Dear Cape Friends,
If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been along for the ride, welcome back.
Last Saturday morning- on the 4th of July, as our AMAZING nation celebrated its 250th birthday - I officially commissioned The Oystercatcher for another season on the water.
I have to admit... I felt like a ten-year-old kid on Christmas morning. After months of anticipation, my beloved 17-foot Boston Whaler had finally been repowered with a brand-new 90-horsepower Yamaha. As we idled away from Ryder's Cove marina under bright blue skies, I couldn't stop smiling. There is something magical about the beginning of another Cape Cod boating season.
As my son-in-law, Lukas, and I waited at Ryder's Cove to pick up my wife, Nan, and our daughter Katie, something caught my attention.
A Coast Guard crew was preparing to launch one of their rescue boats.
There was no fanfare or sense of urgency. Just a quiet confidence as each member of the crew carried out his responsibilities with remarkable precision. Within moments, they were underway, heading toward Chatham Harbor and the open Atlantic. Watching them disappear made me stop and think...
What exactly is the mission of Coast Guard Station Chatham?
Over the past year, I've had the pleasure of getting to know a few of the Coast Guardsmen stationed here. Every now and then, they'll stop by Chatham Perk on Friday mornings for a cup of coffee during our little Fireside Chat.
They're the kind of people you instantly like: Friendly. Professional. Humble.
The sort of men and women who rarely talk about themselves- even though their work is anything but ordinary. Most of us probably think of the Coast Guard when we see one of their orange rescue boats racing across the water or a helicopter flying overhead.
What many don't realize is that Station Chatham is responsible for protecting one of the most challenging stretches of coastline in New England. From the shifting shoals off Monomoy to heavy commercial fishing traffic, dense fog, powerful tides, unpredictable weather, and thousands of recreational boaters each summer, these waters demand constant respect. (And of course occasionally a dumbass who shouldn’t be anywhere near the water, but I digress - Sorry, not sorry..)
Coast Guard crews train relentlessly so they're prepared when someone else's day suddenly goes terribly wrong: A disabled fishing boat. A family stranded on a sandbar. A kayaker caught in changing tides. A medical emergency miles offshore. A search that continues long after the sun has gone down.
Their mission can be summed up in just a few words: To save lives.
What fascinated me even more was learning that this commitment didn't begin yesterday.
More than 150 years ago, before there was even a United States Coast Guard, Chatham was home to one of the nation's Life-Saving Service stations. Those courageous surfmen launched heavy wooden rescue boats into storms that most sailors were desperately trying to escape. No GPS - No radar - No sophisticated communications: Just extraordinary courage, teamwork, and an unwavering belief that every life was worth risking their own to save.
Thankfully, today's crews have incredible technology at their disposal. And what hasn't changed is the character of the people willing to answer the call.
As a Realtor®, one of the questions I'm most often asked is “what makes living on Cape Cod so special?” The obvious answers come quickly. To name a few - The beaches. The villages. The boating. The fishing. The sunsets. Blah blah blah.. But perhaps the best answer is something much deeper. When someone buys a home on Cape Cod, they're not just purchasing a piece of real estate. They're becoming part of a remarkable community. And communities like this don't happen by accident. They're built by neighbors and by quiet professionals like the men and women of Coast Guard Station Chatham who stand watch while the rest of us simply enjoy another beautiful day on the water.
As I throttled up the O’catcher and headed toward Pleasant Bay that morning, I couldn't help but feel grateful. Grateful for another beautiful Cape summer. Grateful for time w family and friends. And grateful for the quiet professionals who are always there - whether we notice them or not.
Here's hoping none of us ever needs to make that distress call. But if we do... I'm awfully glad they'll be answering. To the fine Americans of Coast Guard Station Chatham - thank you for standing watch over all of us.
Have a wonderful week, stay safe on the water, and I'll see you around the elbow.
(If you're around Friday morning, I'll be holding court at Chatham Perk from 8:00–9:00 AM. As always, the coffee is on me. Feel free to stop by and say hello.)
See you around the elbow (and hopefully Friday morning),
Paul
P.S. If you're thinking about buying, selling, or simply keeping tabs on the market here on the elbow- or if you know someone who is - PaulBorde.com is a great place to start. You'll find listings, market updates, past NEWSLETTERS, and enough reading material to get you through at least one rainy Cape Cod weekend. A few of the articles came dangerously close to Pulitzer Prize consideration. 😀