If it had very long tentacles, and sort of a semi-floating "air sac", you are most likely seeing Portuguese Man of Wars drifting in. Oddly enough, these aren't true "jellyfish"...they are actually a colony of organisms that are moved by the wind. (kinda like us!)
Portuguese Man of wars can have a few VERY VERY long tentacles (i'm talking a few hundred yards!) so you're going to need to keep distance from these. Their sting can actually kill. If a person/animal swims thru one for example, they cling to the skin and usually end up putting people into Anaphylactic Shock. Very scary.
Pain will not be relieved with your typical vinegar solutions, etc. The best thing you can do if on/near a boat is to gather the hot water being spit out of the engine and pour that on the sting site. Then go to the closest hospital asap. If you run into these washed up on shore, they can still sting, so be careful! Depending on wind direction, these commonly blow into beach areas and then drift away after a few days. USE CAUTION!!!
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