Port Manatee opens new berth

   Port Manatee said it had opened a new berth that received its first ship on Monday.
   The 492-foot long Sea Brave was tied up at Berth 12 on Monday morning, following certification by the Tampa Bay Pilots Association.
   The berth is 1,600 feet long. With a depth of 41 feet it can accommodate Panamax vessels.
   “This is a big moment for Port Manatee, our tenants, customers and the port’s future,” said Port Manatee Executive Director David L. McDonald. “To attract Class A carriers, we have to offer a Class A facilities and we’ve achieved that goal with the opening of Berth 12.”
   The new berth is part of a $200 million decade-long expansion. It is adjacent to a planned 52-acre container terminal.
   The port said it is aiming to attract new cargo that it expects in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the ongoing expansion of the Panama Canal.