Tampa

By William E. Males

After the great task of delivering the American Victory to her now home in Tampa Bay, the next step was getting her out of the water and to start cleaning her up. However, it is only fitting that we take the time to give a hearty thanks and recognition to Gulf Coast Transit who donated the towing services, which totaled over $200,000. Unless there are other visionaries to share the coast and labors many of the great benefits we all enjoy would not exist today. But thanks to them and their contribution American Victory was safely at her new home.

By William E. Males

One of Tampa Bay’s historic treasures is the SS American Victory, a historic 1945 WWII merchant ship. This sixty four year old proud ship is now moored at her new home berth adjacent to The Florida Aquarium at Tampa Bay Port. Thanks to the efforts and donations of many volunteers, the SS American Victory has been restored to close to the beauty she once was, when she was delivered to the U.S. War Shipping Administration on May 24, 1945 by the California Shipbuilding (Calship) Yard at Los Angeles, California.

 Her original assignment was to the U.S. Army at Fort Mason, California where she was sent to Los Angeles and other West Coast cities to be loaded with military cargo. On her official inaugural trip she sailed to Manila in the Philippines and then to Shanghai, China to discharge her cargo. Later she set sail for Calcutta and Port Said, Egypt and returned in January 1946 to New York.

By William E. Males

Avast, ye mateys! It’s that time of year again for Tampa’s annual re-enactment of its famous historic pirate invasion with the Gasparilla Flotilla. For more than a century the festive people of Tampa have been faithfully celebrating this “last of the buccaneers” with a yearly celebration that takes weeks to exhaust the wind from her sails.  Arrrrgh, I tell ya me hearties, it’s a grand time to be a swashbuckling scallywag in these here warm Tampa Bay waters.

By the powers, come this Saturday at 11:30 that thar still- floating, war-waging 165 foot pirate vessel, the Jose Gasparilla, will once again sail up from the south of Hillsboro Bay laying siege upon the shores of Tampa City.