In 1921, a severe hurricane hit the west coast of Florida near Clearwater Beach. Its tidal surge sliced a long barrier island in two: North Hog Island and South Hog Island.
Today, we know them as Honeymoon Island State Park and Caladesi Island State Park.
Hurricane Pass, the appropriately named inlet, takes Gulf boaters into St. Joseph Sound and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway between Palm Harbor and Dunedin, just north of Clearwater. Caladesi Island to the south is accessible only by boat, but it has a marina with floating docks and water and electrical hookups, a restaurant, and kayak trails through the mangroves. A hiking path leads to what used to be the home of Henry Scharrer, who came to the U.S. from Switzerland when he was a young man.
In 1888, Scharrer worked in Tampa and bought a used sloop. During a shakedown cruise, a storm blew up so he sailed through a pass just north of Clearwater Beach and anchored in the calmer water behind Hog Island. The storm left but Scharrer admired this beautiful place with a safe harbor and stayed. He built a cabin, raised hogs, caught fish, grew vegetables, and having “proved up the land, became a U.S. citizen.”
From time to time, Cuban fishermen visited Scharrer to trade goods and exchange gifts. They loved Hog Island, too, and had described it as caladesi (beautiful bayou). Hog Island became one of Florida’s original tourist attractions, and Scharrer gave walking tours of the island to snowbirds. He met and married Kate McNally from Ireland, and they had a daughter, Myrtle. Sadly, Kate died when Myrtle was only seven, but her daughter quickly took over her mother’s chores, including gardening, gathering food, preparing meals, and baking bread. She also loved to explore Hog Island from the beach to the backcountry.
This boating-friendly city on Florida’s Gulf Coast looks toward the future without forgetting its past. Just another reason to visit Tampa.
Larry Falkif looked up and spotted an osprey off the port side and another over to starboard. “We rarely used to see these birds; now there are so many I don’t count them. They’ve more than made a comeback—they are flourishing, just like Tampa itself.” Falkif, who operates Tampa Water Taxi Company and runs a series of local voyages—a harbor tour, sunset tour, history tour, and homes of famous people tour—has witnessed the city’s rebirth over the past dozen years. Indeed, the City of
Indeed, the City of Tampa is thriving these days. Clearly on the rise, this port of call of nearly 400,000 draws boaters of all ages from across the country. It’s hip, dynamic and all about protecting its marine environment. From sightseeing and dining to shopping, fishing and catching a pro sports game, Tampa pleases even the most persnickety visitor. Better still, you can access these prospects from your own cruising platform all year long.
Falkif is happy to detail the changes and improvements he sees while sailing Tampa’s perimeter. He’ll point out small stuff that often goes unnoticed: ospreys, the latest waterfront bar or oysters growing on docks that were barren a decade ago. It’s great to have a guide to cut the learning curve, of course, but any captain worth his or her salt can sense the general vibe: This is a boating-friendly city that’s cruising in the right direction.
Situated near the mid-point along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the City of Tampa is tucked back into the protected waters of Hillsborough Bay, which itself is folded inside Tampa Bay. The downtown section is lined with newish-looking skyscrapers and attractive modern architecture. Numerous marinas provide plenty of dockage as well as easy access to the
waterfront. Edging the western shore, a Riverwalk area links high-end hotels, restaurants, museums, and parks like gems on a string. It bustles with activity yet never appears overcrowded despite both the Tampa Bay Convention Center and the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina bordering this stretch.
Also along the waterfront you’ll spy abundant riverside dining opportunities, five (soon to be nine) bridges featuring dazzling lighting after dark, the pirate ship replica Jose Gasparilla at the mouth of the Hillsborough River, the University of Tampa, and The Florida Aquarium, among other venues.
History buffs will absolutely love this place; the City of Tampa makes no bones about putting its past on display. From its first native inhabitants to Spanish conquistadors and buccaneers—several pirates have been associated with the bay although details are sometimes sketchy—you’ll find museums, theme restaurants, and venues recounting its yesteryears, often with a nautical twist.
The central point for all things historical is the Tampa Bay History Center, a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum with three floors of exhibits exploring 12,000 years of Florida’s past. Experience the stories of Seminole Indians, Cuban cigar rollers—Tampa’s Ybor City was once considered the Cigar Capital of the World—and Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders through hands-on exhibits. (tampabayhistorycenter.org; 813-228-0097)
Another place worth investigating is the Tampa Museum of Art. Its own collection features everything from ancient Greek artifacts to modern abstracts while traveling exhibits from across the country bring new and innovative works to the region. (tampamuseum.org; 813-274-8130)
Catching a Redfish
Arrrrghhhhhh! The city is famous for the annual Gasparilla Fest
Riverwalk Canopy in Tampa, FL
There is plenty to drink in the historic city.
Even the convention center has spectacular views
Davis Island is located very close to Tampa and features a top-notch marina.
Sail Pavillion– paddle and kayak to your heart’s delight.
Are you a “foodie”? If so, prepare to be overwhelmed. Tampa’s diverse culture has interwoven itself within the palate of mainstream downtown through a wide assortment of tasty and original dishes. For example, Ulele, a unique restaurant on Tampa’s Riverwalk, serves native-inspired dishes and spirits from a rich variety of multicultural influences. Menu items such as Florida Jumpers (frog legs,) Alligator Hush Puppies, Crackling Pork Shank, and Chief Red Eagle Duck will challenge your tastebuds. For dessert, try the grilled pineapple served with cannoli cream.
Other dining hot spots include Café Dufrain (on the water, terrific service), Oxford Exchange (combination restaurant, coffee bar, bookstore, and home décor store across from the University of Tampa that is a favorite for lunch), and Columbia Restaurant, where my wife and I enjoyed a fun-filled night that included a fabulous flamenco performance and some of the finest steak and seafood we have ever sampled. Located in Ybor City, it was founded five generations ago as a sandwich shop. Today, it’s Florida’s oldest restaurant and claims to be the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. It also sports an impressive wine list. (There’s a Columbia Café at the History Center if you want a sense of the flavor without a big production.)
On a more modest front, day-trippers seem to especially enjoy Ricks on the River Bar and Grille. Its casual waterfront atmosphere features a marina, live music and plenty of fresh oysters, bar bites and cold drinks. For modern Mexican flair, check out Hablo Taco in Channelside Bay Plaza, popular with local residents and hockey fans heading to Amalie
Arena to cheer on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Several craft breweries are also scattered around the downtown area.
Tampa is hot and trendy for nightlife as well; the city comes alive after dark. Be sure to stop by Fly Bar & Restaurant, a craft cocktail pioneer; Hotel Bar, offering famous hotel cocktails from around the world; and Franklin Manor, a social drinkery flush with hand-crafted cocktails, vibrant live music and nosh-worthy bar bites. To really experience a party-like atmosphere, visit during the Gasparilla Pirate Festival held in late January. Celebrated almost every year since 1904, it features a huge parade acclaiming the
legend of José Gaspar (also known as Gasparilla), a mythical Spanish pirate who supposedly operated in Southwest Florida during the early 1800s.
Of course, if you love the water and things that live in it, a trip to The Florida Aquarium is mandatory. It showcases the aquatic animals and ecosystems of Florida and the world with sharks, sea turtles, alligators, river otters, sea horses, and more. This operation
is active in research and conservation programs throughout the Sunshine State, including coral research and animal rescue and rehabilitation. No wonder its Coral Reef Gallery features a one-of-a-kind view. (flaquarium.org; 813-273-4000)
If you would rather catch fish than observe them, get ready to cast. “It’s amazing what you can hook in sight of the city skyline,” says Jason Semeyn, a local charter skipper with iTrekkers, a service paring anglers and outdoorsy types with certified guides for fishing, camping, SUP, kayaking, and other adventures.
“You’ll find redfish, snook and jack crevalle on the flats, plus sea trout over grass beds,” advises Semeyn. “In the middle of the bay, you can troll diving plugs along the edges of deep shipping channels for big gag grouper. Tampa Bay may be the only place in the world where people target grouper on the troll as opposed to bottom-fishing with bait.”
For overnight trips, Falkif says that you can’t go wrong staying at Marjorie Park Marina. “It has good service, floating docks, consistent power, and resides in a quiet city park within a no-wake zone. It’s ideal.” That’s solid advice from a skipper with a reputation for being up-front.
FOR A 10-YEAR-OLD BOY ON VACATION FROM OHIO, the offshore fishing trip with his grandfather was enough of a treat. Heading out from the New Pass Inlet in Sarasota, Florida, day boats didn’t have to travel far for tourists to have a successful day of Goliath Grouper fishing in the 1960s.
I can still remember the high pitched noise as line played out and deckhands came running to help Gramps as he struggled to land a 321-pound goliath grouper. The battle lasted nearly an hour, and for the retired bank messenger who had moved from Cleveland to Siesta Key, it was the catch of a lifetime.
Since 1990, it’s been illegal to land the goliath groupers. Overfished in the ’70s and ’80s, these beasts can top 800 pounds, measure over 8 feet in length and have been known to live at least 35 years—some marine biologists believe up to 50 years.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hosting 15 workshops across the state from the Panhandle to Naples through October to gather public input on goliath grouper management, including the possibility of a limited harvest season in Florida state waters.
Goliath grouper populations have substantially recovered since the harvest prohibition took effect. According to the FWC, “There have been increases in abundance in certain areas (Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor and the Ten Thousand Islands), and the distribution of goliath grouper populations has extended into areas of its former range throughout Florida, including the Big Bend and Panhandle regions.”
