Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Ferries

Below are five photos documenting past, current, and possible future ferry service across Hatteras Inlet:

Ca. 1950









Ca. 1955
1959
















Current




Future Passenger Ferry?






















This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of whale and porpoise fishing on the Outer Banks. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082115.htm.

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:46 PM

    Philip

    Disembarking directly onto the beach was a welcome upgrade! Even a short trek through the salt water caused much anxiety for the safety of vehicles and passengers! Current modes offer a respite from driving and relaxation in good weather. During an approaching hurricane ferry transportation can be a wet, wild ride. Since summer traffic is so heavy on Ocracoke, the possible future option allowing passengers, but not cars might be a good idea. It is fun to see these old pictures! Thank you for the interesting posts on your blog.

    Sally

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  2. Anonymous4:13 PM

    I for one will ALWAYS take my car on the ferry..I like driving up and down the island especially in the morning and evening...I would go crazy if I were limited to a golf cart! good idea for some I suppose.

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  3. Anonymous10:08 AM

    If they are going to charge $15 a person for the passenger ferry, I don't see it being a great success. Think of a family of four...$60 vs. free...? Sorry, I'll be taking my vehicle. Though there was mention of the shuttle service visiting the north ferry dock, in which case, leaving the car behind and riding as a passenger only on the car ferry might be an option.

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  4. Anonymous10:20 AM

    on ocracoke you can buy rods, a cooler, a cooler of fresh caught fish, kayaks, air mattresses, or any number of larger high dollar items. tell me how the merchants expect to sell those items to a visitor who is only walking onto a ferry.......4 years ago I bought a used kayak from Ride the Wind...spur of the moment purchase...I can't imagine carrying that onto a ferry.. Good Luck

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  5. Passenger ferries are being proposed only as an alternative for "day-trippers," folks who just want to visit the village for a few hours, and who don't want to wait in long ferry lines (in both directions). Obviously, a passenger ferry would not (or may not) be a good option for many people (locals, visitors staying several days to several weeks, large families or groups, etc.). And there are other issues such as shuttle service in the village, arrangements for getting large purchases to the ferry terminals, etc., but those issues are being addressed, and there might be enough people for whom a passenger ferry is appealing. If so, that would leave more spaces on the car ferries for those of you who want to bring your vehicles. It could be a win-win situation. Only time will tell.

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  6. Anonymous4:06 PM

    Yeah …let’s day trip to Ocracoke, do a little swimming, laying on the beach, out to dinner, maybe a little shopping…ooops, we have to carry the chairs, blankets, coolers on the passenger ferry…if we go out to dinner where are we going to put all of this stuff…how are we going to get this stuff to the beach since we can’t drive a golf cart past Howards…let’s just take the car.

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    Replies
    1. Bring your car to Ocracoke. We have vehicle ferries. But maybe there are enough folks who will opt for passenger ferries (an addition to, not a replacement for, car ferries). If it works, everyone is happy.

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