It's PTown's 28th Annual Swim for Life!

The 28th annual Swim for Life is this Saturday, September 12th, 2015

Some 400 swimmers will take the plunge at 11:00 tomorrow morning, swimming 1.4 miles across magnificent Provincetown Harbor from Long Point to the beach at the Boatslip Resort in PTown's West End. Paddlers in kayaks and canoes will begin making their way across the harbor as well, while others in swimming pools will begin swimming laps equivalent to the distance across the harbor.
All of these folks have taken pledges, and will be raising money for local organizations that assist people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as women with chronic and life threatening illnesses, and a number of other community agencies serving Provincetown and Cape Cod. The first Swim for Life, in the summer of 1988, involved 18 swimmers, raising $6,000. To date, The Swim has raised some $3 million for health and wellness services on the Outer Cape.

Jay Critchley and Roger Beatty register two
unknown swimmers at the first Swim for Life in 1988.

The event evolved over the years to include people who are "harborly challenged" but who still want to participate, doing so by swimming laps in local pools, while folks in kayaks paddle across the harbor, guiding and assisting swimmers, if needed. Swimmers are aided and looked after by myriad volunteers ensuring their safety and wellbeing during the event, with others working at dozens of jobs that pull this huge event together.
150 volunteers perform countless tasks like registering swimmers, transporting them to Long Point, providing moral support, giving first aid, cheering on swimmers as they near the finish line, serving food at the Mermaid Brunch, and providing splendid entertainment for the swimmers and supporters alike, both at the party after the swim and at the Celebration of Life at the U. U. Meetinghouse on the Friday night before The Swim.
It's not too late to get involved yourself, whether you'd like to swim, volunteer, make a pledge or contribution, or cheer on the swimmers as they near the finish line at the Boatslip. On Saturday you'll want to applaud and cheer for the swimmers and paddlers as they reach the shore, then enjoy the food and entertainment at the Mermaid Brunch, and the awards for swimmers, paddlers, fundraisers and volunteers.

The annual Celebration of Life concert on Friday night kicks off The Swim.

You'll certainly want to attend the annual Celebration of Life, considered by many to be the concert of the year, tonight, at the Universalist Unitarian Meeting House, at 236 Commercial Street.
This wonderful, free event brings dozens of performers to entertain and inspire us with music, song and the spoken word.
I'll see you at the
U. U. tonight at 8 PM, and at the Boatslip tomorrow, at 161 Commercial Street, to cheer on the swimmers who begin their odyssey out on Long Point at 11AM, followed by the Mermaid Brunch on the Boatslip deck from noon till 2 PM, with the awards, beginning about 1 PM, or whenever the last swimmer makes it safely to the shore. All events are free of charge and open to the public. Come and join us!

In PTown, the Beach is Where You Find it!

Virtually no equipment is needed to enjoy a bit of serenity on a Provincetown beach.

You don't have to load up the station wagon with the cooler, the hibachi, the beach umbrellas, rubber raft, portable cabana and all the blow-up toys and floaters to get out and enjoy the beach. These folks simply brought their beach chairs and a cold drink to the little beach next to the breakwater in the Far West End.
Today, the water on this calm harbor beach barely makes a sound as it laps at their feet while the tide crests and begins to recede. For the moment, they're the only ones here, gazing out over Long Point on a perfectly glorious afternoon that brings a brilliant blue shade to the water and to the sky above.
An afternoon at the beach can be just this simple on little neighborhood beaches and Town Landings all over town. Grab your sun hat, a beach chair and a beverage, and head to the harbor beaches found all along Commercial Street. Favorite Town Landings include the one near the foot of Pearl Street; at Court Street, next to Bubala's; near West Vine Street at Captain Jack's Wharf.
Neighborhood beaches, both large and small, include Saint Mary of the Harbor Church; Johnson Street Parking Lot; next to Cabral's Pier (Fisherman's Wharf) behind the kite shop; farther west on that same beach, behind the Whalers Wharf. The Town recently built racks at the West End Parking Lot to hold all the neighbors' kayaks, so now this tiny beach can once again offer enough space for you to set out your beach chair or throw down your towel.
You don't have to pay a fee, struggle to find a place to park, and schlep armloads of equipment with you as you trudge to the beach from your car. You can simply toss your beach towel over your shoulder and off you go, in any Provincetown neighborhood. Just remember to take your bottle of sunscreen with you.

West End Racing Club Summer Fundraiser is Underway

Kids learn more than swimming and sailing at the West End Racing Club.

