Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....VIDEO

[LX Kid]

Well it started like this. My son, granddaughter and I launched at 7:00am with calm waters and boat running beautiful. Took us about 40 minutes to run over to the famous "Skyway Bridge" between St. Petersburg and Bradenton, Florida. Dropped anchor at couple spots and noticed a front moving in rapidly with thunder and lightening. Decided to pull anchor and to find safe anchorage. Wouldn't you just know it, the carb started flooding out! Finally got her going with the rain just "pouring" down and lightening striking everywhere. Tampa Bay is the lightening capital of the world. Made a run for a lower part of the long bridge to hide under. Trying our best to keep anchored while fighting the tide and high wind, about 20 knots, from pushing us into the pilings. No motor to speak of. After the storm blew thru, about 45 minutes, I opened engine compartment to see what was wrong. Fuel was just pouring down the primaries and no chance of getting any kind of idle. We pointed the bow towards home, cleared carb and pedal to the metal home. Don't know yet if it's a float problem or too much fuel pressure. Have to check it out tomorrow. We made a video during all this for the "memories." Try and edit it soon and post it here. Glad we all got home safe and no boat damage.

See video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWkPkXzJKQk

 

[sasto]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Glad all is well, Kid.

Tampa Bay is the so-called "lightening capital".....but I'm sure you know that. Fished that area for many years

Many more returns to ya!

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

I grew up on Tampa Bay. We fished the Tampa Tarpon tournament every year in a 14ft Sears gamefisher with a 10 "brown" Johnson. Been through a few of those storms myself. Boats don't get hit often but it does happen. That was a smart move going to the lower part. They usually don't last too long.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Now with video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWkPkXzJKQk

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Try that 80 miles offshore in the middlegrounds at 2 AM. Lighting gets real impressive when there is nothing else around. We saw a huge funnel cloud this weekend that lasted for around 15 minutes. Came from the West and it looked like it came in around Don Cesar or maybe Shell Island.

How come you guys were not fishing like the other boat??? If you are going to anchor under the bridge I would suggest carrying a spare anchor.

 

[capt sam]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Just got caught 30 miles south of Marathon, storm blew up on us and there's nowhere to hide in those. One long, slow ride home....

 

[LX Kid]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Try that 80 miles offshore in the middlegrounds at 2 AM. Lighting gets real impressive when there is nothing else around. We saw a huge funnel cloud this weekend that lasted for around 15 minutes. Came from the West and it looked like it came in around Don Cesar or maybe Shell Island.

How come you guys were not fishing like the other boat??? If you are going to anchor under the bridge I would suggest carrying a spare anchor.

Wellllllll, I had the extra rope in the boat and "two anchors at home!" You situation 80 miles out is just plain "SCARY!" They were fishing at first but then they were fighting to stay off the walls like us. At least they had a trolling motor on the bow of their boat.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Its gonna happen in the summer here. There's no way around it. Wait till your offshore and the only way home is through the crap coming from the East. The days I can remember looking at the radar and telling my son its time to go below.

Buy the good thing is once you've been through a really bad one and come home alive next time isn't so scary and you do have a Grady. It will take about anything thrown at it. But I would highly recommend a least a rule 1500 or maybe a 2000 pump. Those $35.00 550 ain't gonna cut it when you take one over the bow. Or you are running in pouring rain.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Thanks for the advice on the pumps Kahuna 123. I put a new pumps last season but don't remember what GPH they were. I'll take a look at them and see. I "think" I put a 1500 in the rear bilge.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Looks like an easy day on Lake George. We got caught in some pretty nasty storms out there. Glad you got it handled and all is ok. When we vacationed in St Pete we were out in some of those nasty storms. In my dads Tahoe deckboat no less. That was scary.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....Lightening, Rain & Wind

Good the 1500 and 2000 are a different design than the cheap ones. They last forever. My Dusky had two 2000 that were in the boat when I bought it. Had it 12 years and sold it and they were still working fine. And that was a boat with no drain plug that fished at least 6 days a month.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....VIDEO

Typical Summer afternoon in FL

 

[LX Kid]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....VIDEO

Finally got around to looking into the Edlebrock carb problem. It was a float adjustment on both floats. Both the level and the float drops were out of specs and was causing fuel to overflow into the primary's. Adjusted both and now it idles beautiful and does'nt flood when the engine is turned off. Netted 3 gallons of Greenbacks this morning and going out "again" to the Skyway Bridge tomorrow morning.

 

[ngt]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....VIDEO

glad that stuff doesn't really happen here. Storms don't sneak up you like that. If it's a lightning storm, you know there's going to be one the day before. If it's sunny when you leave home, it's most likely going to be sunny when you get back. I like that a lot better.

Glad you guys made it out ok and like others have said, good thinking hitting the lower end of the bridge.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Dangerous Day in Tampa Bay....VIDEO

You got about three hours to get home. Wow this thing in the gulf is gonna get ugly. It won't hit here. Hopefully it goes to Texas and then Oklahoma. They really need it. The radar looks like its gonna be a real storm in 48 hours.