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4204 13th Street Court West, Palmetto, Florida 34221
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Nantucket Island, first discovered in 1602 and visited by too many persons to count since then, the Marlow yacht owners, owners in waiting, their families and friends visited for a weekend getaway. A very memorable visit was had by all 67 attendees.

It is an outstanding time of the year and the height of the season for this Island. With over 45,000 visitors expected to the island this weekend, it was the busiest weekend of the year! After months of planning and anticipation, the Marlow Explorer vessels arrived August 8, 2008 to the Nantucket Boat Basin. Our boats docked at a reserved area on Straight Wharf, one of three wharfs at this 240 slip marina. With an obstructed view of the Harbor, it was a perfect location. Marlow Yachts Welcome Center was set on the dock to greet the boaters and the other members of our Marlow family who ventured to the island by plane or ferry. Several boats took advantage of mooring in the protected harbor.

By cocktail hour, everyone was settled and ready to enjoy the fun filled weekend. The threat of rain earlier in the day was no where to be found Cocktail Party on the Dock

as a beautiful sunny evening created just the right ambience. During the Welcome Cocktail Party held on the docks, guests enjoyed a lavish selection of hors d’oeuvres and the bar selections proved to have something for everyone. It was wonderful to see our Explorer and Prowler owners renewing old and making new friendships. The party continued well beyond sunset, an indication that our group was indeed ready to relax and enjoy all that Nantucket, and Marlow Yachts Limited, had to offer. Yes, the invasion of this 15 miles long by 3.5 miles wide island had begun.

Saturday morning, all were invited to breakfast at the Fog Island Café. Their choice of a full menu selection lead to leisurely breakfast complete with A1 hospitality. It became a sort of gathering place as our valued customers meandered outside. After breakfast everyone explored the island on their own. For those who chose to tour the island by bus, arrangements were made to enjoy a comfortable ride in our own air conditioned bus. The narrated historical tour was delightful. The very knowledgeable narrator and driver was an older gentleman who was born, raised, and lived his entire life on the island. Some of the highlights of this tour follow.

We stopped at the Old Mill for a photo opportunity. Build in 1746, it is the oldest American windmill still in operation. The original hand-crafted wooden gears use the power of wind to grind corn into meal. The long wooden arm extension was used many years ago to attach to a horse. The horse walked around the mill to generate power as needed.

Our group learned about whole, half, and quarter houses. This type of home was determined by the number of windows on either side of the front door. The history of the window glass used in these homes, the cobblestones, and various architectural designs were explained. The "roof walks" on top of many homes were used to spot incoming whale ships or to pour sand down a burning chimney. It also became known as the "widows walk"

Nantucket sports hundreds of acres of Cranberry Bogs. We stopped to see the fields up close. Look close at the picture and you can see the green berries. In the Fall, these berries turn bright scarlet in color. They are then harvested by flooding the bogs, the berries float to the top and then wooden booms are used to rein in the crop.

The picture of the Sankaty lighthouse is just one of three lighthouses that guard the island’s northern tip, eastern shoreline and harbor. Located high on Sankaty Bluff, the lighthouse was moved 500’ back from the bluff in 2007 due to erosion.

Saturday evening, dinner was served at the most desirable location on Nantucket Harbor, the White Elephant Hotel. Once again, the weather White Elephant Front Lawn

cooperated to enhance the charm of our surroundings. The outdoor lawn setting was perfect for our cocktail reception. Overlooking Nantucket Harbor and surrounded by Hydrangeas and other beautiful colorful flowers, the conversations continued until, regrettably, the announcement was made that dinner is served.

A Nantucket clam bake was served. The exquisite display included lobsters, steamers, chowder, chicken, corn, greens, breads, and topped off by yummy seasonal cobblers. The round tables sported a special red box at each setting which contained chocolate covered cranberries created by world renowned Aunt Leah’s Fudge Shop. After dinner, an owners’ trivia was conducted by our own Tom Pride with special prizes awarded. As always, Tom makes this a fun filled time and we certainly appreciate his efforts. As a special thanks to our yacht owners, a beautiful imprinted stainless steel serving tray was given to each. We thank them for their continued loyalty. The evening was topped off by a display of fireworks, courtesy of the Boston Pops, who performed just down the road.

