Marina Bay Friday

NOTE: This is duplicate of the second part of my 5/13 post. Facebook will not let me post that report, so I’m reposting it in sections. Part one successfully posted on Facebook.

On Friday morning, we departed Safe Harbor Plymouth for our first cruise. The plan was to spend the weekend in Quincy before delivering Amazing Grace to her home slip in Onset.

The 45-mile run north was as snotty as the day of the Seatrial, but we were heading into a northeast blow.

I really like Marina Bay, but even though it’s south of Boston, it’s actually a longer ride because it’s so far inland.

As we made the turn into Marina Bay, I hailed the dock on channel nine and heard a familiar voice say, “Good morning, captain; you’re assigned to the same spot you were in last time with a starboard tie…”

Immediately, I recognized Mitchell’s voice.

He is one of the finest dockmasters in New England. He has an infectious positive attitude, is extremely dedicated to his job, and is very competent at running this large marina.

As we were trying up, Mitchell brought Nate – the manager of the newest restaurant, Sunset Pier, over and introduced us. Sunset Pier has just completed a soft opening and were getting ready for the coming sesson.

As I pondered lunch, it occurred to me that it might be possible to visit almost every restaurant in Marina Bay during this trip and post a report for future visitors. So we did, and as you may know, I published the report last week

The Restaurants of Marina Bay

We started off at the Reelhouse.

It was an instant hit, so much so that I immediately made a reservation for our upcoming visit with friends from California.

Although it was still cool, the sun shone bright, and the wind died when we returned to the boat. We had a list of things to sort out on the boat before the season got crazy.

I first wanted to try my new “system” for cleaning the flybridge windows. I never thought about it before commissioning Amazing Grace, but cleaning the flybridge windows is very difficult.

Maritimo uses Bibbo Yacht Detailing out of Port Lucie, Florida. Lias, who does the high-altitude cleaning, sent me this photo of her doing flybridge windows.

I have found a few detailers willing to hang from the hooks, but it’s not cheap and challenging to schedule. Also, I needed a way to clean the windows myself when we were away at sea.

Over the winter, I devised a plan I wanted to test out once I got to decent weather. I decided Friday was decent enough, so I tackled this first.

The idea is simple:

1. Wash the windows with a product I’ve used for years – Windex Outdoors.

I used this on my blue hull boats. It does an excellent job, and although it leaves water spots, they don’t show on a blue hull.

Not so on windows. No matter how much I rinsed them, the spots would remain until the next heavy rain.

2. Use a hose extender to wash and rinse the windows thoroughly.

Last season, I tried a long-handled squeegee and brush, but it was impossible to get leverage on the squeegee. With the extender hose, it’s almost like a “No Touch Carwash.”

3. The Killer Weapon – Aqua Crest Inline Water Filters.

These filters cost less than $10 and claim to last a season. They essentially convert hard tap water to soft rain water.

No more water spots!

While I was doing windows, Peter went to work on reorganizing the lazzerette around the new water tank. I was concerned about losing space to store our four eBikes, but it was just fine.

By the way, if you’re looking for a great eBike that folds to only 28” high, check out the Lectric XPS 3.0.

It’s a very solid bike and almost always on sale for $999.

We plan to install some stainless steel floor hooks and tie the bikes directly to the floor.

Afternoon Delight

Around 3:00, we started fiddling with the overly complex Fusion sound system. SK Marine installed a fourth zone on the Skydeck and Peter was trying to figure out how to adjust the sound.

Suddenly, we realized that the wind had died and the sun was shining. The weather app said it was 55° out but felt like 75°.

I called Mrs. horne, who was working down below, and told her she should join us. We enjoyed a summer-like cocktail party until it was time for dinner at Siros.

Marina Bay Stroll

On Saturday morning, Mrs. Horne wanted us to take a bike ride, but I suggested a long walk with a brisk wind and 50° temps instead. Although I wanted the walk, I had an ulterior motive; I wanted to scout out the area for biking in the future.

At first glance, Marina Bay looks like a large marina in a sea of condominiums, and to a certain extent, that’s what it is. But beyond the condos lies a beautiful marshland and decent sidewalks all the way to Squantum.

One of the most interesting sites on the road to Squantum were these mini memorials every 100’ or so.

Apparently, the town and community have a partnership that enables private parties (families or local businesses) to sponsor a section of the side road. We saw families doing plantings as well as a local landscape company.

As mentioned in my report on The Restaurants of Marina Bay, we had lunch at The Chantey right after a visit from our old friend John Kelly.

