The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s (PSTA) has received the first of two vessels that will power ferry service between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa, Fla.

The Bay Breeze arrived at a boatyard in Tarpon Springs, Fla. and now begins refurbishment for passenger service. The second vessel, Bay Clipper, is expected to arrive in Pinellas County, Fla., in the coming weeks and will undergo refurbishment at the same facility.

The vessels were pre-owned, with the Bay Breeze coming from San Francisco and the Clipper from Seattle. The ferries were transported to the refurbishment location using heavy-lift vessels to pass through the Panama Canal.

“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,” said PSTA CEO Brad Miller. “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.”

Both vessels will be refurbished locally by Tarpon Marine Service in Tarpon Springs.

“Tarpon Marine Service is honored to be awarded the ferry vessel refurbishment project. This project will be a major boost to not only Tarpon Marine Services, but many other local specialty maritime small businesses,” said Tarpon Marine Services COO Justin Russell. “We’re excited to build a relationship with PSTA and Hubbard’s Ferry while helping shape the newest ferries that will provide great service to the Tampa Bay area for many years to come.”

The vessel purchase was facilitated by Hubbard’s Ferry, which will operate the service between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa once service begins later this year.

PSTA notes the new Tampa Bay Ferry service is being developed as a two-vessel operation, differing from the previous cross-bay ferry model by providing additional flexibility for operations and improved service reliability. With two vessels in service, PSTA will be able to continue service operations when one boat is undergoing routine maintenance, helping create a more dependable service for riders.

“Bringing the vessels here, locally, means so much to not only the city of Tarpon Springs, but also to the families and businesses of Pinellas County and our region as a whole,” said Tarpon Springs City Commissioner and PSTA Board Member Lori Weaver. “The ferry will bring business to our locally owned small businesses during both refurbishment and operation, and we are so excited that Tarpon Springs gets to be part of this historic project.”

The purchase and refurbishment of both vessels is funded by a $4.8 million Federal Transit Administration grant. The refurbishment and inspections are estimated to take several months before ferry service begins later this year.