Below, you will discover our COMPLETE listing of Western Florida cruising news/postings from fellow cruisers, arranged in chronological order, based on publication date. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO NARROW YOUR SELECTION of WF cruising news to those messages which pertain to a specific geographic sub-region, locate the RED, vertically stacked menu, on the right side of this, and all Cruisers’ Net pages. Click on “Western Florida.” A drop down menu will appear, with a blue background, Now, click on “WF Regional Cruising News.” A sub-drop-down menu will now appear, listing 13 Western Florida geographic sub-regions. Select your waters of interest, and after clicking on your choice, a list of messages will appear, confined to the sub-region you have picked!
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
Fishermen’s Village JUNE Calendars of Entertainment/Events
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
Fishermen’s Village JUNE Calendars of Entertainment/Events
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor! While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
TowBoatUS Steinhatchee Under New Ownership, Continuing Trusted On-Water Assistance Along Florida’s Gulf Coast
New owner-operator Carson Mullen steps in to ensure dependable service for local boaters from Cedar Key to the Econfina River
An image of Carson Mullen, Owner-Operator of TowBoatUS Steinhatchee
STEINHATCHEE, FL – May 14, 2026 – TowBoatUS, North America’s largest network of towing ports, announced today that U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain Carson Mullen has taken the helm of TowBoatUS Steinhatchee.
With more than 152,000 BoatUS members across Florida, access to dependable on-water assistance remains an important resource for the state’s boating community. TowBoatUS Steinhatchee serves Florida’s Big Bend coastline from Cedar Key to the Econfina River, a service area extending 25 miles offshore and known for its remote access points.
Mullen brings several years of hands-on experience with TowBoatUS, having served as a captain in multiple locations before purchasing the Steinhatchee port. With peak boating season underway along Florida’s Gulf Coast, this transition ensures continuity of service for the region’s tight-knit coastal boating community while positioning the port for future growth.
A lifelong boater originally from Lake Wylie, South Carolina, Mullen grew up on the water in a family passionate about boating and water sports. After being introduced to the process of becoming a licensed captain, he quickly acted on the opportunity to build a career, eventually serving as a captain at TowBoatUS Lake Wylie before relocating to Southwest Florida.
“Boating has always been a part of my life, and being able to turn that into a career and a business is incredibly rewarding,” said Mullen, owner and operator of TowBoatUS Steinhatchee. “This is a small, close-knit boating community, and my goal is to build on the strong foundation already here while continuing to provide dependable, professional service. When Gulf Coast boaters need help, I want them to know they can count on me to get them home safely.”
TowBoatUS Steinhatchee is based at Sunset Place Marina, located at the mouth of the Steinhatchee River, where it operates a 25-foot Boston Whaler Frontier response vessel. Operated solely by Mullen, the service provides towing, fuel delivery, battery jump-starts, and assistance for boats that run aground, serving as a critical first call for recreational boaters when unexpected issues arise on the water.
Much like an auto club for recreational boat owners, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) offers on-water towing memberships for $215/year for saltwater. In addition to a BoatUS Towing Membership, members also receive more than 25 valuable BoatUS benefits including a subscription to award-winning BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration and more.
To request on-water assistance, boaters can call the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at 800-391-4869, download the free BoatUS App, which connects boaters to the closest local towing captain, call TowBoatUS Steinhatchee directly at (352) 550-3009, or hail on VHF radio Ch. 16.
About TowBoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s leading advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters. We provide more than 740,000 members with a wide array of helpful services, including 24-hour on-water towing that gets boaters safely home when their boat won’t, as well as jump-starts, fuel delivery, and soft ungroundings. The TowBoatUS towing fleet is North America’s largest network of towing ports with more than 330 locations and over 630 red towboats, responding to more than 110,000 requests for assistance each year. To learn more about becoming a BoatUS member, visit BoatUS.com/Towing and to find a TowBoatUS location closest to you, visit BoatUS.com/ServiceLocator.
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor! While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
Fishermen’s Village MAY Calendars of Entertainment/Events
Twin Dolphin Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, sits perched on the southern shores of Manatee River, just short of the Highway 41 Business bridge. We get lots of praise for this fine marina and their commitment to facility upgrades, see FOCUS ON.
Last Week to Vote for Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton’s Best!
We are honored to be nominated for Bradenton’s Best – Best Marina.
If you love what we do at Twin Dolphin Marina, we’d be honored if you’d cast your vote!
Cast your vote daily before voting closes this Friday, May 8th.
The City of Gulfport and Gulfport Municipal Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, always has a full calendar of events for all ages. The marina and harbor, found on the northern shores of Boca Ciega Bay, are easily accessible from the Western Florida ICW, just north of Tampa Bay.
May 2026 Gulfport History Museum & Gulfport Arts Center Newsletter
Gulfport Arts & Heritage is seeking board members Are you interested in Gulfport history and culture? Do you have ideas for expanding Gulfport Arts & Heritage’s programming and membership? Consider joining our board of directors! Send a statement of interest to amanda@gulfporthistoricalsociety.org.
Clam Bayou Environmental History Walking Tour: 5/2
Join Gulfport Arts & Heritage for our new walking tour exploring the environmental history of Clam Bayou, the last remaining estuary on Boca Ciega and an important strand in Gulfport’s history. Learn about the city’s early fishing industry, its environmental perils and attempts at restoration, and some of the amazing creatures who call this place home.
$15 for non-members, free for GAH members. Registration is required.
