cable ferry
A cable ferry (including the types chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...
located on the
Meherrin River
The Meherrin River is a long 6th order tributary to the Chowan River that joins in Hertford County, North Carolina.
A twenty-foot-high dam on the river creates a reservoir in Emporia. For most of its length, the Meherrin is not large enough ...
in
Hertford County, North Carolina
Hertford County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 21,552. Its county seat is Winton, North Carolina, Winton. It is classified ...
. The ferry is operated by a contractor for the
North Carolina Department of Transportation
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina.
History
The North Carolina ...
.
Parker's Ferry connects Maney's Neck, formed by the confluence of the Meherrin and Chowan Rivers, with the southern part of Hertford County. The ferry is reached (on the south bank) by Parkers Ferry Road, which crosses the Meherrin River just above its confluence with the
Chowan River
The Chowan River (cho-WAHHN) , from the North Carolina Collection's website at the
Potecasi Creek
Potecasi Creek is a long 4th order tributary to the Meherrin River in Hertford County, North Carolina. This is the only stream of this name in the United States.
Variant names
According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also ...
and (on the north bank) by Parkers Fishery Road (Hertford SR 1306). It is one of three remaining cable ferries left in operation in North Carolina. The others are the
Sans Souci Ferry The Sans Souci Ferry is a cable ferry that provides access across the Cashie River in Bertie County, North Carolina. Since the 1930s, the ferry has been operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The ferry is located on SR 1500 s ...
and
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 Ca ...
. The ferry is not considered part of the state ferry system which operates ferries along the immediate NC coast. The NC cable ferries are considered inland ferries and are operated by regional DOT divisional offices instead of the NC DOT Ferry Division.
Operations
The ferry is powered by a diesel engine and propeller and guided by a steel cable that is stretched loosely across the river. The cable is secured on each side of the river by steel posts and as the ferry crosses the river, the force of the boat, with the help of rollers on the side of the boat, pulls the normally submerged cable out of the water. The cable is permanently secured to the ferry and allows for the boat to not stray off course in normal river currents. The ferry only carries two cars at its maximum and does not operate in high water conditions or storms for the threat of the cable snapping in treacherous conditions is too great. Persons wanting to ride the ferry that happen to be on the opposite side of the river than the ferry must blow their horn to summon the ferry. The ferry is free of charge. The ferry operates almost every day except for days of high water and bad weather. The Ferry is on land that was part of the Meherrin Indian Reservation. The Meherrin now live about 10 miles away in the Winton area.
The ferry was briefly closed from June 12, 2020 to October 20, 2020, due to a budget shortage caused by the
Coronavirus outbreak
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
Vessel description
The ferry consists of a steel barge that cars drive onto. Off to one side of the boat is an "engine room" where the operator sits and controls the boat's engine, which actually sits outside beside the room. The ferry is powered by a diesel engine. The operator must know when to let off the throttle, since the ferry has no brakes or on board steering device. In the early days the ferry was made of wood.