Family visiting Tampa 4/21 - would love to sail

My family of 4 is traveling from snowy PA to Tampa, Florida for my son's soccer tournament. We will be there 4/21 through 4/25. I have never sailed anywhere other than lakes in PA and Ontario, Canada. We would love to get on the water sailing for a few hours during our trip. Is there anyone here in the Tampa area who could help us out? I'm not interested in chartering my own boat for a day - just a short sail. Thanks.

Kevin

I’d love to hear the answer to your question. We visit St Pete’s Beach almost every year and I’ve been looking for someplace where I can charter a bare boat day sailor for Tampa Bay.

Our boat is in St. Petersburg on Tampa Bay, We'd be willing to take you out for a sail on the bay. We do potentially have a race on the 23rd, but can be available on the other dates you are in the area. Please reply to pennysimone@gmail.com.

Hello, we keep our boat in the Bay area also just north of Clearwater and would be avl. for a day sail. My wife is from PA. north of Pittsburg and would love the company. Reply shawnrodel1960@hotmail.com.

Thanks to you both - you have mail. I thought I'd see if I could connect with someone and didn't expect to have a response so soon, let alone choices. As I said in my email, once we get our schedules and locations north of Tampa solidified, I'll be in touch.

Our new friends @Shawn Rodel, his racing mate and friend Paul, and Shawn's wife Sue, were tremendous hosts to our family of 4 on our free afternoon before my son's soccer tournament began near Tampa. When I explained to a friend how a forum post led to us sailing in the Gulf of Mexico on a beautiful Ericson 38-200, followed by dinner at the yacht club, they said, "Proof that the world still has good and kind people." Indeed. A sailing club friend saw a picture of me at the helm and said, "So you are shopping for a bigger boat, I take it?" I couldn't help but search to see what the going rate might be to trade up to an Ericson 32-200. Someday I expect I'll be looking more closely at that sort of upgrade and a yacht club in Erie. For now, I'll be thankful to our hosts for our wonderful experience and jealous of those who have such sailing grounds and an amazing and low key yacht club to retire to in the evening for drinks, dinner, and the sunset. For now, our little state park lake and picnic pavilion and grill will suit us just fine. Thanks again to this community. Our Ericson 25 found us through this forum, and the forum has rewarded us yet again with an amazing experience, new friends, and an invitation to return as race crew someday (I will definitely accept that invitation).