Seaside Stunner

MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN OSTERVILLE, THIS GRAND ESTATE FEELS A WORLD APART.

here’s nothing quite like Sea View Avenue. The aptly named road follows the curve of the coast—from the mouth of West Bay to Osterville’s exclusive Wianno Club—and is one of Cape Cod’s most coveted addresses.

Newly listed, this Sea View Avenue estate wows with an extensive list of luxe features, but let’s start with the best ones: an unprecedented 280 feet of private beach and an arresting backdrop of glistening Nantucket Sound. Behind its sandy shore lies 3.66 acres of expansive lawn, specimen trees, and mature gardens. A gated drive prefaces the totally private compound.

Thoughtfully laid out, the 15,500-square-foot residence contains a main house and attached guest house, with a total of seven en suite bedrooms spread across the two volumes. Virtually every room has ocean views and direct access to the outdoors. Additional amenities include a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, golf simulator, gym, massage room, seven garage spaces, and a separate staff house. Its outdoor living features entice, from the resort-style swimming pool and summer kitchen to an expansive terrace for sunbathing and alfresco dining.

Here, inspired architecture harmonizes with a lush landscape and a horizon of ocean blues. This oasis is in a class of its own.

EXPERT TIPS ON HIRING A PRO LISTING AGENT.

BY JENNIFER SPERRY

igh demand and low inventory have created an intense seller’s market on the Cape and Islands. Homes are hitting the MLS and going under agreement quickly, with multiple offers—some exceeding asking price—reaching inboxes all at once.

Even though houses are going fast, you still need an experienced listing agent by your side. Recently we sat down with Sarah Lapsley Martin and Gregory “Marty” Martin, the powerhouse real estate agents behind the Lapsley Martin Team at Kinlin Grover Compass in Yarmouth Port, to ask for their tips on hiring an experienced listing agent. Here is their step-by-step advice.

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Ask around.

Reach out to family and friends and ask for referrals from anyone who has sold a home recently. If they had a good experience with their agent, it’s likely you will too.

Read the reviews online. Agents typically have a presence online and reviews should be easy to find.

Interview 2–3 agents in person, if possible, or via a Zoom or conference call.

Remember that you’re entering a working relationship. It’s important that you feel comfortable and that the person seems honest and trustworthy. You also want to make sure they will be available to you—that they communicate in a timely manner and in your preferred method.

Assess their sales and marketing.

You’ll want to know their plans for open houses, online and print advertising, mailers, and social media promotion. Video tours are especially popular right now and can be done by a professional or with a phone.

Ask about photography and floor plans.

Photography is so important in terms of first impressions and the appearance of your property online. We always recommend professional photography. Also, with some clients buying homes sight unseen, it’s helpful to have floor plans readily available.

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Look at the agent's past sales. How were the photos in the listing? How did the description read? How many days was it on the market?

Consider geography. Your agent should be knowledgeable about the area and the current market. When buyers want showings, either in person or via Facetime, it’s important that your agent responds quickly and professionally. Plus, their network of local contacts—electricians, plumbers, landscapers— can come in handy for curb appeal tweaks.

DoNot:

… hire an agent based on the highest recommended list price.

Pricing a home correctly is so important. If it’s priced too high and lingers on the market too long, buyers start to wonder what’s wrong with it.

…hire

An Agent Based On The Lowest

commission.

You want to make sure you are getting the full service your transaction deserves. An agent’s negotiating skills are particularly important right now with sellers receiving upwards of 10 or more offers with differing contingencies. Choosing the right agent can help you get the most money for your home.

Sarah Lapsley Martin 508-331-1404 sarah.lapsley@compass.com

Gregory ‘Marty’ Martin 508-505-7370 gregory.martin@compass.com

Katie Clancy and Sarah Lapsley Martin host a weekly show called What’s Good Cape Cod, which explores the Cape through the eyes of a couple of locals. Find all episodes at whatsgoodcc.com.

Casual Fun

Dog House

189 Lower County Rd., Dennis Port doghousedennis.com

“The old Cape charm of the Dog House cannot be beat. They have been serving up dogs for 50 years and going strong! We love the laid-back feel and dining at the picnic tables. So many delicious items on the menu, but be sure not to miss their loaded tots and frosé pouches!”