His better half, Krisann, couldn’t join us because she was prepping for a Kentucky Derby party. Fortunately, John sent me a photo of them looking simply marvelous at the party.

During lunch, we concocted our own Kentucky Derby Pool. Mrs. Horne loves gambing, so she scoffed at my $10 buy-in and insisted it be $30.

I said, “Fine, but only if we all put our cash in now and Peter is the banker.”

The Shops of Marina Bay

When we were here in September, I noticed there were tons of restaurants but no shopping. Before we left, I warned Mrs. Horne in an effort to curb her disappointment.

I was wrong, there are two lovely shops and after lunch we shopped both – Marina Bay Living and Denise Hajjar Clothing Boutique.

While it’s undoubtedly not Edgartown or Nantucket, Mrs. Horne found a lovely sweater, and Peter bought a gift.

Back To The Chantey

Back on the boat, we finalized the rules for the pool. We would all simultaneously text our picks to each other. Once the texts went out, they could not be changed.

I decided it was time to find an iced coffee, but when I went to grab my wallet, I realized that I had not signed the check at The Chantey and left my credit card at the bar.

A Celebrity In My Own Mind

As soon as I walked into The Chantey, Nicole spotted me and said, “Sorry, I tried to text you.” As I signed the check, a woman at the bar said, “Are you Dave Horne?”

They own a Back Cove 30 and have been loyal fans of My Buzzards Bay since Day One. My heart was warmed as Ann praised this website. She turned to the bar and said, “This is Dave Horne, and he publishes a wonderful blog.”

Nicole smirked and said, “You didn’t tell me you were famous.”

Then she gathered the bar staff, and everyone posed for a photo.

Yeah, The Chantey is definitely a fun place!

Searching for Espresso

Beaming with pride after being treated like a celebrity, I headed out looking for an iced coffee. My first stop was The Marina Bay Market. I was very impressed by the sort of Super Bodega, but strangely, there was no espresso machine.

I went to Apple Maps, entered “espresso near me,” and Port 305 popped up. No luck. I went back to The Chantey and asked Nicole. She suggested the Market and Siros – two more strikeouts. The host at Siros pointed to a shop next to Port 305, but it was on the boardwalk that was being replaced. Nevertheless, I made my way to the storefront. It was closed for remodeling, but it had signs once having offered espresso.

It’s hard to believe with all these bars, restaurants, and condos, no one has an espresso machine in Marina Bay!

And The Winner Is…

We decided to eat at a bar with TVs for the 6:57 PM running of the Kentucky Derby. The last indoor restaurant I wanted to try was Port 305, and I got a great table with TVs everywhere.

This was the closest Mrs. Horne was going to get to a casino this weekend, so she was really excited for the race to begin.

There was no volume on the TVs, so Peter attempted to call the leader, but he was calling the wrong horses!

Suddenly, the race ended with a photo finish, and Sierra Leone came in 2nd – exactly how I’d bet. Mrs. Horne had her to Show, but Commissioner Peter ruled that The Captain would collect the entire $90 by virtue of holding the only winning bet!

Sunday Departure

Our original plan was to spend Cinco d’Mayo in Plymouth, but in light of the forecast (50° and drizzle), Mrs. Horne vetoed that idea and we decided to return Amazing Grace to her home port at Onset Bay on Sunday.

Knowing the 65-mile run would take a while, we decided to eat breakfast before we set off. Unfortunately, no restaurants serve breakfast in Marina Bay (first, there was no espresso, and now, there is no breakfast either!)

Marina Bay Market

According to the internet, Marina Bay Market had an excellent deli that made all sorts of breakfast sandwiches.

So we headed out in search of breakfast. While they were making our breakfast sandwiches, I toured this Super Bodega and shot a few photos.

The Sausage, Egg, and Cheese sandwich on an everything bagel was terrific.

It was so big that I couldn’t finish it, and it had a remarkable value at $4.99.

Mrs. Horne wanted a muffin, so she ended up with Banana Walnut.

If you like to cook and eat on your boat, you can certainly find everything you need at the Marina Bay Market.

We departed Quincy Bay around 10:00 and arrived in Onset just after 2:00.

While hooking up the hose to do a quick wash down, I noticed a very nice addition to our slip courtesy of Safe Harbor Onset Bay.

We honestly could not have asked for a better home for Amazing Grace than Onset Bay. Special thanks go to John, Alyssa, Tommy, Fred, and the entire crew.

If you’re looking for a great marina in a very secure location, they still have a few open slips.

Up next – Flotilla Cruise…