“You have to go, but you don’t have to come back.” – motto of the U.S. Life Saving Service
Before the Cape Cod Canal, The shifting sandbars off the Massachusetts shoreline of Cape Cod were a tremendous danger to mariners. In 300 years of history, more than 3000 shipwrecks were recorded. The vessels ran aground, driven by the storms. The waves broke the ships, spilling cargo and occupants into the icy surf.
In the early 1800’s the Massachusetts Humane Society established lifesaving outposts on Cape Cod. In 1872, The U.S. Life Saving Service was formed, replacing these unpaid volunteers. Eventually thirteen lifesaving stations would be built on the Cape.
The Old Harbor station at Chatham was moved to Race Point in 1978, and now serves as a museum dedicated to the service and those who risked their lives to save others.
An Unmapped Route: A Hiker's Blog 