Why We Call Ourselves The Packet Boat
One of the questions we hear most often is simple:
"Why are you called The Packet Boat?"
The answer isn't something we invented for our business. It comes from a real chapter in Wellfleet's maritime history.
Long before Route 6, before the railroad reached the Outer Cape, and before automobiles connected Cape Cod to Boston, the quickest and most comfortable way to travel was often by water.
Following the War of 1812, packet boats began sailing regular routes between Wellfleet and Boston. Unlike fishing vessels or coasting schooners, packet boats operated on dependable schedules. They carried passengers, mail, freight, and the products that supported Wellfleet's economy across Cape Cod Bay.
These vessels were more than transportation. They connected a small coastal community to the outside world.
Travel over land was slow. Sandy Cape roads made stagecoach journeys long and uncomfortable, often taking two days to reach Boston. During the fair-weather months, many travelers preferred crossing the bay by packet boat instead.
The boats also carried the products that made Wellfleet prosperous. Salt from the town's extensive salt works, along with other cargo, regularly found its way aboard for the trip to Boston.
South Wellfleet played its own part in this story. South Wharf was once the home berth of the packet Herald, commanded by Captain Robert Paine, providing scheduled service from this corner of the harbor.
When we were choosing a name for our business, we weren't looking for something that simply sounded nautical.
We wanted a name that belonged to Wellfleet.
Today's Packet Boat no longer carries freight or mail across Cape Cod Bay. Instead, we carry small groups onto Wellfleet Harbor to experience its wildlife, history, tides, and changing shoreline.
The purpose has changed.
The connection between Wellfleet and the water has not.
Captain's Note
Every time we leave Wellfleet Town Pier, I think about the generations of captains who departed these waters before us. Their boats carried mail, freight, families, and travelers whose lives depended on the harbor. Ours carries people who simply want to experience one of the most remarkable harbors on Cape Cod. While the work is different, the privilege of making a living on these waters remains much the same.
Historical Sources
This journal entry was inspired by the research presented in "South Wellfleet Stagecoaches, Packet Boats and Early Telegraph" (October 7, 2012) published by South Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Historical facts have been independently interpreted and presented in an original narrative for The Packet Boat Journal.
