Two ferries readied for new life in Florida, while San Francisco's zero-emissions network progresses

Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has purchased two existing ferries, moving a step closer to launching a permanent ferry service between the downtowns of St Petersburg and Tampa, Florida.

The transit authority said in a press release that the two ferries, Bay Breeze and Clipper, have successfully completed extensive inspections and sea trials before the purchases were finalised.

One of the vessels bought by PSTA is the 150-passenger Clipper, the former San Juan Clipper operated by FRS Clipper on whale-watch cruises out of Seattle. FRS Clipper has just added a new whale-watch vessel, Emerald Clipper, from Mavrik Marine, La Connor, Washington. Designed by Australia’s One2Three Naval Architects, the new vessel will be capable of speeds of 32 knots.

The other ferry acquired by PSTA is the 1994-built Bay Breeze. Purchased from the San Francisco Bay Ferry, the 31-year-old vessel would have required upgrades to its propulsion technology to keep it operating under California emissions requirements.

Both ferries will begin new service lives in Florida. They are scheduled to be transported from the US West Coast to Florida in July aboard separate heavy-lift vessels that will transit through the Panama Canal. They will be delivered to a Fort Lauderdale shipyard, where they will undergo refurbishment, painting, and other upgrades before traveling under their own power to Tampa Bay for final testing and service preparation, according to PSTA.

“Finding the right vessels was one of the biggest hurdles in launching this service,” said PSTA chief executive Brad Miller.

A US$4.9M federal grant was used to search for, acquire, transport, inspect, and renovate the two vessels for the development of the Tampa Bay Ferry service.

No date has yet been set for the start of the ferry service, but once the vessels are refurbished and commissioned, they will be operated by Hubbard’s Marina.