Somewhere back around the year 1950 a group of parents saw the need for a place for their kids to call their own as they were learning to swim and sail kind of informally along the beach near Flyer's boatyard. There were grown-ups teaching them about safety on the water as kids would show up on the beach on several afternoons during the week, and a few little sailboats were found to help the kids get started in learning to sail.
A building was needed to give these kids a permanent home and a place to gather to learn the art of sailing. For some of these kids, learning to swim was the first step. As the idea of a sailing club for kids began to take hold, money was raised, boats were built, volunteers were sought, and when a suitable small piece of property on the west end of Provincetown Harbor was found, a downpayment was made, and soon a fledgeling non-profit organization was born, dedicated to the mission of teaching Provincetown kids and summer visitors to swim and sail safely.
The West End Racing Club has been carrying on that mission ever since, raising funds every year through donations, T-shirt sales, and a yearly raffle that raises a good bit of the money needed to run the organization for another year. Raffle prizes in the past have included artwork, dinners in Provincetown restaurants, and a number of other rewards for contributing a few dollars to help kids from 8 to 16, residents and visitors alike, learn self-reliance and discipline as they learn to sail and race these little boats.
So when you meet these kids on the street, or find them occupying the fire station near Town Hall, crack open your wallet and buy a few raffle tickets, and help to continue this wonderful tradition of raising strong, confident kids as they learn to work together to master the art of sailing.

The West End Breakwater is One of PTown's Greatest Recreation Areas

Kayaking, picnics and sunbathing are popular activities at the breakwater.

The breakwater in the Far West End is a great spot for all kinds of recreation. You can fish for striped bass off the left side, casting toward the Long Point Lighthouse. You can picnic on the edge of the breakwater, or you can walk out to the lighthouse at Wood End and have a picnic there, along with a swim and a little sunbathing in a spot where you aren't likely to have many people around you. You can practically have your own private beach, especially if you're willing to walk a bit farther once you get out to that little spit of sand across the harbor.
You can launch a kayak or a canoe or an inflatable raft and paddle out to Long Point, the very tip of Cape Cod, where you can also fish, swim, sunbathe and picnic to your heart's content, with hardly anyone around you. Folks I talked to last week rented a kayak and paddled out to the far side of Long point, on the edge of Cape Cod Bay, and found seals all along the beach there.

During a very high tide you can swim through the wetlands.

A lot of people will go swimming off the right side of the breakwater, out into the wetlands if the tide is high enough, or just paddle around within a few feet of the shoreline at the head of the breakwater, never getting more than a few feet from the shoreline. Others will try their hand at snorkeling in this area as well. And as the water recedes as the tide goes out, the tidal flats that are revealed yield shells, bits of sea glass, hermit crabs and all kinds of treasures for beachcombers. Families with small children can be spotted carrying nets and buckets to scoop things out of little tidal pools that form at ebb tide.
You can also catch the shuttle boat to get out to Long Point. The Long Point shuttle leaves MacMillan Pier on the hour all day long in the summertime, and it leaves Flyer's boatyard at 10 minutes past the hour, traveling out to the area near the Long Point Lighthouse and back again several times during the day. There is no dock out there, so you'll take off your shoes, roll up your pants legs and hop off the boat in knee-deep water. You can take beach chairs, a small cooler or whatever else you need for the day, but be considerate of others taking the shuttle, too. Don't expect to take the 80 gallon cooler, the barbecue and a side of beef on the shuttle boat. For that kind of party you want to check into renting or chartering a boat of your own.
With this glorious weather we've had recently, there are dozens of ways to use this area we call the breakwater. A lot of folks will simply take a walk out on this enormous granite barrier that forms a walkway from the land at the west end of Commercial Street out to the spit of sand that stretches into Long Point and the tip of the Cape. However you may choose to use this spot, it is one of Provincetown's greatest recreation areas. Be careful, be safe and have fun!

Beat the Heat of Warm Days Ahead with a Cooling Splash in Provincetown Harbor

Folks cool off at the West Vine Town Landing, next to Captain Jack's Wharf.

