Ferry Tales

UPDATE: The Hatteras ferries will attempt a small load at 9:00 a.m. this morning. Call 252-986-2353 for more info.

There are at least three ferry loads of cars waiting in line on the Ocracoke side. The ferries will run as much as possible. Yesterday, they ran until 1:30 p.m.

Hatteras Ferry operations manager Hal Scarborough said, "This abnormal tide is just terrible. People need to understand that the channel is basically closed until the dredge comes." 

Overheard around the island Tuesday night:

"Haven't you heard? The Coast Guard shut down the Hatteras ferry indefinitely!"

"The dredge is coming, but the ferries can't run when there's dredging going on."

"The ferry might not run 'til next week!"

Distressing news, indeed. When I got home from running the various errands on which I heard the aforementioned whisperings, I called the Hatteras Inlet ferry office and talked to Elvin Hooper, who was both cordial and helpful. He was happy to give me information "straight from the horse's mouth." 

He said, "No, we are not shut down indefinitely. Nighttime operations are suspended, but we'll resume operations in the morning. We'll start trying to run after 7:30 and run as many trips as we can like we did today."  

Mr. Hooper also assured me that the Coast Guard did not make the decision to suspend operations on Tuesday. Whether or not to make a trip is up to the ferry captains' discretion, and they make the call. All agree it's too risky to run the boats at night. 

But the Coast Guard did recommend that the ferries use caution. 

"The Coast Guard is having trouble getting through the channel, too," Hooper said. "The Chief said he wouldn't run his vessels through there. The Coast Guard took some of the ferry crews out there to see the channel and they were bumping bottom in a much smaller vessel." 

Hooper said they hope to have a dredge in place and working by Saturday. Because it is a "sidecaster" dredge (there are different types of dredges – who knew?), the ferries can continue to operate during the dredging. 

"We will keep operations going as much as we can," he added. "Everyone's fully aware of the economic impact this has on Ocracoke if you don't get daytrippers."

The next few days' ferry traffic all depends upon wind and tide.

"If we could get a northwest wind – like you don't want in hurricanes – it would push more water down the sound. This southeast wind is the worst for blowing water out of the channel," said Hooper.