TAMPA — When the Gasparilla Parade of Pirates rolls down Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa on Saturday, Jan. 27, keep in mind that one family of tinkerers and tradespeople has for 35 years been the primary reason elaborate floats are part of the scene. After a career in the Air Force working on F-4 and F-15 fighter jets, Hewett Rivers got pulled in to helm the many parade floats of Ye Mystic Krewe .