About the Mayo’s
Meet the Mayo Family
Provincetown's Mayo family has been on this side of the pond for 17 generations. As a seventh-generation fishing family, the Mayos have operated the Cape Codder Guest House for four of those generations.
Charles Mayo married his sweetheart Mary Woods in 1908 and thus began our present story. To supplement his mackerel fishing income at the time, the couple started to take in lodgers at their 570 Commercial Street home. His son Charlie Mayo Jr. and wife Ing kept the guest house going through the early and mid-20th century. Charlie built a legendary reputation as a tuna fisherman in Provincetown and beyond.
The newest Mayo Crew Member
Atkins Crowe Mayo!
Charlie’s son, Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo, has shepherded the guest house into the 21st century.
Nathaniel Mayo
Younger son Nathaniel Mayo, husband of Chelsea Crowe and father to Atkins & Caleb Crowe Mayo, manifests his life-long dedication to the earth in many ways. His master’s in Environmental Policy from Tufts prepared him for his work with Vineyard Wind, a position that actually moves the needle on climate change.
He shares his talents and well-rooted vision with the Provincetown Conservation Commission, a volunteer regulatory committee charged with upholding the town’s environmental priorities. Nathaniel has an uncanny ability with numbers and has been intricately involved with helping to direct the vision for the reimagined guest house.
Stormy and his sons…
Stormy has passed the torch now to his sons Josiah and Nathaniel to oversee the guest house. They, too have charted their own illustrious courses.
Stormy is the Director of the North Atlantic Right Whale Ecology Program at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, an organization he co-founded in 1976 with his late wife Dr. Barbara Shuler Mayo, and marine geologist Dr. Graham Giese. In addition, Stormy spent 40 years building the sailing schooner, Istar, in his driveway. And if that’s not enough, he and his current wife Laura are celebrated dahlia gardeners and their devotion to the flowers is reflected in the many gardens around the Cape Codder.
Josiah Mayo
Josiah Mayo is the co-owner of Chequessett Chocolate in North Truro and is a well-respected fisherman in the waters off Provincetown. While his chocolate-making has achieved wide renown, Josiah’s fishing career stole the spotlight when he was invited onto a recent Jimmy Kimmel show with famed lobster diver Michael Packard. The two captured the world’s attention in 2021 when a young humpback whale, lunge-feeding off Herring Cove, accidentally captured Michael in its huge mouth. The whale shot to the surface and Josiah watched from the boat as Michael was unceremoniously spat out — miraculously, he sustained minimal injuries. Josiah was running the boat, tending to Michael’s dive as this story unfolded in a matter of seconds. He and other local fishermen were witness to this incredibly rare happenstance, and are grateful to be able to say, “He lived to tell the tale.” His time is a precious commodity these days but his influence in re-envisioning the guest house to tell his family’s story is significant. Provincetown’s Mayo family is here to stay, and hope you enjoy your stay at their Cape Codder Guest House!
