HOLIDAY HARBOR MARINA & SUNSET GRILLE
May Newsletter
Holiday Harbor Marina
LONGER HOURS STARTING IN MAY
Marina and South Store Hours
To better serve our customers during the boating season, effective May 19, 2025, the Marina will be open the following hours:
Monday – Thursday: 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday – Sunday: 7 AM – 7 PM
Marina Staff and Service
Holiday Harbor Marina and its staff strive to provide the best service possible for our customers. In the past we have been asked how tips are handled and how to go about it. Tips are not expected but greatly appreciated by the staff. We will now have a locked tip box by the front door to the store if you would like to leave one. At the end of the shift the tips will be divided equally between the crew that worked that day launching and receiving boats as they return. If you don’t want to use the box you can also give the tip to the front desk, and they will combine it with the tip box at the end of the day. We thank you for your continued support and look forward to continuing to provide you with the best possible service.
PARKING ENFORCEMENT NOTICE
To ensure that all of our customers are able to park, we will begin enforcing parking restrictions on Memorial Day weekend and each weekend and holiday through Labor Day weekend.
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 AND ALLY KAT PHOTOGRAPHY
OTHER VEHICLES ARE SUBJECT TO BEING TOWED WITHOUT WARNING!
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 23-26. 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:
1. Call at least 2 hours before you want your boat placed in the water.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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
Please make all requests for work racks as early as possible. Our work racks fill up very quickly and once they are full we cannot honor anymore request until one frees up. Also, please remember that we do not allow use of work racks on weekends or holidays or during extremely busy times to ensure everyone’s safety.
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, May 24-26, and June 1-July 31. Registration is OPEN and is $50 per boat, which includes a tournament t-shirt and other gimme items.
In the General Class, the top three single red snappers weighing the most caught during the period will split registration fees 50%, 30% and 20% (with a minimum payout of $1,000), and receive other prizes provided by our sponsors. The general class winner of the Wildcard Weight will receive a Sunset Grille gift certificate and other prizes.
Prizes will be awarded in both the HHM Account Holder ($500 gas purchase credit) and the Seatow member ($500) classes for the fish weighing the most. Members of the HHM Account Holder and the Seatow class can win in both the General class and the member classes to which they belong.
Complete Tournament Information and Rules, and the registration form, will be available on our website under the Events tab.
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
The annual Blue Angels show at Pensacola Beach is July 9 – 12, 2025. The basic schedule is Wednesday July 9 – 8:00 AM Blue Angels Circle and Fly-In Arrival of Show Participants
Thursday July 10 – 2 PM Dress Rehearsal
Friday July 11 – 11 AM Full Dress Rehearsal with civilian acts
Saturday July 12 — 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 both an on-site one bedroom apartment and a three bedroom waterfront house (the Heron House) available for rent on a short-term basis. The rental of both the apartment and the house is handled by By the Sea Vacation Rentals. Complete information and reservations can be found here:
Sunset Grille
GIFT SHOP OPEN
The Gift Shop at Sunset Grille is located at the land-side entry to Sunset Grille and offers a variety of “beachy” items, including apparel, jewelry, sunscreen, small coastal home décor, toys and stuffed animals, Christmas ornaments, and more.
The Gift Shop hours are:
Sunday – Thursday, 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday – Saturday, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Come browse our enticing array of coastal treasures.
SPECIALS
DRINK:
Melon Mirage: Midori, cucumber vodka, pineapple juice, simple syrup and splash of lime juice, shaken
PIE:
Strawberry
CAKE:
Triple layered chocolate