Flotilla Kickoff in Plymouth

And Mother’s Day with Mrs. Horne ❤️

We started the flotilla in 2018 on Nantucket, and although the members come and go, it’s one of the things that makes cruising so special.

We always launch Amazing Grace in late April, and since most of our friends’ boats are still on the hard, we like to host a kickoff party to start the season.

The forecast for Saturday was never better than iffy at best, but the plan was to meet on the boat in Safe Harbor, Plymouth, go for a brief cruise, and then have a late lunch at the Surfside Smokhouse.

The rain stopped Saturday morning, keeping everyone dry on the walk from the parking lot to the boat.

That said, it didn’t look like much of a day for boating.

Given that we might end up socializing on board for a few hours, I decided to put out a spread for our guests. We recently returned from a vacation in Portugal, and thus I put out a classic Portuguese charcuterie.

It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere

The crew arrived around noon, and despite the 50° temperature outside, it was quite cozy on Amazing Grace – especially as the Bloody Marys took the edge off!

Around 1:30, we headed over to the Surfside Smokehouse for lunch. If you are a regular reader here, you know I post a lot of photos of dishes at the Smokehouse, so I decided to let the crew dive into their meals and I only photographed my Burnt Ends and Rings, which were wonderful.

They were 100% legitimate Memphis BBQ, especially when paired with a mix of the housemade Gold and Hot sauces.

The flotilla group is a lot of fun. If you’re interested in meeting up with us this season, just let me know.

Hanging At The Marina

We are always going somewhere in the boat, so I am intrigued by boat owners who just hang out on their boats in the marina.

But not anymore! After the flotilla left, that’s exactly what Mrs. Horne and I did for the entire weekend, and it was quite enjoyable.

It certainly helped when the sun came out and the clouds all disappeared.

Asia Tasty

Thanks to my Portuguese Charcutterie and the late lunch, we weren’t hungry enough to go out to dinner, but Plymouth is the home to an old-school Chinese restaurant that we love – Asia Tasty, and they deliver to the marina.

We first discovered Asia Tasty in 2022…

Not only is the food delicious, but it’s one of the few restaurants left that has their own employees do delivery.

This means it arrives hot, they know where the boatyard is, and you don’t have to pay all the Uber/DoorDash upcharges.

We ordered all the basics, and the total tab was $38. I met the girl at the marina gate, gave her a fifty, and she was delighted. We enjoyed dinner than the two leftover meals!

Asia Tasty is a true gem and a throwback to days-gone-by. If you live near Plymouth and like Chinese Food, please support these fine people.

Happy Mother’s Day with Mrs. Horne

Sunday morning was bright, sunny, and the marina was alive with boaters.

Other than catering to Mrs. Horne’s every request, there wasn’t much on the agenda until an early dinner at 71° West Steakhouse.

Mrs. Horne went shopping at her favorite shop in Plymouth – Setting The Space.

Our daughter had sent her a copious supply of CRUMBL Cookies, and I gave her a few gifts in the morning, but I decided to give her a special treat, and I organized the junk drawer on the boat!

Admit it, you have one too! It was very easy to do thanks to a kit I bought on Amazon for a mere $24.

Not only was Mrs. Horne thrilled beyond words, but I found the entire process surprisingly satisfying…

71° West Atlantic Steakhouse

We discovered this place last October and we were very impressed by the ambiance, service, and steaks.

They are not on Opentable or RESY, so you do have to phone in old school style for a reservation.

We arrived at 4:30, and there were dozens of people with reservations standing around waiting to be seated (is Mother’s Day the busiest day of the year for restaurants?)

I glanced at the bar, spotted some empty seats, and Mrs. Horne went over and grabbed them.

We were immediately greeted by our server Shawn…

Mrs. Horne went with her classic steakhouse order while I continued to sample new dishes.

The bread service at 71° West is as good as it gets, but you have to ask for it and pay $5.

Oysters Rockefeller is one of those dishes that reveals a lot about a restaurant. To execute perfectly, the oysters must be cooked to the right temperature, and the ratio of ingredients must be balanced.

Mine were perfectly prepared, although a little on the cheesy side. Six for $18 is an absolute bargain.

Adding lobster to a crab cake is both unique and luxurious, so I had to give it a try.

They were delicious, but it’s a very large appetizer. I suggested they offer one for $14. If you’re interested, make it a meal or find someone to share with.

Mrs. Horne pretty much orders the same thing at every steakhouse – Filet Mignon and Mashed Potatoes, so it wasn’t a big surprise she did so on Mother’s Day.

The surprise, or rather the disappointment, was the filet itself. It simply wasn’t a good piece of meat.

In my first review, I complimented 71° West for offering small steaks, but in the end, we actually went with the larger portions.

As a chef, I know that it’s much tougher to properly prepare a small steak, and that was probably what went wrong.

We showed Shawn the sad little steak, and he brought over the manager, and they handled it perfectly.

Next time we’ll order the 10 ounce filet!

Despite the steak fail, we were fairly full, but we still studied the dessert menu intently.

We were just about to order the Caramel Bread Pudding when we remembered our daughter had sent Mrs. Horne a generous selection of CRUMBL cookies, and Joan had given us some absolutely obscene Chocolate Turtles.

We passed on dessert and planned on enjoying cookies back on the boat, watching a movie.

Movie Night

After 44 years of marriage, I know what Mrs. Horne’s perfect night looks like – an early dinner, a good movie, and plenty of sweet treats.

Unfortunately, the movie industry isn’t making movies like it used to, and thus the pickings are slim.

Mrs. Horne’s sister recommended a new Netflix movie – The Nonnas, and we gave it a look.

It was really a great movie for Mother’s Day (which is probably why they dropped it last Friday).

And of course, the cookies and sweets were icing on the cake

Teak Restoration Time

Maritimo’s are built with beautiful teak decks. Unfortunately, we have had two detailers who said they knew how to maintain teak, but didn’t. To make matters worse, one actually power-washed the teak without checking.

On Monday morning, we brought in a teak restoration specialist who will bring her back to new condition.

One Saturday, we plan to leave Plymouth and return Amazing Grace to her summer home in Onset.

Next Up: Memorial Day Weekend