Private Ash Scattering Memorial

Safety is ultimately our top priority. We will not operate in hazardous weather conditions such as heavy rain, thick fog, high winds or thunder and lightning. If severe weather cancels your reservation we will make every effort to reschedule for another day. Otherwise, a full refund will be issued.

However, no guarantees can be made that every part of every day will be perfectly sunny. So we will operate as usual in overcast conditions, light fog and in intermittent sprinkles. Guests should dress appropriately for changeable weather and bring a positive attitude!

The final decision on weather related cancellations rests with the captain and reservations should be considered upheld unless we contact you directly.

To leave enough time for our check-­in procedure, we recommend your party arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Leave yourself some margin for traffic or parking related delays, pre-departure bathroom stops, etc.

There will be no refunds or credits for customers arriving late. Trips are scheduled multiple times per day and to ensure that all of our reservations are honored, your tour will still have to return at its regularly scheduled time.

All of our trips include complimentary bottled water. Additionally, customers are welcome to bring their own snacks and beverages.

Please remember that you will be eating/drinking on a boat that is moving, open to the wind and may or may not have a table or cup holders (we operate several vessels and each is equipped differently). Our advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE and don’t bring anything that you aren’t prepared to eat in your lap. Smaller snacks and finger foods are easiest and less likely to stain your clothing and our upholstery.

For adults over 21, reasonable amounts of beer and wine are also allowed.

Restrictions:

• Leave the red wine at home. On a moving boat it will stain clothing and upholstery.
• No hard alcohol.
• Please opt for cans and minimize glass containers in general. Wine bottles are allowed but no beer bottles. We will provide plastic cups if needed.
• Any excessive use of alcohol will result in the immediate termination of the trip with no recourse.

The group size you specify at booking will slot you into a specific boat size. As long as you stay within the specified range (1-6 passengers or 7-12 passengers), nothing more needs to be done.

If your group size grows into the next range of passengers, please contact us to see if a larger boat is available at your requested time.

If your group size shrinks into a smaller range of passengers, please contact us to see if a smaller boat is available at your requested time.

Yes. Each of our vessels is rated for a specific capacity by the United States Coast Guard, and the USCG does not differentiate between children and adults. A 12-person capacity means twelve people – regardless of their age.

There are no age restrictions for our Private charters. We have hosted newborns to octogenarians without issue. However, given the nature of the ocean, not every day is appropriate for every group. Please let us know (leave a comment at checkout) if your group includes young children so we can keep a close eye on the weather and adjust accordingly.

Those with mobility issues must be able to walk down the resort dock (which has ramps) and step up into the vessel. Very rarely is this an issue, but it should be mentioned. Our team will assist in any way they can to ensure those with mobility issues are comfortable.

The only information we will need at the time of your reservation is the full legal name of the deceased. A death certificate will not be necessary.

After the service, we will prepare all EPA required paperwork and submit on your behalf.

There are no required permits for an ash scattering burial at sea in the state of Massachusetts. However, the EPA does require that:

Ashes be scattered no closer than 3 nautical miles from shore.
Notification be sent to the EPA regional office within 30 days after the event.
Down Cape Charters complies with all EPA requirements and will process all required paperwork on your behalf.

No urn is needed. Ashes can be scattered directly into the water if that is your preference.

However, an appropriate urn will remove the possibility of a wind gust potentially blowing ashes back towards the boat. This is not common but winds are known to shift and that risk (although small) does exist.

The majority of our customers arrive with their own biodegradable urn. You are welcome to bring/use any urn designed to be released into the water.

In either case, we will always have a standard biodegradable urn on board just in case its needed.

Down Cape Charters will provide one dozen roses for the scattering. Beyond that, you are welcome to bring additional flowers or wreaths to scatter so long as they are completely biodegradable – no plastics, foil, etc.

Of course. Any religious service or prayer service is welcome.

Alternatively, the Captain is honored to be able to recite and share any poems or prayers of your choosing.

The EPA requires that we travel a minimum of 3 nautical miles from land for an ash scattering.

Our standard service travels 3 miles offshore of the Chatham Lighthouse. This location allows us to minimize the time spent on the open ocean, which in turn, minimizes the chances of guests getting sea sick. Its always best to avoid adding a queasy stomach to an already emotional day.

The Lighthouse also provides a tangible location for loved ones to visit in the future. The overlook offers a spectacular view, free parking and is open 365 days per year. Guests can look out over where the scattering took place without the need of a boat.

If your loved one requested a different location, we will do our best to accommodate. However, we are limited by the total duration of the trip to an area from Nauset Beach down to Monomoy Island. We unfortunately cannot accommodate requests further afield than that. We also cannot legally scatter ashes within Pleasant Bay.

If you have any special music or songs in mind, we can easily connect your Bluetooth capable device directly to our audio system on board.  Otherwise, we have a general playlist that we can use/not use at your discretion.