Tampa GASPARILLA!

DDD

DDD

New Member
Oct 27, 2012
268
Tampa, FL
Boat Info
2008 45
Engines
Diesel
Any boaters/pirates in Tampa heading out in the flotilla this weekend?

We did it last year, and had a blast!

Anyone rafting up or docking downtown?
Would love to hear your ideas, as we are open to new ways to do Gasparilla.
 
Such a cool thing to do, right down town..

DDD- perfect idea for future CSR gathering, make a three day event out of it. Many here have not been part of an invasion flotilla crew into a city nor had beads thrown at them !

Capt.R

Gasparilla fan!!
 
I'm planning on going pending the weather. Forecast only a high of 67 as of now. Will need some bright sunshine at that temp. Pulling the boat on Wednesday for a good look over. Having inverter problems and may have to manually charge the batteries. I'll check back in a couple days. The more the merrier!!
 
Great!
Last year I got caught in the middle of the flotilla...
Once you're in there it's difficult to leave, due to the volume of the boats.

Thought about go ahead of the flotilla this year. Not for sure yet.

BTW.
If any of you are interested in what it is like, just go to YouTube and type in "Gasparilla Flotilla".
 
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Everyone should see it t least once in their lives. It is an amazing sight for sure, especially if the weather is nice. I will be mid ship starboard rail, let me know if you come over and what type of boat you are in. I will try and get a picture of you from the other side.
 
Aren't you afraid of the massive BUI problem and having your boat damaged? I know from experience that most of that floatilla is twice the legal limit.
 
I did it for 10+ years straight. Years past with warm weather and clear skies you were sure to see many naked women and crazy people in general. Nowadays there are too many police patroling the waterways and I've know 3 friends that got BUI's leaving there. I've seen boats get banged around. I haven't gone in 3 years for those reasons. I must say that back in the day it was a party like no other but the police are killing it. We use to run past the ship where it's staged and make our way to TGH and anchor near the seawall. We'd start drinking and then let the mayhem come to us. This way you're set up when the rush of boats come into the basin and you don't have to deal with the mess.
 
I have been a Gasparilla Krewe for many years, and out in the flotilla on my boat as well as others during the invasion. It is definetly worth doing when the weather is nice. Although I have a 100T Master's, I chose to hire a captain when I did it on my Sea Ray... that way I could have a few beers and not have to worry. I was fortunate enough to have a slip at the Marriott Waterside which is ideal as it is right in the heart of the action.

I agree with Bucit... years past were more "wild". Being in the parade itself, we always knew that as we would get to the Davis Island bridge, thing would get a little more crazy. Now the police are using the camera's that they received for the Republican National Converntion to watch over the whole area, and most people don't want to be filmed doing the real crazy stuff.

Still a fun time and I will be there Saturday, although not by boat, just in the parade.
 
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I will probably still be shoveling in Boston! I got a kick out the comment "67 degrees a little cool"??? Envious, 16 F for a high today and 10 inches of the white stuff started a 5 pm. I keep asking the kids if they want to make the move, but high schoolers, so that's out for a few years. Have fun and please bring a blanket to the party, don't want to catch a cold.
Signed, Miserable in Boston
 
Newbie here but long-time boater. Start this back up for 2017, we're in with a bunch of friends meeting to anchor and tie up just off TGH.
 
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