Gulfport

SunSpree Bingo

by PyratCapn on March 30, 2009

Wow – I’ve been working a lot lately on my “day job” projects and have fallen behind. PyratSail was forced to take a backseet to a little bill-paying, but I’m catching up. Brace yourself for a few rapid-fire posts. Beginning with – The Holiday Inn SunSpree.

Towing

The SunSpree is an amazing tropical oasis at North end of The Sunshine Skyway. It has two beautiful pools and a small beach right on Tampa Bay. Sailmonster had a bingo party/get together there the weekend of the 21st and everyone had a lot of fun along with a bit of rum punch. Me and Cannonball brought Mariola around from Gulfport and stayed at the SunSpree docks – cost was $1.50/foot for the night. Not too bad for the use of the pool, towels, ice, facilities, etc. Best part of bringing the boat over (only about a two hour ride) was that we were flagged down by a broke-down powerboater while leaving the marina. We gave him a glorious tow back to the Gulfport Marina boat ramp. That’s one for the sailors!

Once we got to the SunSpree and started enjoying the pool and Bingo, it didn’t take long for the rum to really start flowing. We all had a bunch of fun. Most of the crew retired around midnight or one, but a few of us stayed up until 6:00 a.m. This included me, CannonBall and WildTurkey.

It’s A HOT Tub

You see some strange things around the pool after midnight. From local security guards ”chasing” ganja scented teen-agers across the hotel grounds to a horny couple trying to get it on in the hot-tub. Unwilling to take-on (or possibly join) the ganja kids, we elected ourselves spa-police and put a smack down on the spa lovin’. I just felt mischeivous – could have been my approaching landmark birthday, the rum, or flashbacks of aggravating my younger brother, but I was determined to mess with the hot tub lovers. Hey, I was in that spa earlier in the day - so were a lot of people. It’s gross enough already without adding more genetic material to it. Yuk.

After going over to strike up conversation, taking a picture with Sailmonster in the background (we said he’d never seen a hot-tub before and wanted his pic with one), all three of us decide a full-out assault was needed. We stripped down to our underwear/swimwear and got in – the lovers immediately got the hell outta there.  Victory was ours, and that’s pretty much where we stayed for the rest of the night, talking politics.

spa-Raider1

Click image to see SunSpree Gallery.

Thanks to everyone that put on a great party. The SunSpree is a new favorite getaway and it’s very close to home. Hope to be back again. See some videos of the ‘ol blue jug, a Sailmonster party intro and a skillful grapeshot by Cannonball.

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Sunset Sail With Friends

by PyratCapn on January 20, 2009

This Saturday the 17th found my wife and I on Mariola in Boca Ciega Bay around 3:00 p.m. with our Sailmonster friends Ross_In_Tampa and MamaKay. The wind was flukey – all over the compass for about an hour, but the temp was a pleasant 65 or so, and of course there was beer and rum in reasonable amounts. We wandered around the bay long enough to catch an amazing sunset and feel the cold, biting air the sun left behind. We headed back with just enough light to find our way in.

Just as we stopped Mariola in her slip, our friends from Bliss walked up and we instantly decided to all head to Pia’s in Gulfport. Pia’s is a Gulfport jewel that serves the best Italian food this rum-soaked sailor has ever had. The smoked salmon lasagne is only available every so often and I’ll get it anytime I can. Outstanding! Tampa Bay sailing doesn’t get any better.

Click the pic to see gallery from the trip.
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Just got the YouTube account up and running. Here’s a vid from Saturday:

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Even 350 Miles Away, Ike Jacks Our Tides

September 10, 2008

9:00 a.m. Gulfport, Florida, high tide. Driving down to the marina to check out an expected two to three feet above normal high tide, I’m stopped halfway down 29th st, my normal route to the marina. The road is flooded. If I had a Humscalade or other monster earth wrecking vehicle I may have made [...]

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Gecko Fest 2008, Gulfport Florida

September 1, 2008

Gecko Fest 2008, two words – humid & wet. It rained, sprinkled, the breeze stopped and all the street partiers were treated to a steam bath Pinellas County style. Considering the tsunami conditions, the turnout was decent and the attendees sucked it up and had fun. Our crew arrived by car (just too miserably rainy [...]

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I Want A Pudgy Dinghy

May 8, 2008

Couldn’t resist, but hey, they named it not me. The Portland Pudgy. I saw this pudgy little dinghy awhile ago in a sailing mag and it got my attention. I have yet to need a dinghy (stop it) but always thought it would be good to have one that doubles as a life raft. I remember [...]

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