Continued regulation may be focused on areas where the species spawns and the young mature. The Ten Thousand Islands off southwest Florida is of particular interest where young goliath grouper spend up to six years in mangrove habitat—a nursery of sorts.
Interestingly, they have been known to form spawning groups of 100 or more. Courtship behavior is regularly observed at chartered wrecks or rock ledges in the eastern Gulf during the full moons of August and September. For boaters and anglers interested in attending one of the workshops, a list of dates and locations is on the FWC website myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/rulemaking/workshops.
It’s not a hostile takeover, however, like Captain Phillips experienced. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
On January 28th, Tampa’s flotilla of private pleasure craft intends to defend the city and square off against the annual pirate invasion for an epic weekend of hedonistic celebration. For 113 years, the city has surrendered amidst a cacophony of cannon fire as Jose Gasparilla, the world’s only fully-rigged pirate ship, shoots its way through thousands of boats that guard the downtown waterfront. Themed around the swashbuckling pirate Jose Gaspar, who menaced Florida’s Gulf Coast in the 1800s, the invasion is followed by a bead-throwing pirate parade that attracts a crowd of nearly half a million. This is the city’s signature social event led by Ye Mystic Krewe, a merry band of elite movers and shakers who don war paint, fake jagged scars and festive costumes.
Transient slips are ransomed for gold at the downtown Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina, Convention Center and Harbour Island docks, but if you know a resident along Harbour Island or Davis Islands that flank the channel to downtown, you may get lucky with an unused overnight slip. Now, here’s your tip. Located on the west side of Tampa’s peninsula is a hidden gem, West Shore Yacht Club, with space for vessels up to 80′. Dockmaster Ryan Smith says the weekend is popular and transients enjoy full use of the clubhouse and amenities. By boat you are less than 40 minutes away from joining the flotilla. Other marina venues close by include St. Petersburg Municipal, the nearby Vinoy Resort and marinas in and around Ruskin and Apollo Beach. Gasparilla is a weekend-long participatory sport. It’s best to bring beads for ransom and trade, plenty of that spicy brown concoction bearing the likeness of a certain pirate and ear plugs. gasparillapiratefest.com
Cabbage Key
A far less raucous destination this time of year is secluded and off the proverbial beaten path: Cabbage Key located just south of Charlotte Harbor. Every Jimmy Buffet fan knows that Jimmy sailed here, enjoyed a famous cheeseburger and maybe even signed a dollar like thousands of other mariners who continue the tradition of taping a beer buck to the ceiling. What you may have overlooked are the unpretentious docks with power for an overnight stay. The Inn and famous restaurant sit atop a 30-foot-tall Indian shell mound. Climb the water tower for an incomparable view of nearby Useppa Island Club to the east and Gulf of Mexico to the west. Dinner, the honky-tonk piano and stories well into the night, coupled with a lush, island-like display of tropical flora and fauna help you forget that the mainland and all those tourists covered in oil are just a few miles away. Not to be overlooked is pulling in for a simple breakfast of pancakes and eggs. Winter is an ideal time to visit. The air temperature is perfect and sunsets are as pink as steamed Gulf shrimp, but running the protected ICW is often necessary thanks to the weekly cold front that riles up the Gulf for a day or two. Docks that were rebuilt after a couple of hurricanes a decade ago are solid and well suited for yacht traffic. cabbagekey.com
By Alan Wendt, Southern Boating Magazine January 2017
The Corpus Christi Marina now has 600 slips, cruiser’s facilities, three yacht clubs, and a massive public boat ramp. The improvements to the marina district have inspired a Greater Downtown Area of culture, sports, convention and hospitality venues.
The premier boating destination on the Texas Gulf Coast, caps a successful summer of expansion with the dedication of 35 more slips for boats 30 to 45 feet in length—the seventh major addition in the past 16 years.
Infrastructure Improvements
Since 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided $1,764,050 in federal funds via Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) grants specifically targeted at an improved marina infrastructure, access for boaters and improved sanitary facilities to maintain clean water.
The grant monies, matched by the City of Corpus Christi and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, have built modern septic pump-outs, restrooms and showers, a laundry, meeting rooms, a four-lane boat ramp, and more than 80 slips for boats greater than 26 feet in length at the Corpus Christi Marina.
“This marina is hugely important to both boaters and anglers on the Texas Gulf Coast, and exemplifies how the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program works in partnership with others to improve boating access and infrastructures,” says Cliff Schleusner, Chief of WSFR in the Southwest Region. “Boaters and anglers paid for it in excise tax, and now they and others reap the benefits.”
The new infrastructure replaces outdated and decayed materials and should better withstand the forces of future hurricanes. A part of the infrastructure upgrades includes Internet systems needed for navigation.
While the marina is the anchor on the Bayfront, civic leaders and business owners continue to expand what’s known as the Marina Arts District. The area features a vibrant nightlife, music scene, art galleries and outdoor art, along with many weekend festivals. marinaarts.com
