New Member - Tampa Bay - Winter Haven

Mushi Mushi

New Member
Jun 9, 2007
2
Hey All,

I'm new to boating and look forward to learning from this site. Im also looking forward to starting threads on the following subjects.

- Camper tops for smaller boats like my 2007 195 sport. Where can I get one localy. Tips on boat camping and good camping locations in central florida. Is there a small AC i can use on the boat (adding second battery for this and other electronics)

- Great places to eat like Ric's On the River in Tampa and Shephard's in Clearwater. Any others?

- Any ideas for adding a small live well to a 195 sport. Is this even a good idea? Any modification that can be made to the boat to make it a bit more fishing friendly.

Below is my first boat (still looking for a name) :)
 

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Mushi Mushi.
First welcome aboard.
Second... you will learn quickly from everyone here as long as you provide as much info as possible.
Since I'm about as far as away from you as I can get I'm not sure on your local canvas co. but around here I've seen Camper canvas on the same size boat as yours and will enable you to stay overnight with more room than the slant back or "standard" canvas package. Enjoy!
 
Mushi Mushi said:
Hey All,

I'm new to boating and look forward to learning from this site. Im also looking forward to starting threads on the following subjects.

- Camper tops for smaller boats like my 2007 195 sport. Where can I get one localy. Tips on boat camping and good camping locations in central florida. Is there a small AC i can use on the boat (adding second battery for this and other electronics)

- Great places to eat like Ric's On the River in Tampa and Shephard's in Clearwater. Any others?

- Any ideas for adding a small live well to a 195 sport. Is this even a good idea? Any modification that can be made to the boat to make it a bit more fishing friendly.

Below is my first boat (still looking for a name) :)

Welcome Mushi Mushi

I'm also a first time boat owner we got our 2006 240 SD this past October. We are also in the Tampa Bay area (Odessa, Northwest Hillsborough County) Just like you I to am learning.

To help with your questions from what I've learned here.

For Canvas try www.greatlakesboattop.com I don't think you will find it locally but great lakes boat top is who makes searay's canvas.

Check out the owner on here is MS Judy you will find him and her in the virtual marina he has a 240SD and does alot of camping on it lots of great ideas from his boat.

As for a live well, I recently found something that looked like a cool idea at Dicks Sporting Goods. It was a live well device that let you suck water into a cooler and then it made the cooler into a live well and then also could suck the water back out so you could use any size cooler. I liked this cause the fact your using a cooler which should help keep the water in it at temprature instead of boiling your bait and fish. Also it was 12volt DC and you could plug it in to the 12 volt receptical on your boat (which I assume you probably have one) or I could imagin you could wire it up directly. And since you have a smaller boat it would be handy to not having the live well when your not planning on fishing.

As for places to eat that have dock access the only one I know of you didn't mention is Bahama Breeze but I've not looked at a map as to how you gain water access to it but I'm sure there is a way.

We put in at Safety Harbor Spa in Safety Harbor but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has anything bigger then my boat even with mine it can be tough depending on the tide but I wouldn't expect you to have any problem. Go early though it gets busy and not alot of parking.
 
Welcome Aboard :thumbsup: . Post some pics of your boat in the virtual marina :smt024 .

As to the small AC unit I use a swap cooler for the small ice cooler I got at boater world. Will have to see if I can find the link for you. Check out my web site under the link sections I've got some of the trips we've done on it. If it just me I'll camp on the boat, when the wife or family is with me we do the resort/hotel thing.
 
Wow thanks Morpheus thats great info. Ill try to find some additional information and report back to the group.

Thanks again all.
 
Mushi Mushi

theres a bunch of after market canvas shops in the area and there prices for a camper package will vary depending on where they are and the quality.

I would recommend you call one of these:

All Marine Canvas - 727-524-2505
SunCoast Marine Canvas - 727-785-290

Either one should be oK and "All Marine Canvas" does a lot of work for the Clearwater Marine Max so they will probably be a little priceier. I'm currntly waiting on Suncoast to come out and make me a new Morring cover for my boat. Also since I learned the hard way; Don't use your camper package as a cover. the Stratglass just does not hold up in the florida sun.

As to the A/C, I'm sure you can find a protable A/C unit that you can have the canvas company make a special cut out for; but forget the idea of trying to run it on battery power. You'll need shore power for that, or a geny for that.

enjoy.

tom.
 

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