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Ship festival short of cash, big sponsor
By JON WILSON, Times Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG -- Seven tall-masted ships, including the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Eagle and a Brazilian navy vessel, have set sail for St. Petersburg's first maritime festival. Up to 100,000 people are expected for Americas' Sail 2002, a carnival of entertainment, food, and ship tours unfolding June 27-30 at the Port of St. Petersburg on the downtown waterfront. They will play host to foreign dignitaries and such likely visitors as U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta. Black-tie balls and VIP receptions are scheduled. But with less than 10 days to go, organizers are worried about raising the $750,000 needed to pay the bills. Business people, public officials and nautical buffs have had just five months to plan the huge event. Typically, host cities have one to two years to get ready for similar events, said Don Shea, the event's general chairman. One result of the short planning period: No title sponsor has stepped forward to foot a big share of the bills. It means organizers won't reach the $300,000 they wanted to raise before the festival's first day. It's a concern, Shea said, but doesn't mean the festival won't happen. "It's not a big deal," he said. "We're quite confident that we can produce the event without borrowing. We'd love to have (a title sponsor). But through the various partnerships we've made, we'll be able to produce the event without one," he said. About 50 organizations and individuals have provided cash, services and reduced rates. A tugboat company has waived more than $40,000 in fees to dock and undock the seven ships. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg will allow exhibitors on its property, and the city has agreed to waive fees for the ships. Port director Michael Perez said he hadn't calculated exactly how much that would be, but estimated it represents several thousand dollars. "The entire Tampa Bay maritime community has really pulled together, offering free services and labor," Perez said. And the port, he said, is well on its way to being ready. Floating docks will start being installed by the end of this week along 920 feet of USF seawall, where four of the smaller ships will dock. About 900 feet of permanent port seawall will accommodate the three larger ships, which include the 295-foot Eagle, the Brazilian ship Cisne Branco, and the Insulinde, which is representing Curacao, the largest island of the Netherlands Antilles, north of Venezuela. The festival is celebrating the "prize leg" of a tall ship race from Curacao to Jamaica earlier this month. Americas' Sail, an organization promoting maritime history and education, has put on three races since 1995. Race awards will be presented at the Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa's black-tie event. Mayor Rick Baker learned in January about the possibility of bringing in the ships, which had been bound for a tricentennial celebration in Mobile, Ala. Young, R-Largo, pulled strings to have the Eagle included. Five ships left Jamaica Tuesday. The Eagle is between the Bahamas and Fort Lauderdale and a seventh ship will come up from Key West. Plans call for the ships to anchor off Egmont Key by next Wednesday. The Cisne Branco is expected to reach the port Saturday, coming in early so its crew can visit Disney World or Busch Gardens. On June 27, the ships and an escort flotilla of private boats will parade into Tampa Bay from Egmont Key. Land-bound spectators on the Pier and other points along the waterfront will see vessels built like the old-fashioned sailing ships of the 18th and 19th centuries. The parade is expected to draw crowds. "It's the swashbuckler in everybody," said port operations director Nick Christensen. During a meeting Tuesday, organizers said Cha Cha Coconuts atop the Pier has been deluged with callers wanting to make reservations. Firing broadsides from their cannons, the ships will pass the Pier twice before heading into the port, on Eighth Avenue SE between USF and Albert Whitted Airport. The festival, which will offer ship tours, bands, a three-story waterslide, pirate re-enactors, maritime exhibits, vendors and international food, will be open 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., June 28-30. Tickets are $8 advance, $10 on site. A "patron passport" for ship tours and discounts is $18 and $20. Touring the Eagle is free. Call (727) 825-3797 for information. -- Times staff writer Alicia Caldwell contributed to this story.
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