Meet the Fleet
Check out our Recipes or watch our Meet the Fleet Videos
Schedule for 2025: April, June, October and November
The Meet the Fleet event brings together local chefs and fishermen with an informative presentation and tasting that will be sure to deepen your appreciation of local seafood. Each event is unique with guest fishermen and chefs sharing their knowledge and recipes of the local catch. Events are planned for April, June, October and November – check back for updated details and dates.
Meet the Fleet – Wednesday, November 12 – SOLD OUT!
The world is your oyster! Join us to learn about Cape Cod oyster farming from shellfishermen Clint Austin, founder of Pirate Shellfish. Enjoy mingling before the presentation, appetizers from our sponsor Chatham Bars Inn, beer from sponsor Devil’s Purse, and a tasting of a delicious oyster recipe prepared by Chef Garrett Smythe of The Wicked Oyster.
- Date: Wednesday, November 12
- Tickets: $25 per person
- Time: 5 – 7 p.m. (note doors will open at 5 p.m.)
- Location: Fishermen’s Alliance Captain Harding House: 1566 Main St, Chatham MA 02633
All ticket sales directly support our mission. Please note that tickets are non-refundable.
This event is sold out. Contact brigid@capecodfishermen.org to be put on the waitlist.
Meet the Fleet – Recap, October 1
It was a full house for Meet the Fleet and we are most grateful to Caity Townsend for sharing her inspiring work recycling fishing gear with Net Your Problem, along with her wide-ranging experiences in commercial fishing from Cape Cod to Alaska. We also extend our thanks to sponsors Chatham Bars Inn for the appetizers, Devil’s Purse Brewing Co. for the beer, and Chef Pete Allard from The Chatham Squire for the delicious Coconut Lobster Ceviche Tostada tasting.
Meet the Fleet Recap – June 2025
It was another great Meet the Fleet in June! We are grateful to our sponsor Nauset Marine for hosting the event at their scenic marina and to Captain Phil Michaud for sharing his knowledge of the squid fishery. Thank you to Chef Lisa Whelan of Dancing Spoons Food Truck & Catering for the amazing sweet and spicy squid over rice noodles, we will post the recipe on our website soon. You can also explore several inspiring recipes on our webpage here and watch this video where Melissa Sanderson demonstrates how to prep fresh squid.
Meet the Fleet Recap – April 2025
A big thanks to Steve Gennodie of Chatham Pier Fish Market for the inside scoop on the workings of the fish market, and to Chef Eric Bolduc for the delicious ahi tuna tacos. Guests learned about the intriguing world of kelp harvesting and products from the Chatham Kelp team – Jamie Bassett, Richard Curtiss and Carl Douglass. We are grateful for sponsors Hog Island Beer Co. for the unique Chatham Kelp Stout and to Chatham Bars Inn for the tasty apps. Thank you to Cape Cod Saltworks for the sea salt samples.
Meet the Fleet Recap, November 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us for a sold out event! We extend our sincere thanks to Captain Eric Hesse and Andy Baler, owner of Bluefins Sushi & Sake Bar, for sharing their experiences and insights into the bluefin tuna fishery. A special thank you to Chef Hong for the sushi roll demonstration and delicious tasting. We are also grateful to our sponsor, Chatham Bars Inn, for the tasty appetizers.
Meet the Fleet Recap, September 2024
It was a full house and thank you to everyone who attended this sold out event at our Captain Harding House in September. Thank you to our sponsors, Chatham Bars Inn for the appetizers, and to Midnight Our Seafood for generously providing the freshly caught surf clams as take home treats! We were thrilled to have Brian and Wendy Reeves of PJ’s Family Restaurant prepare the delicious stuffed clams. We appreciate fishermen Mike Van Hoose and Keith Rose for sharing their fishing experiences and telling us all about the surf clam fishery. Mike and Keith’s surf clams can be purchased directly from Midnight Our Seafood: call 508-737-6189 or stop by the shucking shop in Commerce Park – 139 Commerce Park, South Chatham (on the northern circle).
You can hear more from Mike in our recent Hookers Ball video which celebrates the next generation of fishermen on Cape Cod.
Meet the Fleet Recap, June 2024
We are grateful to our sponsor Nauset Marine for hosting the event at their beautiful marina in East Orleans. Attendees learned about the Cape’s bluefish fishery from guest fishermen Captain Tom Smith and David Hills, who also shared tips for smoking fish and provided delicious smoked bluefish samples. Watch a day in the life of Captain Tom here! Thank you to Chef Tyler Hadfield of The Barley Neck for the wonderful cured bluefish canapés.
Meet the Fleet Recap, April 2024
We were pleased to kick off our first Meet the Fleet of the year at the Captain Harding House in Chatham. Father and son fishermen Bill and Jason Amaru enlightened guests with their extensive on-the-water knowledge. Chef Ben Porter of Viera on Main prepared a delicious panko almond flounder with herb mayo recipe. Try the recipe here!
Thank you to our sponsors Chatham Bars Inn for appetizers and refreshments from Quahog Republic.
Meet the Fleet is supported in part by a NOAA Fisheries’ Saltonstall Kennedy Grant (# NA22NMF4270126). NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, ocean, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.
For more information about these events, please contact Jenn Allard.
Please Take Note
Individuals with disabilities who need a special accommodation to participate in a Fishermen’s Alliance program, service, or activity, should call the ADA/504 Coordinator Melissa Sanderson at (508) 945-2432 x103 or the Massachusetts Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-439-2370 at least two working days in advance.
Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to, interpreters, assistive listening devices, accessible seating or documentation in an alternate format.
Thank you to our 2025 Meet the Fleet partners:
