41st Annual St. Petersburg Power & Sailboat Show

The boat show season is in full swing and continues with the 41st Annual St. Petersburg Power & Sailboat Show November 29th through December 2nd.

Billed as the largest boat show on the Gulf Coast, the event takes place at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, Mahaffey Theater Yacht Basin and Albert Whitted Park in St. Petersburg, FL.

The show is located directly across from the City Marina South Yacht Basin off Demens Landing and will feature a comprehensive selection of power boats and sailboats in water and on land. The latest in large yachts, family cruisers, fishing boats, runabouts, and sailing yachts are sure to delight the crowd, and the 40,000-square-foot enclosed tent will show off almost every type of marine gear available—perfect for upcoming holiday shopping.

Read now: What to do in St. Pete

If that’s not enough, kids and adults will find a variety of activities to learn about and enjoy the boating lifestyle. The IGFA School of Sportfishing hosts four free seminars on Saturday: Master the Flats for Redfish, Snook, and Trout; Targeting Gamefish on Nearshore Wrecks and Reefs; Bluewater Pelagics off Florida’s West Coast, and Pro Tips for Tampa Tarpon. Hook the Future, a program that revolves around fishing to spend quality time with your children, will host hour-long fishing clinics for kids ages 4-16 on both Saturday and Sunday.

Head to the Duke Energy Center/Mahaffey Theater and the Dali Museum if arriving by automobile. Plenty of parking is available at the municipal parking garages and at the Albert Whitted Airport alongside the show grounds; onsite parking is $10. The Downtown Looper Trolley is also a convenient option. The City Marina has transient dockage as well as a mooring field, so call now to check on available space.

stpeteboatshow.com

By Steve Davis, Southern Boating November 2018

Boat Show Schedule

Thursday, November 29: 10AM-6PM
Friday, November 30: 10AM-6PM
Saturday, December 1: 10AM-7PM
Sunday, December 2: 10AM-5PM

General Admission

FREE: “Kids Experience” for ages 15 and younger
FREE: Veterans and active duty military with ID/proof of service
$17 for ages 16 and older (valid for one day)
NOTE: No pets allowed except guide dogs and licensed working dogs

Download the St. Petersburg Boat Show 2017 Preview

A Brief History of St. Pete

How much do you know about St. Petersburg?

Coming soon: the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show. The show runs November 29th through December 2nd at two locations: Duke Energy Center for the Arts Mahaffey Theater Yacht Basin and Albert Whitted Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. A varied selection of power boats and sailboats will be on display in water and on land.

St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Rays (MLB) and The Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL), has a rich history of maintaining an equal balance of nature, culture, sport, and leisure.

In 1875, Detroit native General John Williams bought 2,500 acres of land in Tampa Bay. His vision was a grand city with graceful parks and broad streets, both of which remain in modern St. Pete. The 1920s brought an influx of tourists by auto, railroad, and yacht—making St. Petersburg a resort haven through the 1930s and 1940s. The 1950s brought retirees and snowbirds. In the mid-1970s St. Petersburg admirably built the world’s largest reclamation system and remains committed to water reclamation today.

Since the early 2000s, St. Petersburg has emerged as a top destination for the arts–the new Dali Museum opened in 2011, as well as six art districts. Numerous bars, restaurants, cafes, and breweries have popped up in the city as well. Cage Brewery is one of the best local breweries in town (known for their Mango IPA).

St. Pete is one of those rare places that has both outstanding, and slightly quirky, attractions.

First, the outstanding: visit only-in-St. Pete art attractions such as The Dalí Museum and Chihuly Collection. Family-friendly places to visit include the tranquil Sunken Gardens, Florida Botanical Gardens, the popular Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and Great Explorations Children’s Museum.

Plus, you aren’t far away from Busch Gardens or the Disney Parks—check out these and other awesome nearby attractions that are within driving distance. Working on a budget? Here are some suggestions for affordable family-friendly things to do—including quality time on our award-winning beaches, which are stunning attractions all on their own.

