After 30 years, historic Manatee Queen tours end
Whereabouts of boat unknown; dock site will be a wedding venue.
After more than 30
JUPITER — years, a historic boat tour in Jupiter has come to an end. The Man
atee Queen, a business that was started in 1987, drew thousands of
guests a year, even celebrities like Burt Reynolds and Perry Como. But all that remains now is a discontinued phone number and a misplaced-looking sign that says “Manatee Queen Boat” on a fence at a construction site.
The dock next to Jetty’s Waterfront Restaurant on State Road A1A, where the Manatee Queen’s boat, Dee Queen II, sat up until last week, stopped receiving guests about three months ago, said multiple sources. Where the boat went, well, that appears to be a mystery.
What’s known for sure, though, is the Manatee Queen sightseeing company is out of business, said Mark Manos, the Dee Queen’s former captain.
“The Pelican Club gave us the boot about three months ago,” said Manos, 40, of Jupiter. “It’s super sad.”
The property where the Manatee Queen docked is owned by developer Charles Modica, who bought the space for $8.3 million in 2016.
When the Manatee Queen’s lease reportedly ended, Modica signed a new lease with the Less
ing’s Hospitality Group, which is a New York-based company. Lessing’s is turning the space into an upscale wedding venue called The Pelican Club that should be completed by March.
Manos had been the Dee Queen’s boat captain for the past six years, but described the company’s recent history as complicated.
“It’s a long story, but it all started with Brian Bobbitt,” he said.
Bobbitt told The Palm Beach
Post he left Chicago for South Florida in 1968 because, like many others, he couldn’t stand the cold weather anymore. After landing in Jupiter, he tried his hands at several jobs, including an investment broker and landscape business owner, but said none of those
jobs were for him.
He wanted a career outdoors that paid well.
That’s when he came up with the idea to start a tour boat company, which gave a small glimpse into the ritzy life of those who live on Jupiter Island. He ran the company with his wife, Helen, for 25 years and along the way, they had “wondrous adventures,” Bobbitt said.
“We became great friends with Perry Como,” said Bobbitt, 71.” I used to pick him up on the boat from his house.”
The Manatee Queen, which was the name of Bobbitt’s business and boat, would take two or three trips a day. The tour consisted of a onehour of history lecture followed by Bobbitt mingling with the guests.
“My favorite part of my job was the people,” Bobbitt said. “And my lecture was the secret to the business’ success.”
But in 2012, medical issues prompted him to sell the boat and company to Douglas Schneider.
On the boat tour’s website, it says, “Purchased in October 2012, by DDMB Tours LLC. The new ownership has updated a lot of things to make your time with us as enjoyable and safe as possible.”
Three years after Schneider took over, Manos suggested the company get a new boat because the Manatee Queen was becoming unsafe. So Schneider bought the Dee Queen II and sold the Manatee Queen to the Peanut Island Shuttle Boat, which is owned by B Salt, LLC. The shuttle company made the needed repairs to the boat, a spokesperson said.
“When Doug sold the boat, he also sold the name of it, too,” Manos said. “So we would get calls asking if we are leaving from Jupiter or Peanut Island that day.”
While the original Manatee Queen boat is still running in Riviera Beach, Manos said he doesn’t know what happened to the Dee Queen II. The last time he saw the vessel, it was docked next to Jetty’s while they tried to find a new location for the 50-foot pontoon.
Manos said they had no luck because there are no docks in Jupiter that could accommodate all the cars that come with the tours.
“Parking was always a problem,” said Helen Bobbitt, who was the Manatee Queen’s first mate. “But we figured it out. We worked around it.”
The Bobbitts never took a tour on the Manatee Queen after selling it or checked in on the new owner, but said they always wondered what happened to the company. When they found out it went out of business, Brian Bobbitt didn’t seem shocked.
“I am a realist and know things eventually come to an end,” said Bobbitt. “It was a very rich part of our lives.”
The couple has retired in Tequesta, where they have a room covered with pictures of newspaper clippings about the Manatee Queen. The duo loves adventure and have been traveling the world since retiring. South Africa is next on their list of places to see.
They said they kept in touch with Manos a little bit after they sold the company and described him as “a great captain, who was well-liked.”
Despite how things ended with the Manatee Queen, Manos said he wants to continue in the boat tour business by starting his own company called “Flying Lady Tours.”
He won’t be driving a pontoon anymore, but instead a smaller boat that fits about six people. He said it will offer a more intimate and customizable tour.
“I was born and raised in Jupiter and still think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the state,” he said. “I love that I can show people from around the world a slice of Florida that I love.”