— Sarah Lapsley Martin

Bespoke Dining

The West End

20 Scudder Ave., Hyannis westendhyannis.com

“We are huge fans of the West End, owned by the husband-and-wife team Jen Villa and Blane Toedt. The idea of “What’s Good Cape Cod” was actually born while sipping on craft cocktails at the bar. The vibe is glam meets speakeasy, and their dishes are mouthwatering. They truly are “Two parts local. One part social. Dash of vintage.”

— Katie Clancy

Fancy Libations

Harvest Gallery

776 Main St., Dennis harvestgallerywinebar.com

“The brains behind the bar at Harvest Gallery, Johnny Martinez, is a sought-after consultant for bars and restaurants from Hawaii to Hyannis. One look at the wine list and cocktail menu and you’ll understand why! When you’re there, don’t forget to have a Cape House cocktail. For each cocktail sold, The Cape House donates $1 to Dennis Conservation Land Trust.”

— Katie Clancy

BY PATRICK FLANARY

hen 32-year-old Bob Douglas first sailed his wooden ship

Shenandoah into Vineyard Haven Harbor the summer after John F. Kennedy died, no one had ever seen anything like it.

His topsail schooner was indeed one of a kind. Douglas modeled Shenandoah after an 1849 revenue cutter and named her after his favorite song. She sailed at the command of the wind, had no engine, and was only the second schooner in the world built expressly to carry passengers.

Thousands of Shenandoah’s passengers over the decades have been children, many aboard a boat for the first time, perhaps the largest they would ever set foot on. Each trip promised crisp air, liberating wind, and adventure—experiences well outside the norm of a typical classroom.

During the 1980s, Douglas began welcoming students onto Shenandoah for a week on the water. These sea voyages were no day at the beach; there was work to do. Douglas taught them to hoist the sails, scrub the deck, keep their cabins tidy. Many kids couldn’t get enough and kept coming back summer after summer.

But in 2020, the pandemic upended Douglas’s 56-year streak as Shenandoah’s captain. His halted maritime program appeared doomed for good when the Coast Guard notified him that the ship would not pass inspection without significant repairs. He couldn’t afford the expense— but he wasn’t about to give up on the program.

At 88, Douglas (who also founded The Black Dog restaurant and resulting brand) handed his ship over to a nonprofit led by two former students: Casey Blum and Ian Ridgeway. The donation of Shenandoah to the Foundation for Underway Experiential Learning (FUEL) was contingent on the organization preserving the schooner’s educational legacy. And for that to happen, the boat needed a lot of work.

FUEL launched a campaign to raise $1 million, and in the meantime partnered with Mystic Seaport in Connecticut to rehabilitate Shenandoah’s c. 1964 stern. Peeling back the planks revealed more rot than expected. Shipwright Scott Gifford led the meticulous repair for months.

“I grew up seeing her sail all the time,” says Gifford. “I was very excited to work on her, being around her so much as a child. I never got the opportunity to go aboard, but whenever she was out sailing it was always a joy to see.”

Shenandoah returned home last summer—freshly painted and sporting new Sperry Sails—just in time to accommodate the first cohort of students in two years. This January, FUEL completed its fundraising goal, a necessary milestone for FUEL’s success and Shenandoah’s mission.

“This is the first time she’s ever sailed under different ownership,” says cofounder and Executive Director Ian Ridgeway, 38, who first set sail on Shenandoah as a fifth grader.

FUEL teaches Douglas’s structural model of learning by doing. Because immersion is critical to that experience, phones and video games are banned. “Kids tell us all the time how much they enjoy being unplugged,” says Ridgeway. “It’s key to their development. It’s what they want.”

Now 90, Douglas remains involved in FUEL’s fundraising push to build a ship that will succeed Shenandoah. Ridgeway expects construction to begin on the new, slightly more modern Shenandoah 2.0 this year. He says $3.2 million is needed to build the hull and bring her home for the remainder of construction.

“To me, FUEL’s educational mission will always represent Captain Douglas,” says Ridgeway. “I’m proud to carry on his work. This is really something he created that we are now bringing forward.” fuelprogram.org

Leading the Way Supporting Local Businesses

his summer you can take your offshore life to the extreme with the 2022 Regulator 37, the latest center console vessel from the esteemed boat manufacturer. Based in North Carolina, Regulator has been hand-crafting performance deep-V center console boats for more than 30 years. Tested against the grueling conditions of the Outer Banks, Regulator boats are designed for maximum comfort and ultimate “fishability.”

