PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Pinellas County Transit Authority (PSTA) announced the purchase of two vessels that will form the foundation of the region's new Tampa Bay Ferry service.
On June 22, PSTA announced it had purchased Bay Breeze and Clipper for the new Tampa Bay ferry service.
The vessels will need to be transported from Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA, through the Panama Canal and up to Fort Lauderdale for refurbishment before they eventually end up in the Tampa Bay.
PSTA said it did not have a date when the new ferry service between Tampa and St. Petersburg would launch. PSTA said it expected the vessels to start their journey across the country this month.
This announcement comes after the previous ferry service, the Cross Bay Ferry, was discontinued at the beginning of 2025. In December 2025, PSTA approved plans to restore the ferry service with new operators.
In April 2026, PSTA announced initial plans to purchase two vessels to get the service back up and running.
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