The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division is a branch of NCDOT that is responsible for the operation of over two dozen ferry services that transport passengers and vehicles to several islands along the

Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. Three other inland, cable ferries — the

Elwell Ferry Elwell Ferry is an inland cable ferry which has operated since 1905 on Elwell Ferry Road between NC Highway 53 and NC Highway 87, crossing the Cape Fear River and connecting the communities of Carvers Creek and Kelly in Bladen County, North Carol ...

, Parker's Ferry and Sans Souci Ferry — continue in operation, under the oversight of the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

History

Ferries have always played a vital role to the residents and visitors of Eastern

. The first ferries began in the mid-1920s when Captain J.B. "Toby" Tillett established a tug and barge service across

Oregon Inlet Oregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by the 2.8 mile Marc Basnight Bridge that spans the inlet. As one of th ...

along North Carolina's Outer Banks. In 1934, the North Carolina Highway Commission recognized the importance of this service to residents and began subsidizing Tillett's business. These subsidies kept tolls at an affordable level. In 1942, the Highway Commission began full reimbursement to eliminate the tolls. Tillett was fully subsidized until 1950 when his business was sold to the state. In 1947, the Commission purchased the ferry operations of T.A. Baum, who operated a route that ran across

Croatan Sound Croatan Sound is an inlet in Dare County, North Carolina. It connects Pamlico Sound with Albemarle Sound, and is bordered to the east by Roanoke Island; Roanoke Sound is on the other side of the island. Its name comes from the Croatan Indians wh ...

and linked Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island. This became the first route of the N.C. Ferry System.

Today

The North Carolina Department of Transportation's Ferry Division extends over seven routes, one emergency route, has 22 ferries, and employs over 400 workers. The operations are supported by a full service shipyard at Manns Harbor and 10 support vessels, including dredge, military-style landing craft utility vehicles ( LCUs), tugs, and barges. The Ferry Division operates over 200 sailings, with the ferries covering each day. The system includes the world's longest fare-free ferry route. Each year, North Carolina ferries transport nearly 1 million vehicles and more than 2 million passengers across five separate bodies of water - the Currituck and

Pamlico The Pamlico (also ''Pampticough'', ''Pomouik'', ''Pomeiok'') were American Indians of North Carolina. They spoke an Algonquian language also known as ''Pamlico'' or ''Carolina Algonquian''. Geography The Pamlico Indians lived on the P ...

sounds and the Cape Fear, Neuse, and

rivers. Ferries also carry essential goods to water-locked communities. Many residents depend on the ferries for transportation to school, work, and other needed services.

Types of ferry boats

Hatteras Class

The North Carolina Ferry System operates seven Hatteras Class ferries. These Vessels draft only 4 feet, and are designed for the shallow waters and shifting shoals of Eastern North Carolina. Originally designed to carry 150 passengers, these ferries have been downrated to carry only 149 passengers with the introduction of new regulations regarding ferries capable of carrying 150 or more passengers.

River Class

The Ferry System operates ten River Class ferries. These boats are designed for heavy, abusive use, and are double-ended (except the Hunt), meaning they do not have to turn around at the docks. This feature saves time on busy river routes. River class ferries are slowly replacing the older Hatteras class ferries.

Sound Class

The North Carolina Ferry System operates five Sound Class ferries. These ferries are the largest in the system, able to carry up to 50 cars. These Ferries are designed to withstand the abuse of constantly traversing the shallow, turbulent waters of the Pamlico Sound. The M/V Pamlico has been sold to Cross Sound Ferry of New London, CT. The M/V Pamlico is the sister ship of the M/V Silver Lake.

Routes

*Knotts Island - Currituck: This route was created in the fall of 1962, and is the world's longest free ferry. It links NC 615 to the mainland, across the

Currituck Sound Currituck Sound ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

between Knott's Island and Currituck. This was done to shorten the travel time for Knott's Island school children to their school on the mainland. *Hatteras - Ocracoke: Service began across

Hatteras Inlet Hatteras Inlet is an estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County. History ...

in 1953 to connect the islands of Hatteras and Ocracoke; it links NC 12. This route is the busiest in the system, with about 1 million passengers using this crossing yearly. *Swan Quarter - Ocracoke: The newest route in the system, service was begun across the

Pamlico Sound Pamlico Sound ( ) is a lagoon in North Carolina which is the largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, extending long and 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries that i ...

between Swan Quarter and Ocracoke in 1977; it links NC 45. This was done to connect residents of Ocracoke to their county seat for Hyde County. *Cedar Island - Ocracoke: In 1961, service was begun between Cedar Island and Ocracoke to provide a connection for NC 12 to the mainland, and allow better travel to and from the Outer Banks across the Pamlico Sound. *Bayview - Aurora: Service to connect NC 306 across the

Pamlico River The Pamlico
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

began in 1966 to provide workers at the mining companies in

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

a direct connection to their homes on the north bank of the river. *Cherry Branch - Minnesott Beach: To complete NC 306, service began across the

Neuse River The Neuse River ( , Tuscarora: Neyuherú·kęʔkì·nęʔ) is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in ...

in 1973. This route is used heavily by workers at the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station to commute to and from their homes in Pamlico County. *Southport - Ft. Fisher: Service began across the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

in 1965; it links NC 211 to

US 421 U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway runs for from Fort Fisher, North Caro ...

. This route was designed for use by tourists traveling between the attractions north and south of the mouth of the Cape Fear.

Emergency Route

*Stumpy Point - Rodanthe: This is an emergency service, which provides an alternate means of connecting the north end of

Hatteras Island Hatteras Island (historically Croatoan Island) is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, it runs parallel to the coast, forming a bend at Cape Hatteras. It is part of North Carol ...

to the mainland. It runs only on an as-needed basis, which typically occurs after a

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

washes out

NC 12 North Carolina Highway 12 (NC 12) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina, linking the peninsulas and islands of the northern Outer Banks. Most sections of NC 12 are two lanes wide, and there are also two ...

near the

. When in operation, usually six departures from each terminal are scheduled per day, and normally only essential vehicles and local residents may use the service. It is a 1.75-hour, fare-free, crossing. The route connects NC 12 to US 264 West. The Stumpy Point and Rodanthe ferry terminals were constructed in 2002 and 2001, respectively.

Tolls

The Ferry System today relies heavily on taxpayer subsidies, resulting in a one-way car toll of only $5 for the Cape Fear route and $15 for the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter routes. In recent years, the rough economy has forced the state to consider adding and increasing tolls so one-way car tolls for the Neuse River route would be $3; The Cape Fear River, Pamlico River, Currituck Sound and Hatteras routes would be $7; and the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter routes would be $25. The Department of Transportation has also considered tolling the Bonner and Dare Bridges and the legislature has created the

North Carolina Turnpike Authority The North Carolina Turnpike Authority was created in 2002 to speed the implementation of needed transportation improvements by funding some projects with tolls. Governed by a nine-member authority board, it is located within the Department of Tra ...

in an attempt to raise revenues. As of the end of the 2014 legislative session, however, it appears as though none of the ferry or bridge toll increases will take place.

References

External links

NCDOT Ferry Division Home page

NCDOT Cedar Island Ferry movie
{{Outer Banks Ferry companies of North Carolina Ferries of North Carolina