The team at Oyster Harbors Marine in Osterville touts the Regulator 37 as the company’s most technologically advanced boat yet, and they encourage you to experience the structural superiority and seamless operation of the vessel first-hand.

Like its predecessors, the 37 has an open, self-bailing cockpit and a Lou Codega-designed deep-V hull. Featuring three-across helm center seating with shade, plus a double seat in the bow, and an optional elevated second steering station, the 43-foot Regulator 37 has plenty of space for everyone aboard. Your crew can also choose to lounge on the sunbed or fish from the rear-facing double tackle seat. Below is a comfortable, air-conditioned cabin with a queen berth, galley, and a head with toilet and shower. A state-ofthe-art Cabin Entertainment upgrade is also available.

Operating the Regulator 37 is pure joy, as the new Offshore Command Center with Garmin Multi-Function Display with Digital Switching and Monitoring and proprietary Regulator MyHelm interface means seamless and intuitive functionality. The system includes a dual 22” GPSMAP 8622 Multi-Touch Widescreen Chartplotter/Sonar Displays, a VHF 215 AIS radio, a GMR 424 xHD2 4kW open-array radar, and an Airmar 1kW CHIRP transducer, all interfaced with a Yamaha Helm Master EX digital autopilot.

In a recent sea trial, with its three linked 425-hp, 5.6-liter, directinjected four-stroke V-8 Yamaha XTO Offshore outboards with digital electronic steering and controls, it cruised happily at nearly 40 mph. Fueled up, the Regulator 37 will take you on your ocean adventures for around 400 miles.

CRUISE: 37 MPH AT 410 MILES OF RANGE

TOP SPEED: 60 MPH

Regulator models available through Oyster Harbors Marine include electric reel hookups, multi-colored underwater LED lights, four combination cup/rod holders, bucket holder with YETI buckets, and under-gunwale rod storage. These features make this impeccable vessel the ideal choice for Cape Cod saltwater fishing. Give them a call today, and one of their awardwinning team of dedicated sales and service professionals will help make your boating dreams come true.

OYSTER HARBORS MARINE

508-428-2017

Massachusetts: Osterville, Falmouth, Danvers, Marion Maine: South Freeport oysterharborsmarine.com

July 9 & 10

August 6th 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Craft Show

Brooks Park, 1 Oak St., Harwich

Flea Market

Brooks Park, 1 Oak St., Harwich

Festival Weekend

September 17 & 18

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Craft Fair 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Cranjam Music Fest

1:00-7:30 pm - Saturday

12:30- 2:30 pm - Sunday

Harwich Community Center 100 Oak St., Harwich

August 13 & 14 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

September 10th 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Craft Show

Brooks Park, 1 Oak St., Harwich

Beach Day

Red River beach, Harwich

BY ALICE LESCH KELLY

s the weather warms up, visitors throng to Cape Cod and the Islands. But humans aren’t the only ones flocking to our shores. After wintering in southern climes, hundreds of ospreys migrate to the Cape to mate, give birth, and fledge a new generation of magnificent raptors.

Bird lovers don’t have to look far to see ospreys. These majestic birds, with their brown backs, white undersides, and five- to six-foot wingspans, can be spotted throughout the region circling over saltmarshes, ponds, and bays in search of fish and caring for chicks in large stick nests.

But it hasn’t always been that way. Fifty years ago, ospreys had practically disappeared from Massachusetts skies. Along with several other species of birds, ospreys were nearly wiped out by DDT, a potent pesticide. DDT thinned the eggshells of ospreys, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and other large birds of prey, preventing chicks from hatching successfully. By the time the federal government banned the use of DDT in 1972, few ospreys remained.

“Their populations had really plummeted,” says Mark Faherty, science coordinator at the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. “There were only one or two pairs left on the Cape.”

Since then, osprey populations have soared, headlining one of the greatest success stories in modern environmental history. Thanks to the ban of DDT, the passing of the Endangered Species Act, and volunteers building nesting platforms, ospreys are thriving. “The population has increased exponentially, and as far as we can tell it’s still very much a growing population,” Faherty says. “These birds can live 25 years, and many are producing one or two chicks each year.”

Currently there are at least 800 ospreys on Cape Cod, 400 on Martha’s Vineyard, and 40 on Nantucket, according to estimates from Mass Audubon.

