The legend was born in a bygone era of lust, treachery and deceit – the days of the Buccaneers. These bandits of the seas plied the warm water off the west coast of Florida in a ruthless quest for treasure. This is the saga of one such pirate, the most feared man ever to sail the Gulf - Harpoon Harry! Harry was a rogue of unparalleled cruelty to his enemies. The long harpoon he kept at his side found its mark on many an unsuspecting foe.

At a young age, the magic of the sea called to Harry like a sensuous siren. By age twenty he had attained the rank of Captain on the whaling ship, La Porta. The wild fury of a mighty hurricane soon brought Harry’s dream of pursuing great white whales to an abrupt end. The La Porta went down like so many before. Luckily for us, Harry survived! A passing pirate ship – The Cassiopia - came upon Harry, alone on the seas, clinging to his harpoon and a bottle of old Spanish rum.

The Captain of the Cassiopia was a heartless man, and one day drew his sword on a very young cabin boy. Harry spied the skirmish and from the quarter deck took aim. The harpoon slashed through the air and found its mark, straight through the Captain’s heart. The crew of the Cassiopia howled with joy and rewarded Harry with command of the ship.

Harry and his rakish crew enjoyed unequaled success terrorizing the seven seas and relieving many merchant ships of their valuable cargo. Harpoon Harry became a legend, his fierce reputation along with a generous nature to his friends and crew, preceded him from port to port. Harry and his crew plundered a small Spanish galleon, the La Estrella, while en route to Spain. It was laden with coffee, linens, and gold doubloons newly minted in Mexico City - treasure worth a king’s ransom. Aboard the ship was the willful and outspoken daughter of a Spanish aristocrat, the beautiful, dark eyed Bonita. Captivated by Bonita’s innocent beauty, Harry vowed true love. He wooed her with gold and jewels, only to watch her toss these treasures into the sea. He pledged his devotion and love. She vowed hatred. Bonita was doomed.

One night as the ship sailed off the Southwest Florida Coast, Bonita lowered a small dinghy over the side, climbed aboard, and cast off, undetected, into the darkness. Harry went into a passionate frenzy. For years, the Captain searched the entire Gulf coast to find the long-lost Bonita - to no avail. Pirating was ignored, no ships were seized, no treasures gotten. Finally, unable to take no more of this inattention to duty, the crew rose up and mutinied. Keeping his prized harpoon, they cast Harry adrift in another small boat in almost the same location where the lovely Bonita had escaped.

The story we like to believe has Harpoon Harry landing of the shores of Charlotte Harbor, where he discovered a fountain of youth of sorts in the love nectar from the local native girls. This potion forever mended Harpoon Harry’s broken heart and inspired him to renounce his old ways of piracy and cruelty. The young women of Charlotte Harbor soon discovered the warm tender and loving man beneath Harpoon Harry’s rough exterior.