With this year's warmer-than-usual temperatures, it can be quite important to find ways to keep cool, like spending a little time in the water. The folks in this photo are cooling off at the Town Landing found at the foot of West Vine Street, next to Captain Jack's Wharf. Town Landings are found in spots all along Commercial Street, providing public access to the beaches on the edge of Provincetown's magnificent Harbor. There are footpaths and walkways leading to harbor beaches as well.
Each neighborhood has a Town Landing or a walkway to the harbor, and some areas have several. Use any of these to go for a walk on the beach (tide permitting) or to go for a swim, or to launch a canoe, kayak or raft. Town Landings can accommodate larger craft like rowboats and small motorboats, while the boat ramps at Flyer's and at the West End parking lot can accommodate bigger boats.
If you read my post on Earth Day, you may have already found some of these footpaths, walkways and Town Landings. Here's a list of current beach access points, eliminating the footpath next to the Ice House, where a "Private" sign has once again appeared, and I've added the new "beachwalk" next to 463 Commercial Street. It's a new clam shell footpath next to the newly remodeled home where the old Flagship restaurant and its famous bar made from an old fishing dory began welcoming diners back in 1930.  The remodeling job on the building and grounds included a new pathway to the harbor with a large sign that announces 24-hour access to the harbor via this beachwalk, as the sign calls it. So here's an updated list of PTown public beach access all along Commercial Street, beginning in the Far West End and working up the shoreline to the Far East End:

•West End Breakwater (climb down to the beach or walk out to Wood End or Long Point)

•West End Parking Lot (Town Landing and stairway to this tiny neighborhood beach)

•West Vine Street (Town Landing at Captain Jack's Wharf)

•Franklin Street (Town Landing on the west edge of U.S. Coast Guard grounds)

•Good Templar Place (Town Landing next to former Lorraine's, at Flyer's boatyard)

•Atlantic Avenue (Town Landing west of the Boatslip)

•Court Street (Town Landing east of Bubala's)

•Whalers Wharf walkway through the building (the footpath on the east side of the building is accessible 24 hours)

•Ryder Street (beach access between the kite shop and Fishermen's [Cabral's] Wharf)

•Freeman Street (Town Landing west of Lands End hardware store)

•Johnson Street (Town Landing at the back of the parking lot)

•Pearl Street (Town Landing)

•Between Law Street and Washington (Town Landing, next to Devon's)

•Near Bangs Street (Beachwalk on the west side of 463 Commercial Street)

•Saint Mary of the Harbor Episcopal Church (the stairway over the seawall at the back of the    church parking lot)

•Between Atkins Lane and Hancock Street (Town Landing)

•Fanizzi's (stairway at the back of the parking lot)

•East of Snail Road (stairway across from Harbor Hotel, 698 Commercial Street)

Last Saturday we hit 90 degrees in Provincetown, which is about 13 degrees higher than normal for this time of the year. Even at that, we were still a few degrees cooler than the folks in Boston. We've got a break in the heat for a couple of days with cloudy skies and some rain, which gave us a high today of 75 degrees at 8:45 this morning, an unusual time to mark the day's highest temperature. Tomorrow looks to be even a bit cooler, but temperatures will soon climb to the mid-80s again, and an over-all hot summer has been predicted, so make sure you keep yourself feeling well and healthy by cooling off a bit when the mercury rises, and be sure to drink an extra glass or two of water over the course of each warm day.

Taking in a movie is a great way to get out of the heat for a couple of hours. It's nice and cool in the Waters Edge Cinema,. at 237 Commercial Street, on the second floor of the Whalers Wharf. Besides two other films showing this week you'll find 20 Feet From Stardom playing for an extended run. This is the film that ran away with the Audience Award at this year's Provincetown International Film Festival a few weeks ago. Read my July 9th post about this terrific movie, watch the trailer for 20 FEET TO STARDOM, and check the blurb on the right-hand side of this page to find the updated schedule for the coming week, through July 18th.

One way or another, find a way to cool off and enjoy the exceptionally warm days ahead.

