HOLIDAY HARBOR MARINA & SUNSET GRILLE
May Newsletter
Holiday Harbor Marina
LONGER HOURS STARTING IN MAY
Marina and South Store Hours
Monday – Thursday: 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday – Sunday: 7 AM – 7 PM
SAFETY CHECKS FOR WET SLIP AND DRY STORAGE CUSTOMERS
If your vessel passes inspection, you will receive a sticker for your boat showing that you have been inspected.
If interested, you must be present.
Please schedule your inspection(s) through the marina 850-492-0555
PARKING WILL BE RESTRICTED TO:
STORAGE/WET SLIP CUSTOMERS AND GUESTS
FREEDOM BOAT CLUB MEMBERS WITH SCHEDULED BOAT USAGE
PATRONS OF SUNSET GRILLE WHILE DINING AT THE GRILLE
PATRONS OF LOST KEY BARBER SHOP
If you are an above mentioned customer, you can help by minimizing the number of vehicles to be parked in the Marina/Grille parking lots. You also may consider having you and your guests dropped off at the Marina.
You may encounter a Parking Lot Attendant who will confirm your parking status. Please do not be offended, we regret this enforcement is necessary; our only purpose is to help ensure our customers are able to park and enjoy their boating or dining experience.
Please contact the Marina office at 850-492-0555 if you have special circumstances.
MEMORIAL DAY PLANNING
Memorial Day Weekend is May 22-25. This is one of the busiest weekends of the season at Holiday Harbor. To help assure everyone has an enjoyable boating experience, we ask that dry storage customers:
Call at least 2 hours before you want your boat placed in the water.
Recognize that there is not enough dock space at the marina for all launched boats to stay in the water over the weekend. Therefore, boats returned before closing will be return to dry storage daily and boats returned after closing will be returned to dry storage early the next morning.
Know that all wet slips are rented. Therefore, do not dock in wet slips. If you return after closing and the launch area is full, please use the fuel dock or the “T” dock used for docking at Sunset Grille. We will move your boat early the next morning.
Keep the number of vehicles parking at the Marina to a minimum.
We appreciate customers’ help in getting the summer off to a great start for all.
BOATS RETURNING AFTER HOURS
If you are a dry storage customer returning a boat after hours, please pull your boat all the way forward in the staging areas to allow boats to dock behind you; don’t leave unusable gaps between boats. This will allow better utilization of the dock space available for boats that arrive after yours.
WORK RACK REQUEST
Holiday Harbor Marina is again hosting its annual “Show Us Your Sow” red snapper tournament, open to everyone, with subcategories for marina account customers and members of Seatow. The tournament will be during the summer recreational season, not yet set by the state. Registration is $50 per boat, which includes a tournament t-shirt and goodie bucket.
In the General Class there will be first through third place for the three largest red snapper weighed and they will split all of the registration fees 50%, 30% and 20% (with a combined minimum payout of $1,000) along with other prizes. In addition to the top three, there will be a wildcard weight in the General Class division – a weight will be randomly chosen and the fish weighing the closest to that amount will win a gift certificate to the Sunset Grille.
The largest red snapper who is a Sea Tow Member will win and additional $500 to be paid by Sea Tow, and the largest snapper who is a Holiday Harbor Account holder will win a credit for $500 in fuel at the Marina.
A participant may be a winner at only one level in the General class, but members of the HHM Account Holder and the Seatow class can win in both the General class and the member class(es) to which they belong.
Registration will begin as soon as the State announces the red snapper season. That announcement will be posted on the banner of our website, www.MyHolidayHarbor.com. At that time, complete Tournament Information and Rules, and the registration form, will be available on our website under the Events tab in the upper right of the front page screen.
Join in and “Show Us Your Sow” catching abilities.
LOOKING AHEAD
The recreational season is for those fishing for red snapper from private recreational vessels. Complete information for Florida waters can be found at:
http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/snappers/
The Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2020 (DESCEND Act, with an effective date of January 13, 2022) requires persons on commercial, for-hire, and private recreational vessels to have a venting tool OR descending device rigged and ready to use when fishing for reef fish species in Gulf of Mexico federal waters. For complete details, please see the following link:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/noaa-fisheries-reminds-reef-fish-fishermen-descend-act-requirements-and-announces
Our Marina Ship Store and North Store both stock venting tools.
It is your responsibility to know and adhere to the regulations of the jurisdiction in which you fish and, if different, through which you transit.
BLUE ANGELS WEEKEND
The annual Blue Angels show at Pensacola Beach is July 15 – 18, 2026. The basic schedule is
Wednesday July 15 – 8:00 AM Blue Angels Circle and Fly-In Arrival of Show Participants
Thursday July 16 – 2 PM Dress Rehearsal
Friday July 17 – 11 AM Full Dress Rehearsal with civilian acts
Saturday July 18 – 11 AM Complete Air Show; Blue Angels at 2 PM
Complete information will be provided in the June Newsletter
MARINA RENTAL ACCOMMODATIONS
The Marina has two units available for short-term rental, an apartment and a three-bedroom waterfront house.
The Marina apartment is one bed/one bath with kitchen and dining area and pull-out couch.
The Heron house is located near the Grille on Waterview Drive facing the Intracoastal Waterway. It is a 3 bed/2 bath that sleeps 9.
Smoking and pets are NOT permitted.
Complete information and availability can be found at the following links:
Sunset Grille
SPECIALS
DRINK:
Blackberry Smash: Jack Daniels, muddled blackberries, mint leaves, simple syrup, soda water, shaken
CAKE:
Two Layer Lemon
VISIT OUR GIFT SHOP FOR 50% OFF
Our gift shop is selling its remaining inventory *excluding apparel* at 50% off.
No restocks! Get it while you can!