Tall ships come in this morning

ST. PETERSBURG -- A dozen ships, from tall-masted sailboats to a wooden tugboat, were gathering at Egmont Key on Wednesday evening, preparing to sail into Bayboro Harbor this morning for Americas' Sail 2002.

Hundreds of pleasure boats were expected to accompany the ship parade, scheduled to cross under the Sunshine Skyway bridge at 9 a.m., travel almost as far north as Coffee Pot Bayou and then circle back to Bayboro Harbor, arriving between noon and 1 p.m.

The ships probably will not have their sails hoisted and will travel under power because of the bay's shallowness and the narrow channel.

"We hope that tomorrow is the most unproductive day in Tampa Bay history, as far as work goes," said Jack Glasure, president of St. Petersburg Events, the group formed to organize the festival, along with the Downtown Partnership.

A three-day maritime festival, beginning Friday, will be held at the city port. Admission will be charged for the festival and to tour seven of the eight ships that will be docked at the city port.

However, touring the U.S. Coast Guard Eagle will be free, and the tours will be accessible by a separate entrance. The Eagle, a 295-foot, three-masted training vessel, will be at the St. Petersburg port on Friday and Saturday, but will depart Sunday morning. Tours will run between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Visitors will not be allowed to bring strollers or large bags on board due to security concerns.

The lineup of ships changed slightly as one boat, the Compass Rose, was damaged by a storm in the Florida Keys and was replaced by two local sailboats.

Organizers and law enforcement emphasized several safety and organizational concerns about the event:

Boaters coming out to see the event are required to stay 500 yards from the ships in the parade. Boaters must stay at least 100 feet from the Skyway bridge supports. And once the tall ships are docked, boaters are required to stay at least 100 feet from the tall ships, said Lt.j.g. Sara Platt, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

The main shipping channel through Tampa Bay will be closed today from 7 to 11 a.m., interrupting the usual commercial traffic, said Coast Guard Lt. Latasha Pennant.

Spectators heading to the Skyway today should not stop in emergency lanes or pull off the highway to park, said Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Sterling King. But motorists can use frontage roads and park in adjacent areas.

Organizers were expecting a capacity crowd today on the third floor of the Pier, for which spectators had to buy a $25 ticket. Viewing from the Pier's lower deck is free.

Organizers hope 160,000 will buy either a festival ticket or a full-access pass including ship tours for the accompanying festival. A ticket is $10 for adults, which gets you into the festival but doesn't include ship tours. An adult ticket including ship tours is $20. Tickets are $2 less if purchased in advance.

Organizers warned festivalgoers that parking would likely involve a shuttle bus.

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