Chatham "Sunshine"
Chatham is certainly among our prettiest towns. (It certainly is one of the top fifteen.) But, on occasion, visitors are miffed by the damp, misty, grey stuff between Chatham and the sun. Elsewhere, this is known as fog. On Cape Cod we call it Chatham Sunshine.
Old time seafarers used to tell of a ship's master who was once lost in such a fog off Chatham's east shore. The fog was so thick that day that he climbed to the top of his mast and continued climbing right up through the fog until he emerged in sunlight. From here, he could see the shore and sailed to port without mishap.
Fog, of course, doesn't only cling to Chatham; occasionally, it blankets our entire south coast along Nantucket Sound. The condition results from warm, moist air passing over the colder ocean water offshore, causing a condensation of epic proportions.
Don't worry, fog is not a permanent condition, or, to some, an unwelcome one. Neighboring Nantucket (yes, folks, it's the next town south) is so proud of its mist that it markets the island as "the Grey Lady."
The photos here were taken a day apart last month in Chatham. Ryder's Cove is to the left, accompanied by a scene from Chatham's fish pier (top of page) which illustrate the marked contrast in visibility. If you visit the observation deck at the pier, you can watch the fishermen unload their catches.
Fog Aside
Besides fog, Chatham also boasts a remarkable ability to laugh at itself. Recently, drastic changes in the commercial fishing industry decimated local revenues from deep sea fishing. One of the town selectmen came up with a slogan that is now displayed on bumper stickers:
"Chatham: a quaint drinking town
with a
fishing problem."
Since proceeds from sticker sales provide scholarship funds for fishermen's children, this seems like a fine way to turn adversity into opportunity.
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