The Cape Coddah
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☀️ Cape Team Finds Legendary Pirate Ship?

☀️ Cape Team Finds Legendary Pirate Ship?

Plus: Wellfleet's forgotten banana empire

Cape Coddah
August 01, 2025

Together with:

Good morning Cape Cod and Happy August!

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

ESPN descends on Chatham
P-town tourism so far
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

🏴‍☠️ Cape Team Finds Pirate Ship?

The same Brewster-based team that discovered the Whydah pirate ship off Wellfleet in 1984 believes they've found another legendary vessel – the Nossa Senhora do Cabo near Madagascar. After 25 years of research, the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation has cataloged over 3,300 artifacts from what they think is the Portuguese ship captured by infamous pirate Olivier "the Buzzard" Levasseur in 1721.

The heist was massive – gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds, and about 200 enslaved people who were likely freed by the pirates. Key finds include Catholic artifacts that would have belonged to high-ranking clergy aboard the original ship. While not definitively confirmed, the evidence strongly supports this being one of history's biggest pirate prizes. Read more»

⚾️ ESPN Discovers Cape Summer Magic

ESPN brought "SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days" to Chatham's Veterans Field, drawing over 5,500 fans to watch the Anglers host Wareham. Reporter Molly McGrath broadcast live from the ballpark with hundreds of onlookers surrounding her crew, conducting segments from the field, nearby restaurants, and even the famous "Home Plate" house behind the outfield fence.

McGrath, a Boston College alum who usually covers major college football games, was struck by how much the Cape League meant to the community and how family-friendly the atmosphere was compared to big-time sports. The months-long planning paid off as ESPN showcased Cape Cod's summer baseball tradition to a national audience. Read more»

SPONSORED BY CAPE SZN

☀️ Your New Favorite Beach Shirt

You know that perfect Cape morning when the the beach is yours, and you've got nowhere to be but right here? That's the vibe of the Bayside Babe long sleeve. Soft enough to lounge in all day, stylish enough for dinner in town. Throw it over your bikini for beach walks or wear it solo with shorts. Your new go-to for every Cape moment.

📊 P-town Tourism = Mixed Bag

Halfway through Provincetown's crucial tourist season, business owners are seeing wildly different results. Ferry passengers are down 10 percent and whale watch bookings dropped 11 percent compared to last year, while short-term rentals earned 12 percent less this spring. But hotels saw 9 percent higher sales, restaurant receipts jumped 10 percent, and parking revenue surged 48 percent.

Tourism officials note a clear absence of Canadian visitors due to political tensions, with about 30 tour buses canceling bookings. However, European LGBTQ travelers are filling some gaps. Many retailers are having strong years, though dune tours and some other attractions are struggling. Overall, the season appears better than initially expected despite the rocky start. Read more»

📸 @americorps_cape_cod | 📍Jehu Pond

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

🍌 Wellfleet's Forgotten Banana Empire

Most people don't know that Wellfleet sea captain Lorenzo Dow Baker launched the modern banana industry in 1870 after adding the unknown fruit to his ship's cargo in Jamaica. What's even more surprising is how many local families spent years or decades living and working on Baker's Jamaican banana plantations.

Joan Hopkins Coughlin's family was among them – her grandfather was Baker's brother-in-law and owned a property called Blue Mountain in southwest Jamaica. Baker would blow conch shells to signal when ships arrived to buy fruit, and growers had just 14 days to get green bananas from tree to U.S. stores. These community connections between Wellfleet and Jamaica lasted until the 1950s. Read more»

Ben Affleck was spotted casually strolling Commercial Street in P-town with a couple of his kids, taking selfies with excited locals.

A Cape magnet fisherman pulled what appears to be a World War II-era Luger pistol from the Herring River in West Harwich.

Check out eight great freshwater swimming spots for families looking to avoid crowded ocean beaches.

Chatham's historic Coast Guard boathouse, stored in Quincy for years, is one step closer to returning to Stage Harbor.

🗑️ Teens Cash In on Cape Clutter

A junk removal company called Junk Teens, started by Westwood high schoolers four years ago, has expanded to Cape Cod and is riding the boom in America's $6.1B junk removal industry. The business employs mostly high school and college students who haul away everything from couches to cadaver tables, serving customers who are mostly women aged 30-60.

Founded by brothers Kirk and Jacob McKenney when they were teenagers, Junk Teens now operates five trucks across the South Shore and Cape Cod. They don't just dump everything – items get donated to places like Habitat for Humanity or resold. One worker even furnished his college house with "junk" people threw away. Read more»

MV Land Bank brought 10 Randall cattle to the island this summer to restart their grasslands management program.

Nantucket suits gave Vineyard Wind two weeks to respond to safety demands and communication requirements or face up to $250K in fines.

A MV coalition created a comprehensive beach accessibility guide.

Nantucket's Windswept Cranberry Bog has been transformed from a struggling 40-acre cranberry operation into a restored wetland system.

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⚖️ Truro Man Gets 12-14 Years for Sexual Assault

A 26-year-old Truro man was sentenced to 12-14 years in the slammer after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a coworker in Provincetown. Tamanine Hamilton attacked the woman while she was walking home early on August 18, 2023, after she had repeatedly rejected his advances and quit her job because of his behavior.

The victim reported the incident to police that morning. After a six-day trial, the jury deliberated for just two hours before finding Hamilton guilty of three counts of rape and indecent assault. He must also register as a sex offender and serve 14 years probation concurrent with his sentence. Read more»

👋 Meet: Tyrion
🐾 English Bull Dog/French Bull Dog
🎂 8 years old
♀︎ Male
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

SUNDAY - AUGUST 3

Trails for Whales 5K @ Province Lands Visitor | 7
Craft Festival @ Chatham Comm. Center | 10
The Rainmaker @ Sandwich Town Hall | 2 PM
Sip & Paint @ CC Winery | 3 PM

SUNDAY - AUGUST 3

Brenda & Dan @ CC Winery | 12 PM
Bryce Elizabeth @ Bad Martha’s (E. Falmouth) | 1
Fred Clayton @ Neptune’s CC | 1 PM
ARLO @ Captain’s Choice | 3 PM
Lee Surrette @ CC Coffee | 3 PM
Bode Corona @ Bad Martha’s | 3:30 PM
Uncle John’s Banjo @ Naukabout | 4 PM
Steve Burke @ Falmouth Raw Bar | 4 PM
Greg Loftus @ The Woodshed | 5 PM
MJ & the Gang @ Centerville Historical | 5 PM
Josh Ayala @ Chatham Squire | 5 PM
Johnny Spampinato @ Hog Island (Wellfleet) | 5
Chris LeBeau @ Oyster Harbors Club | 5:30 PM
Cimafunk @ Payomet PAC | 7 PM
Flatland Cavalry @ Cape Melody Tent | 8 PM

_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. We'll let you know when something's sponsored.}

Friday

68 🌡️ 59 | 🌧️ | 💧85% | 💨 NNE 15 mph

Saturday

75 🌡️ 56 | ☀️ | 💧 1% | 💨 NNE 10 mph

Sunday

81🌡️ 59 | 🌤️ | 💧 2% | 💨 S 8 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 68ºF

181 Stony Brook Road, Brewster
Asking $749,000
3 🛌
2 🛀
1,620 sqft
1.38 acre lot

_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. We'll always let you know when something's sponsored.}

Thanks for reading The Cape Coddah today. If you found something useful or entertaining, please share it with someone who starts every morning with a banana.