Hovercraft owner loses bid for ferry

ST. PETERSBURG -- Bob Wagner, the operator of the region's only Hovercraft, won't be ferrying passengers to and from Fort De Soto Park.

The Pinellas County Commission voted Tuesday to award a contract to dock at the park to Tampa Bay Ferry, which is operated by Madeira Beach charter boat captain Mark Hubbard.

Wagner, who has a history of conflict with the county, said he wasn't surprised by the vote. He claims he is being punished for his past run-ins with county officials.

"It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Bob Wagner, the troublemaker who won't bow down before the county attorneys, wasn't going to get that contract," he said.

Liz Warren, the county's parks director, said Wagner didn't submit the best bid. Hubbard's offer was more attractive, she said.

Hubbard said he plans to start offering service to the park in his 46-foot catamaran in about two weeks.

At least initially, he will make two runs a day: from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 2 to 6 p.m.

"There will be some trial and error at first," Hubbard said.

Eventually, he would like to expand his business and increase the number of trips per day.

Wagner said the ferry service to Fort De Soto Park was his idea, which he pitched to the county when he started his Hovercraft business in 2001.

But around the same time, he was cited on charges of working without a dredging permit and cutting down mangroves behind his Weedon Island home.

Wagner said the county bid the contract for Fort De Soto in retaliation for the dispute.

But Senior Assistant County Attorney Jewel Cole said officials never offered a guarantee.

When Wagner brought them his proposal, "we thought, this is probably a good idea but we have to competitively bid our goods and services," Cole said.

Wagner said he's heading to court to retrieve the $3,500 he paid the county after he was accused of cutting down the mangroves. Wagner said he wanted to fight the charges but paid the fine because he thought it would help him win the contract.

As of Wednesday, he was struggling just to keep his Hovercraft afloat.

Wagner said someone sneaked on board last Thursday night and damaged the vessel's motor fans. The vandal caused $24,000 in damage and halted his business for nearly a week, he said.

-- Carrie Johnson can be reached at 892-2273 or cjohnson@sptimes.com .

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