Sunday morning was designed to bid farewell. Once again, we met on the docks of Straight Wharf, as all were invited to partake in a continental breakfast. Freshly made baked goods from a local bakery, along with fruit, coffee and juice awaited those early risers. Most of the Yachts had plans to cruise to other Harbors so as lines were cast off and anchors weighed, we were treated to the picturesque scene of a New England Harbor bidding farewell to some of the most elegant yachts it has hosted.

MMCC Useppa Island 2008 Rendezvous

Welcome to Useppa Useppa island is only 80 acres large and located between Little Pine Island, Cayo Costa, Cabbage Key and Sanibel. All surrounded by uninhabited mangrove islands and endless sea grass flats. Whether you came by ferry or motoryacht, once you step onto the island it’s like stepping back into another lifetime. There is an atmosphere of calm and peace to the island encouraging the time and worries of the mainland to fade away with the first tide.

This was Marlow Marine’s third visit to the island and Useppa showed us yet another enchanting weekend. Useppa Island is one of the many hidden treasures along the Florida coastline; and even an island as isolated as Useppa holds a long history rich in Indian and Pirate lore. Accessible only by boat, the island’s history dates back to 8000 BC. First settled by the Paleo-Indians and later by the Calusa Indians these civilizations left behind many traces of their previous existence. It was in the late 18th century when a Spanish rancher José Caldez moved to the island and founded its first fishing settlement. If you rode the ferry to the island you may have noticed the ferry’s name was “Josefa”, named after his schooner. Some believe the name of Useppa is just a corruption of the name Josefa, mispronounced by the Seminole Indians. Others say according to lore, that Useppa was the name of a Spanish princess who was killed by Gasparilla because of her refusal to his hand. Immediately after he killed her he felt remorse and named the island in her memory.

In 1850 the United States built Fort Casey and during the American Civil War Useppa became the outpost for Union sympathizers, who launched strikes on Confederate ships. After the war, a Chicago businessman named John Roach established the first resort on the island, the resort was then sold to Barron Collier and over the next few decades the island continued to change hands. At one point, the CIA used the island as a training base for the Bay of Pigs invaders and finally in 1976 Garfield Beckstead, along with a handful of other adventurers, purchased the island. Today Beckstead is the sole owner of the Useppa Island Club which serves the resident property owners and non-resident Club members. His work on this little island community is visible as he has enhanced the islands charm with his diligent commitment to its natural beauty.

While staying on the island, you are sure to notice the strong ties to tarpon fishing. Tarpon fishing was and still is a very popular sport on the island. This island’s history with the sport dates all the way back to the mid 1880’s. On March 12, 1885 an event happened that would revolutionize the history of Tarpon fishing forever. On that date, W.H. Wood landed a 93 lb. tarpon at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. These fish are known for their dazzling acrobatics, superior stamina and awesome size. To this day people come from all over the world to fish this area. Every year the Tarpon migrate by the thousands through the mangrove island passages and deep water channels. This is the Mecca of Tarpon fishing and if you have fished these waters lately you know the secret is out.

The first evening on Useppa Marlow Marine hosted a cocktail party at the historic Collier Inn. A pink hued path thick with lush tropical foliage, exotic flowers and old Florida style cottages, each bearing its own name, leads you gently along the east side of the island from the Marina to the Collier Inn. The event was held outside on the Collier Inn patio and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. MMCC members had a chance to reacquaint themselves with old friends and welcome new members to the Cruising Club. Conversations were easily struck as all our members have at least one thing in common - a love of the ocean and boating. What better way to end a day of boating than to relax with a cocktail and mingle with like minded people while immersed in a luscious tropical setting with a spectacular view of the bay.

Friday morning the staff of the Useppa Island Fire Station conducted a safety seminar on Emergencies at Sea. The seminar was very informative and got our members thinking about the unthinkable. The seminar focused on the importance of an onboard safety plan and reiterated how important it is that everyone aboard your vessel be trained on how to handle an emergency situation. If you’ve been boating for many years, like a lot of our members, it is easy to take for granted what an inexperienced boater might not know. Simple things such as how to use the radio, what channel to use, how to communicate your location or even how to drop anchor, are all little things that can create panic in an inexperienced boater or guest. Story after story was told about situations that became catastrophic simply because a guest or family member was not educated on what to do. As follow up to the safety seminar, please remember to debrief your guests, your spouses and especially your children upon their arrival on your boat. They will feel more confident and will probably enjoy learning a thing or two about boating.

