SEVEN SAILS TO ADORN THE SUNCOAST’S HORIZON

TREASURE ISLAND, Florida – For sailing enthusiasts, dockside dreamers and anyone who loves the ocean, there is hardly a more romantic sight than a beautiful sunset back-dropping the silhouette of a gaff-rigged topsail schooner.

That scene will soon grace the waters in and around Treasure Island and John’s Pass, the inlet to Boca Ciega Bay from the Gulf of Mexico which was created by a hurricane in the 19th Century and first sailed through by pirate John Levique.

The mystique is not lost on local boat captain and Florida native Richie Mahoney, owner and operator of Suncoast Sailing, a sailing tour company offering excursions out of John’s Pass, which separates Treasure Island from Madeira Beach.

“We’re super excited to be expanding our fleet with the addition of Suncoast Horizon, which will be the only gaff-rigged topsail schooner in the Tampa Bay area,” Mahoney says.

The vessel itself is a 55-foot Merritt Walter custom designed, gaff-rigged schooner built in Old Town, Fla., in 2000. Previously, the boat sailed as the famous “Captain Kidd” in Seabrook, Texas, on Galveston Bay.

Suncoast Horizon is Coast Guard Inspected for 28 passengers and will offer daily sailing trips, including sunset cruises.

“It’s going to be an iconic sight on the horizon, if you’ll forgive the pun,” Mahoney says. “Her ability to fly seven sails will be a remarkable feast for the eyes, for sailors and land lubbers alike.”

Suncoast Sailing opened in Treasure Island in 2020, offering the only sailing experience in John’s Pass, and has quickly become one of TripAdvisor’s top attractions.

Suncoast Horizon will join Suncoast Sailing’s other vessels, including Boomerang Love, a 42-foot Whitby ketch, offering two hour sailing tours. Private charters are also available for groups, weddings, and other special events.

“We’re just really pleased to bring this new attraction to the area, especially with the increased capacity, so even more folks are able to experience the magic of sailing,” says Mahoney, who began his sailing career at the age of 4 on the mountain lakes of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Over the past 20 years, Mahoney has exposed thousands of guests to that magic on a multitude of vessels spanning the entire Gulf of Mexico, Eastern Seaboard, Bahamas, and Caribbean.

“Let’s go sailing!” Mahoney exclaims happily.