West End Racing Club Teaches PTown Kids and Visitors to Swim and Sail Safely

Kids splashing in the harbor at the West End Racing Club

For about 60 years the West End Racing Club has offered kids from 8 to 16 years of age the chance, and the place, to learn to swim and sail.
When a bunch of kids, all aspiring sailors, began regularly turning up on "Flyer's Beach"
in 1950, a group of parents soon realized the need for not only more sailboats to accommodate the growing number of young sailors, but also for a real club house where they could gather.
Local painters and sculptors were tapped to provide artwork as prizes for raffles that would eventually raise the money to buy the waterfront property at 87 Commercial Street. Boat kits were purchased and fathers of some of the children spent a couple of winters building small sailboats called "weasels" as construction was begun on the club house.
A non-profit organization was formed with the goal of providing Provincetown kids "an opportunity to learn how to sail and enrich their lives with nautical knowledge and experience." Soon five "Blue Jays" were built to augment the fleet of small sailboats available to the kids. "Flyer" Santos and many others were instrumental in starting and running the organization.
Richard Santos became the first beach counselor, establishing regular hours at the new West End Racing Club, living up to its name as races were held several days out of the week, as allowed by the weather and the tides. To participate, kids have to first be able to swim, and that is sometimes the first skill that has to be mastered. Knot tying is also an essential skill kids will learn in the summer program, and kids who are visiting Provincetown during the summer are welcome to join in as well. A registration fee is collected, giving kids access to instruction and the use of equipment for the entire summer season.
Most of the boats used here these days are Sunfish, with very colorful sails, and it is a great sight to see these young sailors zipping back and forth, navigating around each other out in the harbor. Kids are paired two to a boat, and can often learn as much from each other while they are sailing as they learn from their instructors. So when you are assaulted on the street by a group of bubbly, excited kids selling raffle tickets, or when you walk by the old Firehouse near Town Hall and find it is the Racing Club's turn in the booth, fork over a few bucks for a couple of raffle tickets. You may win a nice dinner in a PTown restaurant, or a piece of work by a Provincetown artist, or any number of other possible prizes, and at the very least you'll be helping our kids to continue a great Provincetown tradition while learning to swim and sail safely. Get yourself a West End Racing Club Tee-shirt, and proudly wear a very cool symbol of your support for the youth of Provincetown. 

Perfect Weather Brings PTown Beachgoers to the Far West End

Sunbathers, kayakers, sailboaters and motorboaters flock to this
Far West End oasis for some quick sun before the tide rolls in

This little haven in the Far West End of Provincetown Harbor, just next to the West End breakwater, is a great spot where you can catch a little sun, have a picnic, go for a swim, haul your kayak out onto the beach, go snorkeling, hike out to the lighthouses or fish from the breakwater. Even the occasional Striped Bass, the most prized fish in these waters, has been hauled out of this spot. With a $10 permit issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (now required for both residents and visitors) you can try your hand at surf casting anywhere along the shoreline, or you can fish by boat. No permit is required to fish from a properly licensed fishing charter boat. Click on this Massachusetts Recreational Fishing page to find out about permits for fresh or saltwater fishing. You can go to our public library, at 356 Commercial Street, and use a credit card online to print out your saltwater fishing permit. It will cost you about $12, including the processing fees.
You can look for basic, inexpensive snorkeling equipment at our local hardware stores at 337 Commercial Street or at 21 Conwell Street, or you can rent more serious equipment at Venture Athletics, at 237 Commercial Street, at the back of the Whalers Wharf, if they have any left to rent by the time you get there. Phone them at 508 487- 9442. You can also rent kayaks and stand-up paddle boards there, or at Flyer's Boat Rentals at 131A Commercial Street, which is down a little alley called Good Templar Place, next to Lorraine's restaurant.
You have to time your visit to this little beach with the rise and fall of the tides, which will occur at a different time each day. Today's high tide reached its peak of 9.8 feet at 12:18 PM, and this evening our low tide will occur at 6:18 PM. That might give you the idea that things happen in an orderly fashion around here, but that is not the case.
Tides in Provincetown Harbor typically rise and recede by about 8 to 10 feet, twice in roughly a 25 hour period. For a very rough estimate, you can figure that about every 6 hours and 15 minutes or so, the tide will begin slowly rising around you, or the water level will start gradually dropping until the tidal flats of this little neighborhood beach become exposed, which is the perfect time to go beach combing and looking for shells and other little treasures revealed at low tide. Click to read my previous post on beach combing in this spot, and read my post about hiking out to the Wood End Lighthouse.
With this difference in the tides from day to day, you can figure a ball park estimate on your own, but actual tides can vary from this unscientific formula by about 30 minutes. The tide tomorrow afternoon will reach its peak at 9.9 feet at 1:07 PM, but I only know that from looking up a tide chart online. Keep in mind that even a tide near 12 feet is not that unusual in PTown, and will put this little beach under water, and Boston tides given on the news don't match the depth or timing for Provincetown. Your best bet is to get a tide chart, and you can usually find a free one at Lands End Marine Supply while you're picking up your snorkeling gear, cooler, flip-flops, suntan lotion, paper plates, sunglasses, hibachi and sun hat, along with your beach umbrella, chair and towel, and anything else you'll need for a day at the beach. And don't forget the trash bags to pick up after yourself when you've had enough sun.