Picturing Paradise: From John James Audubon to the Florida Highwaymen – Plus! Gulfport’s Plein Air Painters Friday, May 15 at 6:00 PM at the Gulfport Public Library Please let us know if you’re attending! Your RSVP allows us to provide enough space, seating, and refreshments for everyone.
The Florida landscape has provided aesthetic inspiration to artists for centuries. Titian Ramsay Peale and John James Audubon came in search of native flora and fauna, followed by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Martin Johnson Heade, George Inness, Winslow Homer, and Henry Ossawa Tanner, who were lured by its natural beauty and warm climate. This presentation offers a succinct and engaging history of Florida’s landscape painters.
Keri Watson is an associate professor of art history at the University of Central Florida and co-executive editor for Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art. She is the author of This is America: Re-Viewing the Art of the United States (2023) and editor of the Routledge Companion to Art and Disability (2022).
In addition to this wonderful talk, Gulfport Arts & Heritage is pleased to welcome members of Gulfport’s Plein Air Painters group, who will be contributing works to a special one night show in the Gulfport Library Atrium. Please plan to arrive early to enjoy a reception and some incredible hometown artwork! Plein Air exhibit opens at 6:00 PM, Dr. Watson’s talk begins at 7:00 PM.
Funding for this Florida Talks program was provided in part by Florida Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities.
Original Gulfport Walking Tour: 5/16
The next historic walking tour is Saturday, May 16 at 3:30 PM and starts at the Gulfport History Museum.
Join Gulfport Arts & Heritage on a stroll through history in the heart of Gulfport. The tour lasts for approximately 1.5 hours.
$15 for non-members, free for GAH members. Registration is required. Check in begins at 3:00 PM.
Please note: the walking tour summer schedule begins in June and runs through September. Monthly walking tours will move to third Thursday evenings at 5:30 PM.
Online Catalog
Did you know that you can browse and search hundreds of photographs, postcards, and objects from the museum’s collection online? The catalog is updated regularly and is available to view 24/7.
See someone or something you know in the catalog? Have a story? Share your knowledge with us and the community by emailing HistoryMuseum@mygulfport.us. Email links are also available at the bottom of each entry.
Submission Deadline: May 20th Opening Reception: June 5th @5pm-6:30pm Show Dates: 6/5/26-7/8/26
This Summer, we invite artists of all ages to submit up to 3 works for a group art show inspired by the botanical. We are looking for original artwork of any medium wherein plants are used in the artmaking process, a part of the work itself, or creatively depicted in some way. This includes fruit, vegetables, flowers, ferns, herbs, and other forms of vegetation. We encourage you to consider how the flora around us impacts you and how plants can foster creativity, community, and connection to our environment.
MAY 2026 ART WORKSHOPS
All workshops listed are FREE and all materials are provided!
Registration by email is REQUIRED in order to participate in adult workshops as space is limited. Registration for kids workshops is encouraged, but not required, otherwise space is first-come-first-serve.
Trash into Texture Gelli Prints – Adult Workshop FRIDAY, 5/8 @1pm-2:45pm Create textured gelli prints using trash such as water bottles, plastic caps, bubble wrap, and more.Paper Marbling – Kids Workshop TUESDAY, 5/12 @12:45pm-2pm THURSDAY, 5/14 @5pm-6:15pm Learn how to create colorful marbled paper using oil or shaving cream and food coloring.
Mosaic Trinket Trays – Adult Workshop FRIDAY, 5/22 @5pm-6:45pm Sculpt and decorate your own trinket tray using air-dry clay and small embellishments.
DIY Scratch Art – Kids Workshop TUESDAY, 5/26 @12:45pm-2pm FRIDAY, 5/29 @3pm-4:15pm Make your own scratch art pieces using crayons, dish soap, and tempera paint!
GUEST INSTRUCTOR: Elizabeth Neily
Fast & Easy Silk DyeingWe are excited to announce Elizabeth Neily as our first guest art instructor! She is an award-winning fiber artist whose fiber art work is regularly on exhibit at Florida CraftArt in St. Petersburg and other galleries. Her fine art paintings are on display at the Brenda McMahon Gallery in Gulfport. She is the current president of Tampa Bay Surface Design Guild.
Neily’s Silk Scarf Dyeing class is fun and accessible to people of all ages. Add a bit of luxurious silk to your wardrobe or give them as gifts. This workshop will teach the COLORHUE™ method of dyeing using non-toxic, instant setting dyes.
Workshop is free with purchase of a 11″x72″ scarf ($13) or 2 scarves ($25), which participants will pay for upon arrival. Accepted methods of payment are cash (exact change only) or card. Dyes and other necessary materials will be provided.
Participants must register ahead of time by emailing ArtsCenter@mygulfport.us or calling (727)-893-1162.
OPEN COLLAGE GROUP MEETUP
BIMONTHLY, EVERY 1st & 3rd SATURDAY @3pm-5pm
MAY – May 2nd & 16th
Join us for an afternoon of collage-making with all materials provided, completely FREE! Bring your own ephemera to share or swap with others and get to know like-minded creatives in a laid-back atmosphere.
Email us at ArtsCenter@mygulfport.us to be added to our optional RSVP list and receive bimonthly reminders.
WORLD LABYRINTH DAY
This year, we are celebrating World Labyrinth Day with a free all ages activity during studio hours! Join us on Saturday, May 2nd anytime between 10am-2pm and create your own mini labyrinth collage. All materials will be provided.
OPEN STUDIO HOURS
Anyone 13+ can use our studio space to work on their own personal art projects during open hours. Studio space is provided on a first-come-first-serve-basis, reservations are prohibited. Artists must bring their own supplies.
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