Gasparilla Boat Invasion; ahhh NOPE!

[DavisIslander]

February 2nd will be the annual "Gasparilla Boat Invasion" and parade. I live on Davis Islands and we usually walk down to Seddon Channel and watch the boat invasion. It's painful to see boats "bumping and grinding" into each other.  I like the wenches on the boats but would never consider being part of this water nightmare.  Now that I'm a happy boat owner, my lovely bride asked if we could go out and participate.

I could only smile at her and say NO!

How many of you participate in this invasion and any horror stories of gelcoat damage?

 

[Capt. Troy]

I have been plenty over the years.

My last time was as a hired Captain on a big sportfish.

Things I learned,

Don't let 20 women from other boats board the vessel while doing jello shots and then get on the fly bridge and start showing their boobies. "Sure I did"

That prompted a boarding and a request for the Captain of the vessel to produce life preservers for all on board. "Had 12 pfd's"

Be prepared to do a field sobriety test cause I smelled like alcohol from all the jello shots that had been spilled all over everything including me. "passed that, wasn't drinking"

Then the boarding party ordered me to get the number of POB to match the number of PFD's
Boats owner wants to argue with them.

Get through that by miracle with no citations. Things settle down a little for the moment.

AS someone mentioned, have some way to use the bathroom.
Two boats over some guy tries to discreetly take a leak off the swim platform, all heck breaks loose as this woman says her child saw the guys junk and now the cops have him and someone was shooting video. Not sure the outcome but the guy could be facing a heck of a life changing charge for that one.

Time to leave and now I have boats going ape crazy cutting in and out. Even at idle speed trying to stop a 80,000 lb boat or change course in seconds in tight quarters every 30 seconds gets old and hard on the nerves and transmissions.

Got out in one piece and back to Maximo. Owners wife was not on board but was dang sure waiting at the dock some what annoyed by the fact that we returned with more women than we left with. Got the dock lines on and went into the salon to get my stuff and found that someone had puked in the galley sink.
Told the owner I was going to go put my stuff in the truck, that was the last he saw of me.

Soooo, Have fun, watch your six and takes some pics.

And yes the place is hard on gel-coat and cowlings for many.

[mulligan]

So the way I read it is... Leave your boat at home and find someone with a big boat and 20 drunk women?

Just kidding. Maybe 20 years ago.

[Capt. Troy]

28 minutes ago, mulligan said:

So the way I read it is... Leave your boat at home and find someone with a big boat and 20 drunk women?

Just kidding. Maybe 20 years ago.

I would go in a heart beat!

To be honest it's been about 20 years since I have been. I left out many of the details as this is a family friendly forum.

I will add that we did bring our own Cannon that year.😎

[DavisIslander]

59 minutes ago, Capt. Troy said:

I would go in a heart beat!

To be honest it's been about 20 years since I have been. .

it's gotten very crazy over the last 20 years Capt Troy! Last year I saw a beautiful Dusky get whacked so hard the cowling broke in half. Bouncing boats off the rocks along Davis Islands, shudder. No thanks, I'll watch from the Jetties and drink (Heavily)!!

[MuddyBottomBluz]

 That's strange, here in South Florida, Miami-Dade & Broward, it would be safer on the water than it would be on the streets because of this "Wheels up Guns Down" stuff. Every moron who owns a motorcycle or 4 wheeler will take over the streets. Funny part is last year two people were shot during the "MLK celebration" to bring attention to gun violence, go figure.