We've been on an interesting survey for the past week. The Wellfleet oyster grants off Indian Neck. That would be Wellfleet MA, or 41 54 18.80N, 70 00 53.82W in google earth.
If zoom into the SW corner where the black rectangles are located you can see the oyster trays. If you zzom to the East near the point of Indian Neck (SE corner) you can see the little neck beds, and even the trucks of some of the farmers.
We have a ten foot tidal range in Wellfleet and this job is extremely tide dependent. We show up about mid tide, after the high and work until about 2 hours past low. Of course our upland control work isn't tide dependent so I ran that while Dawn did the GPS location of the grant locations.
Here's what I saw when we arrived this morning!
Those buoys indicate where my clients little neck beds are located. I was rather envious about the little catboat sailing around while I'm working but so it goes. I didn't understand why he had a reef in the sail since it wasn't blowing that hard, but a cat boat carries a lot of sail and it's easier to reef than strain the rigging!
Here's the client about 2 hours later at the same location as the sail boat!
Slightly different view since I was in the woods hunting up a concrete bound, which I found but it was buried about 18" down and laying on it's side. I stood it up and re-set it before locating it...checks fine.
Down at the other end of the flats the rest of the farmers showed up just before low tide.
Yes, that's my traverse stake (Hub and Tack) in the foreground. The red truck is owned by an elderly woman, 70's and the green truck in the water is owned by a young woman, maybe late 20's. I don't think that she understands that's not a good idea, driving in the salt water like that ! Maybe it's a leased vehicle?
That's today on Cape Cod, and Where do Wellfleet Oysters come from???
It's a large job for us, about 1.5 miles long and 1/2 mile deep... Defining the area below mean High Water and Extreme low water (or 100 rods) and locating the shellfish farms. One of the farmers stopped and was bragging about her "office". I said that "yes, it's a beautiful office, but at least mine changes just about every day!"
Nice Pics Don. I especially like the "colonial fence seawall."
Do you ever make it over near Little Herring Pond in Bournedale? My Uncle has a sailing center named after him over there.
Wellfleet Oyster Grants>Newtons
Nah, I go through Bournedale whenever I leave the Cape, but I've never stopped...(wrong side of the bridge's! hahahaha) I'm way out in Brewster, and Bournedale being between the two bridges is a great fishing stop for the canal fishermen. Two rest areas just for gawking at boats of catching stripers!
Wellfleet Oyster Grants>Newtons
This southern boy didn't know ya'll could grow oysters up there?
Don
My eyes would have been on that catboat and I would have tripped over the Bound in order to find it!!
Thanks for sharing , I remember the Wellfleet area when we visited the Cape and I was checking out the catboats then.
Grant
Wellfleet Oyster Grants>Newtons
oh yeah, I forgot to mention that one of the benefits of working for shell fishermen!! Oysters! (yes, i can shuck em) and little necks!! Wow was dinner nice last night!!
Wellfleet Oyster Grants>Newtons
> This southern boy didn't know ya'll could grow oysters up there?
First of all, we Mainers realized a long time ago that anyplace south of us was in "the South." (See "from away.") 🙂
Secondly, we have more oysters than we could ever need:
Wellfleet Oyster Grants>Newtons
Heck, they grow oysters up here,
What a nice place to survey!
thanks for sharing,
chr.
Nice.
Our oyster reefs have taken a beating, with no end in site.
Wellfleet Oyster Grants>Newtons
When Henry Hudson sailed into New York Harbor and up the North River, he was greeted (near what is now Yonkers, NY) by the Lenape Indians, who gave him gifts, including sacks full of oysters, which were a staple of their diet.
Piles known as shell middens, containing thousands of oyster shells have been found throughout the New York City area. Generally found in the areas forming a ring around New York harbor, the piles are often as much as four feet deep, lying just below the surface, sometimes on top.
The Indians also used the shells of oysters and clams to make tools, jewelery and spoons.
Pearl Street, in downtown Manhattan was named for the middens that were found in the area along what was then the waterfront..
The sailboat doesn't look reefed to me; isn't that a standard gaff rig?
Wellfleet Oyster Grants. mike marks
Yeah, you're right.
I noticed later, when I looked at the picture, that the gaff is as high as it's supposed to be, on the mast. When it was sailing I would have sworn it was reefed, though. Just didn't look like enough sail at the time!