The many inlets and harbors along the coastlines make the Cape appealing to motorboaters. Most town harbors have boat launching ramps, boat rentals, and other facilities. Marine supply stores are located in most Cape towns. Some harbors, such as Provincetown, Wellfleet, Orleans, Chatham, Harwich Port, and Woods Hole, have docks, moorings, and other marine facilities for those visiting the Cape by powerboat. Write to the Chamber of Commerce or inquire locally for specific information. Sailing, Surfing, and Windsurfing Sailboats and sailboards are a familiar sight in Cape Cod waters from Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound to the Atlantic itself and Cape Cod Bay. In the National Seashore area, bays and harbors in Chatham, Orleans, Wellfleet, and Provincetown are excellent for those using small sailboats and sailboards. The Atlantic coast from Orleans to Provincetown is usually good for surfboarding. Special areas are designated for their use at beaches run by the National Park Service. If in doubt, inquire locally. Fishing Saltwater fishing is one of the most popular recreational activities on the Cape. Surf-fishermen line up on the more accessible beaches to cast their lines into the Atlantic for striped bass, bluefish, and flounder, while others seek secluded spots to try their luck. Charter fishing boats work out of Chatham, Orleans, Wellfleet, and Provincetown. Besides the fish cited above, you might catch halibut, haddock, and mackerel. No license is required for saltwater sport fishing, but there are size and number limits and a state license is necessary for fishing in the many freshwater ponds. Commercial fishing is not permitted within the National Seashore. Inquire at town offices or fishing supply stores about regulations and for other information. Shellfishing Because so many clams and other shellfish have been harvested for so many years, the supplies are dwindling and towns regulate their gathering and areas and times when shellfishing is allowed. You must obtain a town shellfish permit. While on the Cape, you will hear about “mussels,” “steamers,” “quahogs,” and “little necks.” What are the differences? =Mussels=, which are dark blue oblongs about 2½ inches long, are found in groups attached to rocks or pilings. =Quahogs= are grayish hardshell clams that are commonly used in chowders. Small quahogs, known as little necks or cherrystones, are served raw. Quahogs are dug with a wide-toothed rake, or scratcher, primarily along the Cape Cod Bay shoreline at low tide and in the shallows of Nauset Bay and Pleasant Bay. From their boats, commercial shellfishermen use a heavy, long-handled rake that looks like a wire basket on the end of two long poles.