Cape Cod Canal - Sandwich, MA

Tuesday July 2nd Keith and I left Martha's Vineyard and made our way across Vineyard Sound and through the pass between the Elizabeth Islands and Cape Cod.  It was overcast with light winds.  The current was ripping through the pass and we were very glad to have plenty of power.  Sailboats and under powered boats must time this so as not to get into trouble and swept out of the channel at certain times.  We then crossed Buzzard's Bay and entered the man made Cape Cod Canal.

Lighthouse between Vineyard Sound and Buzzard's Bay

Going through the Cape Cod Canal with the small canal cruise boat, "Viking", in front of us

Railroad bridge across the canal

This is an approximately 17 mile canal that connects Buzzard's Bay to the south and west with Cape Cod Bay to the north and east.  The idea of a canal to connect these two major bodies of water was around since the pilgrims in the 1620's.  It was not until the early 1900's however that a canal was able to be built.  Wealthy financier August Belmont II enlisted the services of renowned civil engineer William Barclay Parsons to investigate the feasibility of the canal.  In 1909 construction began.  A fleet of 26 dredges of various types worked from both ends of the canal.  As dredging progressed the workers encountered nests of huge glacial boulders along the canal route.  Divers had to be brought into the canal to place dynamite charges to break up the boulders so they could be removed.  This slowed the progress of the project considerably.  Despite the slow down, the canal was completed in July, 1914 just one month before the opening of the Panama Canal.  The Cape Cod Canal was a privately owned and operated toll canal at this time.  Belmont eventually sold the canal to the government and by 1928, the US Army Corps of Engineers had taken over the operation of the canal.  Improvements have been made over the years and today the Cape Cod Canal is a busy route between Buzzard's Bay and Cape Cod Bay carrying both pleasure craft as well as fishing boats and cargo ships.

Keith and I spent two nights in Sandwich Marina at the East end of the Cape Cod Canal.  We did some biking along the canal's bike path and had brunch at a small spot in town on Wednesday, July 3rd.

Bike path along Cape Cod Canal

Brunch spot (get the irony of the name?)

So you ask, how did Sandwich, MA get its name?  The town was settled in 1637 by a group from Saugus, Massachusetts with the permission of the Plymouth Colony.  It is named for the seaport of Sandwhich, Kent, England.  It was incorporated in 1639 and is the oldest town on Cape Cod, together with Yarmouth, MA.

We also used our new bike cargo trailer for the first time.  Guess what we got?  A boater staple.

We were able to get another coat of sealer on the teak decks while in Sandwich and Keith got Southern Style spiffed up for the July 4th holiday.

Southern Style ready for Independence Day

We head to Boston, MA tomorrow, July 4th and will be there through the 5th of July.  Bring on the Fireworks!