The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority board on Wednesday unanimously approved a multipart plan to launch the Tampa Bay Ferry, including an agreement with Hubbard’s Marina to operate the service.
The vote covers operating agreements with Tampa and St. Petersburg, alternative docking arrangements and a contingent purchase of a 1994 vessel from San Francisco Bay Ferry.
The deal with Hubbard’s includes a five-year operating contract with a five-year option, worth up to $16.59 million over the 10 years. Hubbard’s, a longtime deep sea fishing company out of Johns Pass, will run the ferry under the name Tampa Bay Sea Taxi Inc.
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The purchase of the 97-foot MV Bay Breeze, valued at $1.5 million with total refurbishment costs not to exceed $2.5 million, will proceed only after inspection and Federal Transit Administration approval. Hubbard’s will complete testing, refurbishment and delivery of the vessel.
“If Hubbard’s tests fail for any reason, the vessel is not recommended for purchase. PSTA and Hubbard’s will continue due diligence to find the right vessels for Tampa Bay service,” said Alvin Burns, PSTA director of procurement.
Burns said the Bay Breeze would be transported via larger shipping vessel through the Panama Canal.
“This boat is amazing,” he said. “The replacement of this boat is about $12 million. It’s been really well-maintained by the city of San Francisco and their third-party operation vendor.”
Dunedin County Commissioner Robert Walker, a PSTA board member, noted that agency staff and Hubbard’s will continue evaluating options for a second ferry.
A seasonal service, the Cross Bay Ferry, took guests across Tampa Bay for seven years but was shut down this year after the operator, HMS Ferries, failed to meet the terms of its contract regarding the use of a replacement boat.
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The 250-passenger Bay Breeze is significantly larger and faster than the Cross Bay Ferry, which carried about 150 people. If the purchase is complete, it would allow the new service to launch sooner and provide more convenient rides.
“Hubbard’s is projecting that operating this service will cut the previous ferry subsidy in half while providing reliable service year-round,” Burns said.
With Wednesday’s vote, the ferry is poised to begin operations next year once vessel acquisition and docking logistics are finalized.
The ferry will dock at a temporarily at North Straub Park in downtown St. Petersburg. The city must amend a comprehensive plan to approve a permanent stop at the St. Petersburg Museum of History by the Pier. Burns said this is expected in the coming months, before vessels are acquired.
Tampa has already approved its downtown docking site behind the convention center.
Hubbard’s, which dates to the late 1920s, when Wilson Hubbard began his charter and party boat business in Pass-a-Grille.
“My grandfather, my great‑grandfather came to region nearly 100 years and actually ferried passengers back in the barrier islands before there were even bridges,” Hubbard’s CEO Tara Hubbard said at a news conference after the vote. “Being here at this point in history and to offer this to our community is something that we feel very excited for.”