MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Anna Maria north and south Coquina boat ramps are again open to the public.

What You Need To Know

  • The north and south Coquina boat ramps are open to the public

  • Charter captains say it's a popular boat ramp to use and they are glad they are able to use it again

  • Manatee County officials say the boat ramps are back to normal operation. 

The north end just opened up Tuesday.

Manatee County officials say both ramps were significantly affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton. The county confirmed there has been repairs to the ramp infrastructure to ensure safety and usability.

Scott Moore has been working out of Anna Maria Island since the 1970s as a charter boat captain.

“This ramp here is probably the best in the county,” he said.

In recent years, this was his boat ramp of choice, but he had to find a new path to the open water after the storms.

“We had boats that had come in here on the storm and blocked it. They had to take them out that I could see, and of course, yeah, it was unsafe. You had a bunch of bunch of stuff up here. All debris and stuff had to be cleared,” he said.

This boat ramp was renamed in Moore’s honor last May. And what was formerly known as the Coquina North Boat Ramp, now the Scott Moore Boat Ramp, served as a sifting site to clean the dirty sand. 

Manatee County officials say the boat ramps are back to normal operation. 

“This is a big deal that the north ramp is open. There are a lot of boats going out of there,” he said.

Moore says it is a ramp a lot of fishermen and charter captains use. And with so many area businesses impacted by the effects of the storms, every bit of normalcy helps this industry.

With the boat ramp finally reopen, Moore hopes its smooth sailing once again for local charter captains.