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TAMPA — The new Tampa Fire Rescue boat that ran aground in St. Augustine on its way from Canada last week arrived in Tampa Monday afternoon.
The Patriot cruised under the Sunshine Skyway around noon before arriving at Davis Islands' Marjorie Park, according to Tampa Fire Rescue.
Capt. Bill Wade, Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman, has updated his Facebook page since Wednesday with news of the boat's voyage.
"I am quickly learning my posts will have to be short. At 30 knots, even in calm seas, this boat is a rockin'," he wrote.
He also posted a YouTube video of the boat, complete with Titanic-themed music.
The 69-foot, 52-ton vessel will officially be in service in a few weeks. The Station 17 crew on Davis Islands will staff the ship and respond to emergencies from the Port of Tampa to Port Manatee through the Tampa Bay shipping channel past Egmont Key, Tampa Fire Rescue said.
The new boat was paid for with a $4 million Homeland Security grant.
The boat left Ontario, where it was built by Metalcraft Marine, about two weeks ago. It ran aground at Vilano Beach on Wednesday. A towboat helped free it the next day. No one was injured.
Assistant Chief Ehlers was on the boat with Wade on Monday morning and called it "beautiful."
Reached by cell phone, Ehlers said the crews continue to be surprised at how well the Patriot performed, aside from last week's St. Augustine beaching.
"She's a very stout vessel," Ehlers said. "She's running great."
Capt. Mark Bogush, who helped organize Monday's arrival from land, said Tampa Fire Rescue has historically been largely responsible for responding to bay area fires at sea, mostly because of the association with the city's huge port.
Bogush said the Tampa Port Authority recognizes that duty by offsetting some of Tampa Fire Rescue's service costs.
Before the Patriot, the agency's largest boat was 32 feet. That "just wasn't cutting the mustard," Bogush said.
After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, rescuers across the country took a hard look at security preparedness, especially in large urban areas or big ports. Bogush called Tampa's port "a giant target," considering the volume of vessels that come and go and the chemicals they carry.
He said several years ago a maritime safety company determined that more fireboats were needed. Planning for a new boat began three years ago.
Tampa Fire Rescue now has three boats. The other two include the 32-footer and a 25-foot Boston Whaler used mostly for small pleasure craft emergencies.
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