Photo courtesy of Manatee County Government.

Last Sunday, the Gulf Islands Ferry Service made its long anticipated debut after months and months of planning, cross municipal coordination and sea trials with the Coast Guard. The ferry service, which runs from the day dock in downtown Bradenton to the Anna Maria City pier on Anna Maria Island and back, is available Friday through Sunday and takes about 35 minutes each way.

What makes the Gulf Islands Ferry Service unique from other forms of public transportation on the water is that the ferries, Miss Anna Maria and Downtown Duchess, are 50-foot open-air catamarans, capable of holding up to 49 passengers each. While the destination is the reason for the Gulf Islands Ferry Service’s existence, the journey is almost as important. Enjoying the natural beauty of Manatee River and the Palma Sola Bay, sure beats sitting in traffic for an equivalent or longer amount of time when traveling to the island. “This is an initiative to enhance multi modal transportation from the mainland to the island using that incredible asset called the Manatee River,” says Elliott Falcione, Executive Director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s an idea that’s been on the table for decades.”

While implementing an intercoastal ferry service in the heart of the Gulf Coast makes perfect logical sense, actually starting the service is another thing entirely. Because Manatee County is not as densely populated as say Pinellas County, just north of it, the Gulf Islands Ferry Service needed to be more than just an industrial water taxi system. It needed to be a destination in and of itself.

Connecting downtown Bradenton to Anna Maria Island was also more difficult than expected. As of right now, there is a second stop at the Historic City Pier at Bradenton Beach further south on the island set to arrive later this year, with hopes of adding another stop at the ever popular Coquina Beach. Anna Maria Island, however, is home to three different municipalities: Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach. Coordinating a ferry service with stops in Anna Maria Island, meant coordinating with all three municipalities.

Friday through Sunday 10am to 9pm, www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.

Photo courtesy of Manatee County Government.

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