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3. Main Menu Site Map Intro To go to the Main Menu click on the Main Menu button at the bottom of the screen. To go to the next screen, click on the Next button. To go back to the previous screen, click on the Previous button. To go to the introductory splash page, click on the Intro button. To see the site map, click on the Site Map button. To go to the Help page, click on the Help button.

4. Main Menu Intro Help Main Menu History Intro History Intro Vessels Sub-Menu Vessels Sub-Menu Crane Intro Tours Intro Break Ground Cargo Ships Assembly Reservations Ship Cargo RO/RO Barges Tug Boats 70s/80s 90s Fast Facts 1 Fast Facts 2 Contact Info Site Map Help Today

5. Next Main Menu Site Map Intro Help The port traces its roots back to the Beeline Ferry which was located north of present-day Port Manatee on Piney Point Road. The ferry transported cars and passengers from Piney Point Road to St. Petersburg in the 1940s and 50s. Ferry service ended after the completion of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

6. Next Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help After the Beeline Ferry closed, Bradenton realtor Bob Kessler looked south from the Piney Point ferry landing in the early 1950s and envisioned a thriving seaport to promote trade and commerce and create new jobs in Manatee County. In 1965, Manatee County purchased 357 acres near Piney Point for $900 an acre to launch the Barge Port and Industrial Port, later renamed Port Manatee. The port was dedicated on Oct. 29, 1970. Bob KesslerGroundbreaking, Oct. 29, 1970

7. Next Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help A fertilizer ship, M/V Fermland, was the first vessel to dock at Port Manatee on Aug. 7, 1970. In the 1970s Port Manatee primarily served the phosphate and petroleum industries. Petroleum tank farms and fertilizer warehouses dotted the landscape where little else existed. In the 1980s, the port diversified its commodities, adding fruit, plywood, and metal. M/V FermlandPort Manatee, 1970s

8. Next Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Cruise ships began sailing from Port Manatee in the 1990s. A cruise terminal and baggage handling area were built to accommodate thousands of passengers who boarded The Regal Empress during cruise seasons. Cruise service was discontinued in 2003 due to increased cruise industry competition and increased security costs after Sept. 11 th.

9. Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Today the port has expanded its cargo to include fertilizer, fuel, fruit juices, lumber, aggregates, cement, steel, aluminum, other metals, and fruit. The Port Manatee terminal is Fresh Del Monte Produces second largest U.S. facility.Fresh Del Monte Produces

10. Barges Cargo Ships RO/RO Tug Boats Main Menu Site Map Intro Help

11. Next Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Cargo ships, sometimes known as freighters, are any types of vessels that carry goods or materials from one port to another. Ship crews may live onboard from three to eight months at a time.

12. Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Cargo ships are equipped to carry different types of cargo. Bulk cargo is loose cargo, either dry or liquid, that is loaded directly into the ships cargo holds. Breakbulk cargo is stored in boxes, bags or pallets. Containers are the rectangular storage units you see on the back of semi-trucks. Containers are the most versatile method of shipping – they can hold almost anything from food to clothing to cars. Orange juice ship -- Bulk Pineapples -- Breakbulk Bananas -- Containers Return to Vessels Return to Vessels

13. Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help RO/RO ships transport vehicles. RO/RO is short for roll on/roll off. Vehicles can be driven from the dock directly into a side hatch of the ship, allowing the ship to be loaded quickly.

14. Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help The difference between ships and barges is ships have their own engines, barges do not. A barge must be pulled by a tug boat. Since barges move slower than most cargo ships, the cargo tends to be large, heavy, and non-perishable. Barges also are used to carry fuel from Port Manatee to the Port of Tampa to fill up the cruise ships between voyages.

15. Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Tug boats help guide ships into Port Manatee by pushing, pulling and maneuvering them into place until docked. A three-person crew lives onboard a tugboat for seven days at a time.

16. Next Main Menu Site Map Intro Help The Ports Gottwald mobile harbor cranes are used to move containers and heavy cargo. Each crane weighs approximately 460 tons. Each one can deadlift 100 tons or the equivalent of two Boeing 747 jumbo jets.

17. Next Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help The cranes were custom manufactured in Germany. They were custom shipped in large sections and assembled at the port. The first crane arrived in 2007 and was one of the first cranes of its kind to be used in the United States. Its mobility, large size, and strong lifting capacity set it apart from most traditional cranes.

18. Next Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Crane Fast Facts 257 feet from ground to top of boom when extended On a clear day the cranes can be spotted from the Sunshine Skyway bridge – located several miles away Cameras are mounted throughout each crane to monitor cargo lifts and movements

19. Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Crane Fast Facts Has 28 wheels Goes about 3 mph Operator uses a remote control to move the crane around as he walks next to it. He can move it from one berth to another -- wherever the ships are.

20. Next Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Free public tram tours offer visitors a look behind the scenes at Port Manatee. Tours are available Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays from late October until mid-May. The open air tram can accommodate up to 70 people.

21. Next Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Tram tours are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Security protocols require that all reservations be made at least one week in advance. When making a reservation, be prepared to provide the date of birth, email address and contact information for each person in your party. A government-issued photo ID is required at check-in.

22. Previous Main Menu Site Map Intro Help Tour reservations can be made online at www.portmanatee.com or by calling 941-722-6621. For groups of six or more please make your reservations by phone.www.portmanatee.com