Key Facets:
- A pontoon boat in Tampa Bay narrowly averted Margaritaville Islander however was towed to security by the sheriff’s workplace.
- The boat turned briefly disabled when a line wrapped round its propeller because the cruise ship was approaching.
- Quick motion and a fast tow meant no accidents or lasting injury in what might have been a way more tragic incident.
It was a tense state of affairs in Tampa Bay on Sunday, August 17, when Margaritaville Islander had a detailed encounter with a disabled pontoon boat.
Luckily, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Workplace Marine Enforcement Part was readily available for help, rescuing six adults stranded within the channel because the cruise ship approached.
The incident occurred simply after 4 p.m. as Margaritaville Islander was setting sail on a 7-night Western Caribbean crusing.
The 85,600-gross-ton cruise ship had simply departed the cruise terminal and was heading south into Tampa Bay when a pontoon boat with six adults aboard turned briefly disabled.
“[Our] Marine Enforcement Part jumped into motion when a pontoon boat with six adults on board was stranded within the channel within the path of an outbound cruise ship,” the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
“The pontoon had a line wrapped across the propeller, protecting it from shifting. Our deputies performed an emergency tow and stayed till their boat was operable. We’re all the time prepared to help when bother arises!”
Video of the incident reveals the tow being undertaken whereas the cruise ship attracts nearer and nearer.
Nobody was injured and there was no injury to the cruise ship.
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐭
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) August 18, 2025
It might be very difficult for the ship to have steered away from the pontoon boat, which wouldn’t have been instantly seen to the shifting ship. Moreover, the cruise ship has to maintain a exact path down the channel to remain in a protected navigation lane for its measurement.
There have been no delays for the Margaritaville at Sea ship. The vessel spent Monday at sea and is visiting Cozumel, Ratan, Belize, and Costa Maya over the following 4 days earlier than returning to Tampa on Sunday, August 24 as deliberate.
Learn Additionally: 16 Causes You Ought to Cruise From the Port of Tampa
No different cruise ships had been in Port Tampa Bay on Sunday. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise together with Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas all homeport from Tampa.
Keep Out of the Means of Cruise Ships!
Whereas nobody is at fault on this unintentional state of affairs, aside from maybe whomever might have improperly discarded the road that disabled the pontoon boat, this isn’t the primary time a smaller boat has encountered a cruise ship in Tampa Bay.
In January 2025, two individuals and their canine discovered themselves too near a passing ship and their smaller boat was swamped by the wake and in the end sank.
In that incident, the cruise ship in query was both Radiance of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas, as each had been departing Port Tampa Bay on the time.
Whereas the smaller boat was destroyed, fortunately there have been solely minor accidents reported.
Tampa Bay is commonly impacted by poor visibility and heavy fog. To forestall some of these incidents from taking place extra continuously, the bay can be closed till situations enhance.
At occasions, this implies cruise ships could also be delayed for hours till it’s thought of protected to navigate the bay.
Visibility was not an element on this weekend’s encounter with Margaritaville Islander; in actual fact, the ship might be seen from fairly a distance.
Hopefully, this shut encounter of the cruise type will remind different boaters to remain alert to mess and hazards within the water which may trigger even greater issues than anticipated.
Disabled Boat Practically Collides With Cruise Ship in Tampa Bay
