(From the Harwich Chamber of Commerce magazine, 2021)

Learning life lessons and making memories

Come aboard, they are waiting for you … Harwich’s skilled and knowledgeable seafaring captains look forward to welcoming fishing and nature enthusiasts aboard their many charters. Our charter captains and their crews all have a love of fishing and of sharing that passion with their guests. There are endless fabulous stories and life lessons aboard these charters.

Capt’n & Tonaire

Cape Cod Charter Fishing boat Capt’n & Tonaire departs from Saquatucket Harbor in Harwich Port. Captain Art Brosnan has served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps and is currently a Merchant Mariner in the Sailors Union of the Pacifi c. He grew up fi shing on the Hudson River with his father and grandfather, who built, owned, and operated the Ossining Boat Club. Saltwater sportfi shing was passed down to Art at an early age. Captain Art moved to Cape Cod 33 years ago to pursue his passion for Cape Cod sport fi shing on the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound. He welcomes novices as well as experienced anglers to enjoy a memorable Cape Cod charter fishing experience aboard the Capt’n & Tonaire.

The Capt’n & Tonaire is a safe, clean, and comfortable 35-foot JC custom-built fishing boat designed for the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic Ocean. She has a 430hp Cummins Diesel, making her one of the fastest in the fleet of Cape Cod’s deep sea fishing boats. Whether your interest is striped bass fishing, bluefin tuna fishing, porgy, sea bass, or fluke fishing, Captain Art and the Capt’n Tonaire are fully equipped to make your Cape Cod sport fishing charter a memorable experience!

Cap’n Kid Fishing Adventures

Cap’n Kid Fishing Adventures will enjoy their 14th season in 2021. Captain Carl has been a licensed captain for over 20 years. During the winter months, he is a captain
aboard a 900-foot container ship, the APl Belgium, which sails the West Coast to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Japan, South Korea, and China, and stopping at various ports. Captain Chris has been running boats out of Saquatucket Harbor over 30 years, including his own Charter Boat Haywire, Cap’n Kid, and Nantucket ferries. The Cap’n Kid Fishing Adventure is a 2-hour trip and fun for the entire family. You will catch scup, black sea bass, or tautog, and even discover the world of spider crabs and other sea creatures when they pull the crab trap. The wonderful part of the adventures aboard the Cap’n Kid is that every year guests come back, and it is a true family experience as even parents are involved. The trips go out four times a day and the children are never bored. Whether pulling pink flamingos out of Nantucket Sound or having youngsters pick up live crabs, the adventures aboard the Cap’n Kid make a lasting impression and the guests cannot wait for their next adventure.

Cape Sailing Charters

Leading Cape Sailing Charters since 2000, Captain Chris Sammartino takes you aboard this exclusive and intimate six-passenger 38-foot sailboat, the Hannah. Whether you are looking to enjoy an early morning sail with family or friends or a magical sunset cruise, Captain Chris looks forward to having you enjoy your trip aboard the Hannah. Specializing in the personalized experience, from celebrating small birthday or retirements to being a part of marriage proposals, if you are looking for that intimate sailing charter for your small group, Cape Sailing Charters is ready to take you away.

Fishtale Sportfishing

This marks the 30th year Captain Mort Terry of the Fishtale will be chartering the waters. He comes from a nautical family — his dad was in the U.S. Navy in World War
II and his sister is the first female ship pilot on the Panama Canal. The Fishtale is a 33-foot boat, and for the first 20 years, he was the Captain and did everything himself. The last 10 years he has taken on a mate to help with journeys in and out of what he calls ‘the best harbor.’ He recalls that many of his charters are repeats and have been coming year after year. Some even come a couple times a year. His recent mate Olivia is a graduate of Mass Maritime — she has been with him for five years and is great with the kids on the charters.

Shanti Sport Fishing Charter

Shanti Sport Fishing Charter is located at the Allen Harbor Town Dock, where Captain Tom Birch and Captain Bob Halloran take you on a fishing adventure for bass, blues, tuna and even shark. There are always adventures and sometimes you never know what you will reel in. Captain Tom Birch remembers fishing off the rips by Monomoy when the group hooked into something that did not fight like a bass or blue. One guest asked, “What ya got? Looks like a bomb to me.” Indeed, it was a bomb! Some seaweed had attached to the bomb and they snagged the seaweed. Tom remembered his dad told him as a young boy of how they used Monomoy for military training, so he knew it was a practice bomb that did not contain explosives. So, when asked what the weirdest thing is you have ever caught, he can truthfully say a bomb.

On the Shanti Charters, the captains also teach about how the release of balloons is harmful to the marine environment. When they see balloons or debris, they take a second and pick them up.

Captain Tom Birch shares a heartwarming memory when he was leading a trip with two fathers and their autistic sons. The boys were not confident they would be able to catch a fish. “I said, ‘Come on, you can do it,’” recalled Tom. “Well, as luck would have it, they both were blessed to hook into some huge bass. I would not let them quit; everyone was instructed to not let them give the pole away. They both caught fish of a lifetime and maybe, just maybe, they will believe in themselves. This Captain learned a great deal about life that day. The real meaning and joy of charter fishing is the life lessons we all learn along the way.”

Striper Sportfishing

This is the 9th year as Captain of Striper Sportfishing of Cape Cod for Jim Luce, who took the boat over from his dad after 35 years. For Jim, charters are all about family. From the great memories of his dad, who bought the Striper because he enjoyed charter fishing — he even used to make his own fishing rods and lures. Jim’s dad got into flyfishing and made his own orange flys, and the boat holds five world records on the boat for fl y rod. Jim continues to carry out his father’s passion of striped bass fishing. He loves to see kids catch fish, enjoys the excitement watching their big eyes. He holds two memorial fishing tournaments in the names of his parents, Bob
Luce and Barbara Luce, with Cape Cod Salty Sports Fishing Club.

Yankee II Deep Sea Fishing

The Yankee II captains and crew are doing what they love, says Captain Clem Kacergis. Located in Saquatucket Harbor, Harwich Port, Clem and crew started running the Yankee ll in 2016. Yankee ll is a beautiful, clean, comfortable, and spacious 65-foot vessel. There is seating all around the boat outside, inside in the comfortable cabin, and on the upper deck of the boat. The captains have spent their lives taking families out fishing successfully. The crewmen are experienced, helpful, courteous, and fun. As a team, they will see to it that you have a safe and enjoyable trip. The Yankee ll is equipped with two state-of-the-art GPS chart plotters, two fish finders, HD radar, two VHF radios, CB radio, and intercom. Rod, reel, and bait are included with your ticket. Fish cleaning and fillet services are available.

No visit to Cape Cod is complete without an outing on the water. Enjoy a delightful vacation adventure for the whole family.