TAMPA, Fla. — Take Tampa!
The fully-rigged pirate ship Jose Gasparilla will emerge Saturday morning at the south end of Hillsborough Bay followed by hundreds — if not thousands — of personal [pirate] vessels. The Gasparilla flotilla will then make its way across Hillsborough Bay and into Seddon Channel (between Davis Islands and Harbour Island) and the Gasparilla Invasion will begin.
On the way to take over the city of Tampa, conditions on the water may make the invasion a little more tricky than the pirates might prefer. Coming off of a cold front that swept through Thursday morning, somewhat breezy conditions will remain in place through at least the first half of the weekend.
Small crafts will have to use a little extra caution on the waterways with choppy conditions expected throughout the day on Saturday. Winds are currently forecast to be out of the northeast from 15-20 knots but diminish to 10-15 knots into the afternoon.
Seas in the Gulf, just off the shores of Tampa Bay, are forecast to be between 2-3 feet.
By Saturday night after the pirate invasion is complete, winds are expected to shift slightly more out of the east from 10-15 knots with occasional gusts up to 20 knots.
The chop on the bay and inland waters will be a little more moderate, with seas reducing to around 2 feet.
