The first of two vessels being prepared for a new ferry service between downtown St Petersburg and Tampa has arrived in Pinellas County, Florida.
The vessel, Bay Breeze, arrived in Tarpon Springs on Monday and will now undergo refurbishment at Tarpon Marine Service. The second vessel, Bay Clipper, is expected to arrive in the county in the coming weeks and will be refurbished at the same facility.
The ferry service is being developed by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), with Hubbard’s Ferry set to operate the service once it launches later this year.
The two vessels will be refurbished locally by Tarpon Marine Service, a maritime company based in Tarpon Springs. The work will prepare the ferries for passenger operations and will include inspections before they enter service.
Brad Miller, CEO of PSTA said:Having the Bay Breeze arrive here in Pinellas County is a major milestone and brings us one step closer to launching a reliable, sustainable, and long-term ferry service across the Bay. Both the Bay Breeze and Bay Clipper are excellent vessels, and now we can get to work on the Bay Breeze by making it service-ready and doing the same once the Bay Clipper arrives.
The purchase of the two vessels and their refurbishment are being funded through a 4.8 million USD grant from the US Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
The vessels will provide a waterborne connection between downtown St Petersburg and Tampa, offering an alternative to road travel across the Tampa Bay area.
The arrival of Bay Breeze also marks the start of the local preparation phase ahead of the planned ferry launch. Refurbishment and inspections of both vessels are expected to take several months.
PSTA said the ferry service is expected to begin operations later in 2026.
