Got my new Windrose 18 in Nov. of '76, got my new daughter in Feb. of '77 and got to go to my first on-water fireworks show on July 4th, 1977.
Put in at Crandon Marina with wife, 4 year-old son and infant daughter, and sailed south around Key Biscayne, then east around the Cape Florida lighthouse and then north across Government Cut, to south Beach, in Miami.
It was a long leisurely cruise in light winds and when we crossed north of Government Cut, we saw all the boats anchoring for the evening fireworks show put on by a local bank, from a fireworks barge towed out east of the beach.
As the sun set, we anchored, ate dinner and fetched the daughter, still in her bassinet, from the cabin down below where we had been protecting her from the sun, all day.
(Too small and too young at 4 months, to fit into a child's PFD, we secured her inside the bassinet and lashed a PFD on either side of it, figuring if it worked for Moses, it would work for her.)
What a glorious fireworks show, it was! :)
I looked over at my 4 year old son and saw the awe in his expression and realized he had never seen fireworks like this, in his short life.
I felt glad and happy for him, but the real Joy came, when I looked down into the bassinet and saw the fireworks reflected in my infant daughter's big baby blue eyes.
Truly, an unforgettable sight.
After the fireworks show was over, I pulled anchor and decided to join the mob of boats and sail west through Government Cut, go under the bridge and then south into Key Biscayne and retrieve the boat at Crandon Marina.
By the time I reached the bridge, all the taller boats had already gone under and the bridge was down, so I confidently pulled out my Coast-Guard Approved triplex whistle, to signal the bridge tender to open the bridge.
Nada. >:(
OK. Sailed closer to the bridge tender box and signaled again.
Nope. >:(
Frustrated after numerous failed attempts, I sailed over to the Venetian Causeway bridge and attempted to signal that bridge tender with my approved triplex whistle.
Also, totally ignored. >:(
Sailed back to the MacArthur Causeway bridge and got there just a little too late, :'( just as a tall sports fisherman went through and the bridge went down again.
I repeatedly blasted my whistle, for all I was worth, all to no avail. :(
It had not occurred to me that the bridges had all been recently refurbished and the now-air-conditioned and sealed-glass bridge tender stations, were incapable of hearing my whistle.
But I was figuring it out, NOW. >:(
What to do, what to do?? ???
Panicked by now, at the late hour (needed to be on the job, early the next day) I sailed over to the Chalk's seaplane boat ramp, where I knew there was a pay phone.
Called up my friend Jim and woke him up.
"Jim!! :o Ya gotta come get me buddy, and drive me over to Crandon Marina to get my truck and trailer!! They won't raise the bridge for me!!" :o
(Sleepily) "Uhhh . . . . where are you?" ??? (Yeah, guess that would have been a good way to lead off, if I'd been thinking clearly.) :P
"I'm at the Chalk's seaplane ramp on Watson Island! :o Ya can't miss me! :o I'm in between two Grumman Mallards and a Grumman Albatross!" :o
In my panicked state, it had not occurred to me that my sleep-deprived and non-aviation savvy buddy, probably didn't even know the difference between a Mallard and an Albatross, but could probably do a:
Three amphibious aircraft and one sailboat . . . . hmmmm . . . . . what's wrong with this picture? ??? Type of analysis.
He finally drove up, still in a bath robe and yawning (that's when you know how good a friend, you really have) 8) and drove me over to Crandon, on Key Biscayne.
Got into my tow vehicle and trailer and drove over to Watson Island to retrieve my boat and my family, and got it rigged for the road.
And for all the grief and frustration, it was still the most memorable 4th of July I had ever had.
Picked up an air horn the following day, on my way home from work.
Happy Birthday, America.
Charles Brennan
Lots to remember indeed!
One of my favorite 4th's was back around 2007 or 8. We had recently moved to GA, bought a lake lot, built a dock, and had my Mac 26 in the water. We decided to spend the holiday on at the lake. As the sun set, we settled in to spend the night on the boat. Unbeknownst to us, a neighbor had a fireworks show set up. It turned out to be one of the best neighborhood shows you could possibly have. Unforgettable night!
Another memorable 4th took place a few years prior to that one. We were in NC where I began my sailing journey. One of my church members had a nice pontoon boat. Every year they had a show on Lake Gaston where I sailed and he kept his boat. He invited us to go and watch the show with him on his boat and it was quite enjoyable. Lots and lots of boats!!!
A third (there is a common thread to these: water!), was in MD. We drove down to the Baltimore inner harbor and watched their fireworks show.
Funny how water livens things up!