Following the seminar, we all geared up for the dinghy excursion to North Captiva Island just southwest of Useppa. Once part of the larger Captiva Island, the hurricane of 1912 split the island apart creating a separate island oasis, now known as North Captiva. For those without a dinghy Marlow Marine brought the Marlow Classic and Open Prowlers to the Island so everyone who wanted to join in could go along for the ride.

Our destination on the island was Barnacle Phils, an Island restaurant located in the middle of Safety Harbor and only accessible by boat. Barnacle Phils itself is located in a very colorful old cracker style house just steps from the water. The restaurant offers fresh seafood and Florida favorites like Conch Fritters. If you didn’t happen to be in the mood for seafood they offered other American favorites and are famous for their black beans and rice. I had their hamburger blackened and I will definitely have to go back for another. Barnacle Phil's received its name from its original creator in the 1980s, Phil Kinsey, who was the original owner of much of the island. Today the island has many residential homes but most of the island remains a state park supporting a lush pine forest and sweeping private beaches. North Captiva remains an oasis that many never get to experience. Having lunch there and arriving via dinghy ride or Marlow Prowler ride was a treat.

After lunch we celebrated, as we welcomed two new Marlow Explorer Owners and now new Cruising Club members. They received much support as they each christened their new yacht. Congratulations to Calvin and Pat Carter for their purchase of “Reel Class II” and to Eric Bierman and his son Sam on their purchase of “Way Point”. May you have many long and happy journeys ahead.

Friday evening seemed to go with the flow of the rest of the day. A relaxed and fun environment, members enjoyed the Italian Buffet served at the Tarpon bar during a spectacular Useppa sunset. Members who lucked out on Bingo won great gifts and prizes. Tom Pride hosted the “Show Me” game and those with the most unique items or traits are the winners. It is always fun to see who has what, and it is always surprising to see who contains what. After an eventful day and a fulfilling dinner everyone headed back to their island cottage or yacht to unwind for the evening. There is nothing like enjoying the tranquility and balmy breezes of the island.

Saturday morning was the start of a series of seminars featuring representatives from Awlgrip, Naiad, Sampson Insurance and High Seas Technology. The seminars ranged from what’s hot in electronics to the best way to insure your vessel based on your cruising grounds. The seminars were very informative and the reps were eager to answer all questions. Thanks to all those who attended and to the representatives who gave our Cruising Club members one on one service. After the seminars, everyone relaxed for a few hours either soaking up the rays at the beach or exploring Cocktail Contest the gorgeous island. Members took in all the islands beauty and geared up for the very competitive and serious “Official Cruising Club Drink” contest. Blenders were blaring and juices flying as they created and served their concoctions to the judges and supporting members. Spirits were literally high as judges and members alike tasted all the delicious creations; but as contests go, there can only be one winner. Congratulations to Tom and Margaret Teal, creators of the "Marlow Cruisers Mix", the now official Marlow Marine Cruising Club drink. Following the contest, everyone scattered to ready themselves for the highlight of the weekend - the Marlow Marine Masked Ball.

There was an enthusiastic turnout for the Saturday night Masked Ball, as guests and staff alike pulled out all the stops. There were incredible masks and beautiful gowns along with some very unique costumes flowing through the Tarpon Inn doors. There was no shortage of glitz and glitter to this occasion and I don’t think the Tarpon Bar has ever seen such an event. There was a juggler for kids, a palm reader for those seeking their fortune, and a caricature artist to capture the moment. It was a mini Mardi Gras and everyone was feeling the vibe. Costume contests got the crowd riled up as they yelled and screamed for the winner. In the end there was a clear winner for the costume contest. Congratulations to Pat Maurice and Joanne Huff for having the most outrageous of the outrageous costumes and to Mary Ann Bonsey for winning the Most Beads Contest. It was a memorable weekend and all seemed to have a wonderful time.

Marlow Staff Masquerading

None of these events would be possible without our adventurous and fun loving members. On behalf of Marlow Marine, I want to express thanks to all who attended as well as to our sponsors for their generous contributions. We are gratified that we have such loyal and wonderful clients; and our yearly rendezvous is just one way of saying we appreciate not only your business but your friendship as well. Thank You.

Marlow Marine Sales, Inc.