 After two months at sea , land was sighted on November 9 off the coast of Cape Cod . They attempted to sail south to the designated landing site at the mouth of the Hudson but ran into trouble in the region of Pollack Rip , a shallow area of shoals between Cape Cod and Nantucket Island . With winter approaching and provisions running dangerously low , the passengers decided to return north to Cape Cod Bay and abandon their original landing plans . 
