Jose Gasparilla Pirate Ship set to invade Tampa on Saturday

The Jose Gasparilla Pirate Ship, surrounded by as many as 1,000 private vessels, sails into Tampa to invade the city on Saturday.

The iconic scene happens once a year and is said to be the largest marine parade in the U.S.

The Jose Gasparilla Pirate Ship, surrounded by as many as 1,000 private vessels, sails into Tampa to invade the city on Saturday.

"The flotilla, for me, is the most special part of the invasion," says Jack Timmel, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla's Jose Gasparilla Sail master. "We load it up with over 700 pirates and then local shipyards' tugboats help push and pull it."

The ship begins at Ballast Point on the morning of the invasion.

The backstory:

Harbor pilots aboard the pirate ship are on the radio with tugboat captains and law enforcement. We may not even notice the tugboats because we're focused on the pirate legend, including their ship that isn't really a ship.

"The ship is actually a flat bottom barge that was built back in 1953," said Timmel. "It actually has no propulsion of its own."

The Jose Gasparilla Pirate Ship, surrounded by as many as 1,000 private vessels, sails into Tampa to invade the city on Saturday.

READ: More than 100,000 people gather along Bayshore Blvd. Saturday for the Gasparilla Children's Parade

 The entire Jose Gasparilla voyage will take about 90 minutes, but many old pirates will be on board.

"Yes, we do have working restrooms on board," laughs Timmel. "Even though it’s a short hour-and-a-half trip, when you get 700 pirates together, there's a need."

An important detail for pirates, who are only pirates on this day on their ship, which isn't a ship, but it's an unmistakable symbol of Gasparilla.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

Gasparilla Pirate InvasionTampa