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Santa Set To Sail In 2 Tampa Boat Parades

Tribune photo by JIM REED

Holiday boat parades abound in Florida, but few cities can say they host back-to-back parades, says Troy Manthey, president of Downtown Tampa Attractions Association.

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By RICH SHOPES

rshopes@tampatrib.com

Published: December 1, 2008

TAMPA - It's not exactly the same as shivering on the sidewalk and watching Santa roll down the street to the strains of a marching band.

This is Florida, after all. So when St. Nick goes rolling by, he often does on the deck of a yacht outfitted with garland and twinkling lights, sometimes with cocktail in hand.

"I don't know if we're the biggest, but we sure have the most variety," said Troy Manthey, president of Downtown Tampa Attractions Association, which is co-sponsoring two downtown holiday boat parades this year.

The first, scheduled for Dec. 13, is co-sponsored by the Davis Island Yacht Club. The second, set for Dec. 20, involves the Tampa Yacht Club.

Both parades will start at the tip of Davis Islands at 6:30 p.m., proceed north through Sparkman Channel, then turn west at Garrison Channel toward Channelside. The boats will circle in the channel for spectators and judges - expect this to happen about 7 p.m. - and then sail west to the Tampa Convention Center before turning south to Davis Islands.

Holiday boat parades abound in Florida, but few cities can say they host back-to-back parades, said Manthey, who has seen the events attract 30 to 60 decked-out craft each, including tugboats and yachts. Last year's parades drew a combined 80 boats.

Eight years ago, Manthey, who is also president of the Yacht StarShip, a dinner-cruise vessel moored at Channelside, was looking to attract crowds to downtown Tampa.

The Davis Island Yacht Club had thrown a boat parade yearly since the early 1980s. Manthey asked if it could be moved to Channelside, and then asked his friend John Timmel, former fleet captain of the Tampa Yacht Club, if the club would get involved, too. The back-to-back boat parade concept was born.

"The holiday season is one of those times when the hotels slow down and there's not much going on, and we wanted to drive some event that would get people downtown," said Manthey.

The first parades were minor affairs of about 10 boats each. Gradually they expanded and became more elaborate, combining private sail boats with yachts, cruisers, commercial tugs and Manthey's StarShip boat, which provides dinner and a cruise to the crew with the most elaborate boat.

Last year, a boat with a giant, lighted winking Santa claimed the top prize. A few years ago, it was Santa being pulled by dolphins. Two boats were involved. The one with dolphins was tethered to the second boat decorated to look like Santa's sleigh.

The parade doesn't require club membership. "All you have to do is enter," Manthey said.

That wasn't always the case. Back in the 1980s and '90s, when the Davis Island Yacht Club ran the parade, it was much smaller and involved less planning.

Club member Pat Linton started it by asking friends and neighbors to her Davis Islands home. To have fun, they arrived in costume and came by dinghy or canoe festooned with garland.

"One year we had the three wise men. Another year, Santa and his reindeer," said Linton, 72.

Then, after a heavy downpour one year, the parade was moved to the yacht club. After a few years, someone suggested the boats cruise up to Tampa General Hospital so the children could see them.

"It's grown ever since," said club member Herman Bips. "It's basically a Florida thing. It's a way of going out and taking your vessel and decorating it up for the holidays. Hopefully, we'll give the people on the shore a delightful experience."

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633.

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