Tourism officials want to see Manatee County’s ferry service put even more flip-flops on the sand and take more tires off the roads.
On June 11, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Elliott Falcione asked for and received an OK from county commissioners to spend $3 million in tourist development tax money to build a third boat, enclosed for passengers, to add to the Gulf Islands Ferry fleet.
The commission will be asked to vote to authorize procurement of the boat during a June 20 meeting, just ahead of the board’s summer break.
“We don’t even want to wait another month,” said Falcione, whose agency launched the ferry in January.
He estimated construction of a third boat could take a year.
Currently, the county service runs two open-air catamarans Wednesday-Sunday between downtown Bradenton and the Anna Maria City Pier and the Historic Bridge Street Pier on the island.
In May, the service carried 14,000 passengers and Falcione estimated the boats carry “north of 200 passengers a day.”
However, inclement weather can interrupt operations. Since January, the service was suspended more than 40 days due to rough waters produced by wind and weather on the Manatee River, for example.
The third, larger boat would operate between Bradenton and Anna Maria and the boats already in operation would be stationed on Anna Maria Island as “hoppers.”
The new boat would carry 91 passengers, with 67 seats enclosed, Falcione said.
The county also is seeking a $3.4 million federal grant to expand the service, possibly adding a fourth boat, as well as secure money to build a structure to create a stop in Holmes Beach.
The county tourist development council, during a meeting June 10 in Anna Maria, discussed potential locations in Holmes Beach, including near the Waterline Villas and Marina-Autograph Collection, 5325 Marina Drive.
The ferry boats are operated under a contract with Gulf Coast Water Taxi based in Clearwater.
An expansion, Falcione said, is key to piloting a workforce program, with workers traveling between Bradenton and the island and perhaps added stops in Palmetto and east Manatee.