Sandwich just landed $1,808,514 in state money to replace a walkway on Ed Moffitt Drive that disappears under high tide. The harbormaster has said he expects construction to happen over the winter. Put that together with the fall closing dates around the East Boat Basin, and the project looks like a boardwalk for the marina's off-season. It's built around accessibility, the walk to the Canal Service Road, and the stretch between the restaurants and the harbormaster's office. Those are the things that still matter in January, after the boats are out of the water.
The Walkway That Floods at High Tide
If you've walked from the boat launch lot toward the docks, you know the low path along the shore. At the Historic District Committee's August meeting, the harbormaster described it as "a very broken-up asphalt surface" that's "consumed by high tides," as CapeNews reported. The upper sidewalk is in decent shape. It just doesn't meet the five-foot width that ADA standards require.
Here's what replaces them. Structural engineer Cole Bateman of Tighe & Bond told the committee the main piece is "an approximately 12-foot-wide by 400-foot-long timber frame boardwalk." It starts at the boat launch parking lot and runs to D Dock, on the stretch of Ed Moffitt Drive between the Pilot House and Seafood Sam's. The details, as presented:
- Pressure-treated timber piles and caps, with decking currently proposed as tropical hardwood
- Brick pavers over concrete at each end, easing into the boat parking lot on the west and the existing asphalt patio on the east
- A staircase down to a dock near the harbormaster's office at one end
- A native-plant buffer between the boardwalk and the street, where the current sidewalk is now
- Curb cuts, lighting, irrigation, and two pedestrian crosswalks linking the two parking areas, which the harbormaster noted don't exist today
The boardwalk ends just short of Little Miss Sandwich, the yellow boat by D Dock. It's a 12-foot lifeboat about a century old, restored by a seasonal marina worker and named by a marina clerk and another marina clerk, according to CapeNews. When the committee asked about it, the harbormaster was clear: "That's not going to be touched. That's going to stay right there."
Why the Off-Season Fits This Design
The design is about getting people safely from one end of the marina to the other on foot. Harbormaster Nicholas Giordano told the Sandwich Commission on Disability that the boardwalk will be built entirely on land, with no construction in the water. He described its purpose in terms of connections, according to CapeNews:
"It will integrate a safer environment between the restaurants and the harbormaster's office, which then connects to the Canal Service Road, and tie it all in together."
That last link matters most in the quiet months. The paved service roads along the canal stay open to walkers and cyclists, and the Army Corps lists accessible fishing at the Sandwich bulkhead. Any day of the year, someone parking at the marina for a canal walk has to cross the stretch of Ed Moffitt Drive that this project rebuilds.
One note on the harbormaster's name: CapeNews spells it Giordano in some articles and Giardino in others. The grant and Commission on Disability coverage both use Giordano.
How Sandwich's Share Compares
The grant came through the state's Seaport Economic Council, as part of the Healey administration's Community One Stop for Growth round. That round distributed $330 million to 207 communities. Seaport Economic Council grants made up $12.1 million of it. At $1,808,514, Sandwich's award works out to roughly 15 percent of the statewide Seaport pool in this round.
The local share doesn't come from the general budget. Before the award, the harbormaster said the state would fund the project with a 20 percent match from the Marina Enterprise Fund, "meaning no funds will come from taxpayer pockets," as CapeNews reported. In CapeNews's grant coverage, Town Manager George H. "Bud" Dunham called the award "a tremendous investment in Sandwich and an important step forward for our waterfront."
What's funded is Phase 1 only. Bateman told the Historic District Committee that the longer-range concept could extend the walk to the fuel dock and add a bike path behind the boat parking lot. For now, though, the 400-foot section is "Phase One that we were asked to proceed with," because of budget limits.
What Closes Around It This Fall
The summer side of the marina is winding down on a schedule you can plan around. These dates come from each operator's own posted listings:
- This week: Sandie's, the outdoor bar at Fishermen's View, closes for the season on Columbus Day weekend.
- October 13, 14, 22, 23 and 26: The town's Sandwich Marina notice, updated September 9, lists boat-ramp closures for haul-outs on these days.
- October 25: Last day of the season at the Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center, 60 Ed Moffitt Drive. The Army Corps lists it open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday this fall. Seafood Sam's is closed that same Sunday.
- November 14: Seafood Sam's at 6 Coast Guard Road closes for the season. Until then it lists 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 8:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The marina notice also lists the ramp fee as $20, paid on the honor system, and fuel dock hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Haul-out days are the ones to check before trailering a boat down.
The Working Side Doesn't Close
Across the basin, the year looks different. The marina has about 40 commercial slips alongside roughly 140 recreational and 25 transient ones, according to the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance. The fleet's busy season doesn't follow the beach calendar, and neither do the businesses that serve the people who live here.
| Place | Address | Fall and winter status, per its own listing |
|---|---|---|
| Fishermen's View restaurant | 20 Freezer Road | Open year-round for lunch and dinner daily |
| Fishermen's View fish market | 20 Freezer Road | Open daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., year-round |
| Pilot House | 14 Gallo Road | Lists 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, no seasonal closing posted |
| Seafood Sam's | 6 Coast Guard Road | Closes for the season November 14 |
Fishermen's View describes itself as a sea-to-table business owned by two brothers who fish commercially. Its dinner service runs until last seating at 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 8 p.m. the rest of the week. The Pilot House hours above are an undated website listing, so call ahead on a cold weeknight.
The Fishermen's View side also explains why the boardwalk is going where it is. At the August hearing, committee member Chase Freeman asked why the project was on the Ed Moffitt Drive side rather than the Fishermen's View side. The answer was the tide-swamped asphalt walkway, which is on Ed Moffitt. So the new boardwalk lands across the water from the year-round fish market, on the stretch walkers use to reach the canal.
Two Things Still Unsettled
The start date. The harbormaster's expectation of winter construction came before the grant was awarded. The award announcement doesn't give a start or mobilization date. CapeNews coverage also disagrees on when the Historic District Committee voted. One article says Tuesday, August 11, and the grant story says August 14. Until the town posts a schedule, the timing should be treated as a plan.
71 Tupper Road. A "Launching Soon" banner went up on the fence at the former Captain's Bar & Grille site, near the marina entrance. "Currently there are no permit applications or open permits with the Building Department for this address," Building Commissioner Ian Reid told the Sandwich Enterprise. No details have been released about what's coming there.
If you're making December plans past the marina, Heritage Museums & Gardens starts selling Gardens Aglow tickets on October 21 at 8 a.m. The event opens November 27, runs 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., and uses timed entry.
If you own near the East Boat Basin and want to talk through how a project like the Harborwalk could affect your street, I'm glad to share what I'm seeing as it moves forward. Bantick Properties is here when you're ready. Let's make your next move, together.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