Get historical with a visit to pre-Columbian Indian shell mounds, called middens, which you’ll find throughout the area. Ten thousand years of local history are on display at the Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History. A moving afternoon awaits at the Florida Holocaust Museum.

And now, the unusual: Strap on a jetpack and try your hand at JetLevin the Gulf of Mexico, exclusively at TradeWinds Island Resort. How about zip lining 60-feet above a natural preserve, spotting wildlife along the way at Empower Adventures Tampa Bay? Party like a pirate on a pirate cruise out of Clearwater or John’s Pass. And at Pier 60 in Clearwater, come to say hello to our quirky street performers at sunset every single evening.

St. Petersburg is surrounded by 244 miles of shoreline, making it prime for boat shows—which is where we’ll be this weekend! If you happen to be attending the show, be sure to stop grab a copy of Southern Boating. We’ll be on the racks!

Expansion at Tarpon Point Marina

Additional docks are nearing completion at Tarpon Point Marina adjacent to the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village in Cape Coral, Florida. Sixteen slips are being added to ‘H’ dock to accommodate larger boats from 65-80 feet. Harbormaster Rick Munson says the additions will bring the total number of slips to over 200. Tarpon Point Marina offers direct access to the Gulf of Mexico via the Caloosahatchee River. The sheltered harbor is surrounded by the Westin Resort, which is home to four restaurants, boutique shops and a pool. The Westin Resort is also breaking ground to add a 40,000-square-foot conference center. tarponpoint.com

Megayacht docking comes to St. Petersburg
Construction is complete on seven megayacht slips at downtown St. Petersburg’s Harborage Marina at Bayboro. Accommodating vessels up to 200 feet in length, the custom engineered concrete floating docks provide fully enclosed power (480 volts), plumbing and built-in pump-out, and the 24-inch stressed concrete pilings are capable of withstanding a 10-foot storm surge. One resident’s 145′ Christensen megayacht I Love This Boat homeports here when not on charter. “This is the only megayacht port on the West Coast of Florida,” notes assistant dockmaster David Dabney.

St. Petersburg has shaken off last century’s moniker as “God’s Waiting Room” and is more than alive with activity, from major league baseball to its three world-class museums: Salvador Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts and the Dale Chihuly Collection at Morean Arts Center. The waterfront has turned into a foodie haven with highly rated eateries such as the Z Grille, Parkshore Grill and BellaBrava as well as traditional favorites such as Marchand’s at The Vinoy and the nearby Maritana Grille at Loews Don CeSar Hotel. harboragemarina.com

Country on the Coast
Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam, a three-day celebration of sun, fun and country music, will host its 4th annual festival on the shores of Panama City Beach, Florida, on Labor Day weekend, September 2-4. Brad Paisley, Jake Owen, The Band Perry, and Sara Evans are just a handful of the artists headlining this year’s event. gulfcoastjam.com

Suwannee River Marina
For years, the Millers were fixtures at Gulf Coast boat shows. Emblematic agents of the laid-back Suwannee River, Bill and Gloria called this place home with their houseboat and fishing rentals. Recently, the Miller family sold the marina to new owners who renamed it Gateway Marina. Fittingly, the marina is closest to the mouth of the storied river and also the Gulf of Mexico.

Major upgrades are underway, with 24-hour fuel-pay at the pump (ethanol and non-ethanol), new live bait tanks, 30- and 50-amp dockside power, and a more robust ships store. In addition to offering transient slips, Gateway will continue to rent the original fleet of 44-foot houseboats, which are ideal for large groups cruising the river. All onboard appliances and linens are updated, and you can enhance your experience with Gateway’s fishing kayak and paddleboard rentals. Be mindful of the marina’s low depth of 4 feet. gatewaymarina.us

By Alan Wendt, Southern Boating Magazine August 2016