Things to Do in Harwich

Sailing daily from MacMillan Wharf and stretching 39 feet lengthwise and 16 feet abeam, the Coast Guard–approved Viking Princess accommodates up to 42 passengers and two crewpersons per cruise. Several different cruise formats introduce water wanderers to coastal views of varying sites, such as Cape Cod’s prime real estate, well-known lighthouses, and hidden Provincetown gems. The Princess also embarks on festive holiday-themed voyages, such as Fourth of July or Tax Day cruises. Cape Cod Life's 2010 Gold winner for Best Kids' Activity, the Critter Cruise invites wee ones to pull up lobster pots and bottom dredges from the waters and safely inspect and handle the findings— such as blue fish, sea turtles, or humpback whales—alongside an expert naturalist. The Princess is wide enough to facilitate groups dancing to the sounds of the ship’s overhead stereo or to the tunes of local musicians during live-music cruises.

In the depths of Cape Cod swim delicacies such as sea-bass and fluke. With backgrounds in both commercial and recreational fishing, the captains of Helen H Fleet lead anglers on trips for these catches, motoring to fishing grounds such as Nantucket Sound. The four-boat fleet, which ranges from the 30-foot Sea Hawk to the 100-foot Helen H, lets the captains accommodate small charters of one to five anglers as well as party cruises. Crews rent out rods and reels, as well as sell refreshments in between anglers' bouts with feisty bass or boots stuck to the ocean floor. Targeted species change with the season, and Helen H Fleet's captains also charter whale- and seal-watching excursions whenever the creatures migrate along Cape Cod.