“Ospreys are my favorite local human intervention success story,” says Liz Dengenis, naturalist and educator at Mass Audubon’s Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown. “From near extinction to rebounding like mad, these birds remind me of the immense ability of the natural world to regenerate when allowed to do so.”

The population has increased exponentially, and as far as we can tell it’s still very much a growing population. These birds can live 25 years, and many are producing one or two chicks each year.

Nesting Up

Ospreys build large nests—as wide as three to six feet in diameter—out of sticks and other materials. Because their diet consists almost completely of fish, they build nests near water and are naturally drawn to the abundance of waterways in and around the Cape and Islands.

Ospreys typically build nests high off the ground in spots that offer protection from predators. They nest in trees but are also drawn to human-made structures such as utility poles, cell phone towers, and even light poles over playing fields (such as Eldredge Park in Orleans, home of the Orleans Firebirds).

“The predation rates with nests on artificial structures are very low,” Faherty says. “Raccoons are not climbing a cell phone tower or utility pole.” However, utility pole nests can endanger the birds with risk of electrocution and cause trouble for towns and utilities when nests spark fires and power outages. When necessary, utility companies remove the nests, but migrating ospreys typically return to sites they’ve used in the past and just rebuild. However, if the birds have another good nesting site nearby—such as a specially designed nesting platform—they may relocate.

Several local organizations have stepped in to help lure ospreys away from utility poles. In Falmouth, for example, concerned residents have formed The Osprey Project, which builds alternative platform sites for safer nesting.

Observing Ospreys

Ospreys have many fans among bird lovers, in part because of the visibility of their nests. “When people think of birdwatching or ‘birding,’ it is often about seeing as many different species as you can,” Dengenis says. “But with osprey monitoring, it’s almost the opposite. You are spending time with a specific pair of birds, identifying the species in a variety of ways: flying, resting, hunting, and incubating. Instead of a quick glance and putting them on a list, you are building a relationship. People often talk about the birds they are watching as if they are their neighbors or friends.”

How can you find ospreys on the Cape and Islands? “Oh, just open your eyes,” Faherty says with a laugh. “Look at tall structures on the landscape. And when you pass a salt marsh, look for poles with platforms on them.” On the Cape, the osprey population is especially dense in Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Cotuit, and Osterville. On Martha’s Vineyard, there are active nests all over, including at Felix Neck, Oak Bluffs Harbor, and Chappaquiddick. On Nantucket, look for nests at Sanford Farm, Ram Pasture, and the UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station.

Once you find an active nest, you’ll soon spot soaring ospreys. While they’re gliding overhead, note the marked kink in their wings, which forms a very distinct M-shaped silhouette. And when they’re perched—sitting down—they typically have their backs parallel to the ground instead of perpendicular like most other hawks.

Watchers love to observe the birds as they hunt for fish. “They are the perfect anglers,” Dengenis says. Ospreys circle and hover over water; then dive down and pluck fish from the water with their sharp talons. After a successful catch, they fly off, shifting their legs to position the fish headfirst to lessen wind resistance. “It’s insane to watch them emerge from the water as if they are just grabbing a snack off a shelf,” adds the naturalist.

To learn more about osprey and other birds on the Cape and Islands, visit Cornell University’s popular All About Birds website, allaboutbirds.org, and Mass Audubon’s website, massaudubon. org. If you’d like to volunteer for a Cape-wide nest monitoring project, contact the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mayflower II’s Sapphire Jubilee June 11–13

Join Plimoth Patuxet Museums for fanfare, activities, and fun inspired by history and celebrate Mayflower II’s 65th Sapphire Anniversary marking her 1957 arrival in Plymouth Harbor.

Admission tickets to visit the ship will include access to family games, creative crafts, live music, food, and more. Additionally, on the evening of Saturday, June 11, Plimoth Patuxet will host an evening soirée to celebrate the ship and raise funds in support of Mayflower II’s recent restoration project. The anniversary festivities will close on Monday, June 13, with a special ceremony commemorating her 1957 crew and all those who have been integral to the ship’s extraordinary 65 years of living history.

Climb aboard and be part of the celebrations—from family outings to festive gatherings—in support of Mayflower II.

PLIMOTH PATUXET MUSEUMS

137 Warren Ave., Plymouth plimoth.org

PLYMOUTH HARBOR

79 Water St., Plymouth