Gasparilla<\/a> organizers and experienced boaters are urging would-be pirates to carefully consider whether joining the invasion flotilla is worth the risk.<\/p>\nFor many, the highlight of Gasparilla is the spectacle of hundreds of boats escorting Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla into downtown Tampa. The tradition was on full display this week as pirates once again demanded the key to the city \u2014 and Mayor Jane Castor once again refused.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not gonna give our city up,\u201d Castor declared, setting the stage for Saturday\u2019s invasion.<\/p>\n
But unlike the long-standing traditions of the celebration, the weather is a variable \u2014 and this year, it may not cooperate.<\/p>\n
According to the Tampa Bay marine forecast, Saturday is expected to bring sustained north winds of more than 20 miles per hour, rough and choppy bay conditions, and seas reaching 8 to 10 feet outside the channel. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect, with the potential for cold rain as well.<\/p>\n
Castor urged boaters to prioritize safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaptains understand that if you own a boat, you have to look at the seas, what the wind is going to be,\u201d Castor said. \u201cIt\u2019s always better to be cautious and stay on the land as opposed to getting out on the water.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even seasoned Gasparilla pirates say the forecast is cause for concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cRealistically, listen to law enforcement,\u201d said L.B. Sierra with Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla. \u201cWe work with everyone, including the Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife and the Sheriff\u2019s Office. Listen to what they\u2019re directing the boats and getting people warnings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sierra noted that the flotilla route has been altered in the past because of weather and could be changed again if conditions deteriorate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the wind does come in like they are predicting, it\u2019s probably not smart to be out there on a smaller vessel,\u201d he said. \u201cLeave it to the professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials say the danger isn\u2019t just the wind and waves. With hundreds of boats packed tightly together, navigating safely becomes far more difficult \u2014 especially for smaller vessels and inexperienced operators.<\/p>\n
In 1971, the flotilla itself was called off because of bad weather, though for now, the decision to participate is being left to individual boaters.<\/p>\n
Some say the choice is an easy one.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just not ideal weather,\u201d said boater Bryan Heady. \u201cI\u2019m not saying people shouldn\u2019t go out and have fun \u2014 you should come absolutely. But in an actual boat? No, probably not a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heady added that experience, boat size and heavy traffic all factor into the risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings can always go wrong,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re going into a situation where there\u2019s going to be a lot of people and a lot of boat traffic. Boats don\u2019t have brakes. It\u2019s not the same thing as a vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Safety officials echo that message, reminding boaters that Florida law requires one Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board, and that children under six must wear a life jacket at all times on vessels under 26 feet.<\/p>\n
For some would-be pirates, officials say the safest option may be enjoying the invasion from shore \u2014 and letting the professionals handle the high seas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Saturday, sustained north winds are expected to exceed 20 mph, creating rough and choppy bay conditions, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134155,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":{"0":"post-134154","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa","8":"tag-tampa","9":"tag-tampa-headlines","10":"tag-tampa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}