As Buquebus and City officials enter their sixth year of wrangling without even a proposed start date for the long-promised Key West-Ft. Myers ferry service, officials of a Tampa company say they will start twice-daily high-speed ferry service between Bradenton and Key West this summer.
Sharon Anderson, vice president of Fast Cats Ferry Service, told Key West The Newspaper Wednesday that the company's $6 million, 100-foot-long, 150-passenger catamaran— the PurrSeaverance— will make the run in about three hours. She said negotiations are underway with officials at both the Hilton and Galleon for docking facilities here.
Tickets will cost $59 one way; $94 in the VIP lounge.
"We plan to start taking reservations in July," Anderson said, "with service set to begin in late July or early August."
The PurrSeaverance is scheduled to depart Bradenton every day at 7:45 a.m. and arrive in Key West at 10:30 a.m. It will depart Key West at 11 a.m. and arrive back in Bradenton at 2 p.m.
After refueling and cleaning, the boat will again depart Bradenton at 3 p.m. for a 6 p.m. arrival in Key West. Departure for the trip back to Bradenton will be at 6:30 p.m.
The PurrSeaverance is currently under construction in Tampa. Designed using space-age kevlar and carbon-fiber technology, the boat will be far lighter than boats constructed with steel, fiberglass or aluminum. The boat will be powered by two 1100-horsepower diesel engines.
At rest, the PurrSeaverance will sit only three feet into the water. But underway, it will ride on a cushion of air to glide over the water, rather than having to muscle through it.
"Our passengers will literally be flying," Anderson said.
Info: 941-746-1600.