation with other folks to see where their favorite boating spots are, etc. I boat on Buzzards Bay, and only have been over to the Cape Cod Bay side a couple of times, so I'm not going to be much help in that regard (sorry).

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Can someone give me some advice on boating the bay while in cape cod????

Buzzards bay can be 1' or less and within an hour easily be 3-5'. The waves are washtub style waves with heavy beam seas when traveling east to west.
Cape cod bay is cool. Water is very cold for swimming. Seas are predictable.
Put in at Hyanis and shoot across to the Vineyard. We go to Oak Bluffs and grab a morring every other weekend. You can grab a moring for the day for free.
Careful if you go through Woods Hole. The makings are correctly placed but when 3 channels come together and then separate out in different directions it can get crazy confusing and you have NO room for any error. Oh look in back for the fast ferry he shoots the hole at 35 knots. He will run you over.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Can someone give me some advice on boating the bay while in cape cod????

Careful if you go through Woods Hole. The makings are correctly placed but when 3 channels come together and then separate out in different directions it can get crazy confusing and you have NO room for any error. Oh look in back for the fast ferry he shoots the hole at 35 knots. He will run you over.

I got nailed by that ferry guy once. . . Tossed out a very sharp 5 ft wake. Some of it came over the bow.