The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry is only running the following ferries for the rest of today (March 22):
4:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
According to Timothy Hass, NC DOT Ferry Division spokesman, the reason for the abbreviated schedule is because a ferry had to be taken from the Hatteras fleet to substitute for another ferry having mechanical problems.
“The replacement boat for the one we sent to Currituck arrived Friday night,” he said in an email, “but on Saturday, the Croatoan developed a mechanical issue and had to be taken off the run.
“We sent a crew to get a boat from the Pamlico River route this afternoon, and they should be back by tonight.
“So Hatteras should be back on its normal winter schedule by tomorrow morning, if not sooner.”
Since December, Hatteras is on a winter, three-boat schedule until March 31.
After that, it will go to an expanded Easter schedule for two weeks, then back to a winter schedule until May 6, at which point the full summer schedule begins.
“All of that is based on historical seasonal ridership levels,” Hass said. “When you run boats 365 days a year, they will occasionally develop mechanical issues. Always have, always will.”
The winter schedule is as follows:
Departing Hatteras: 5 a.m., 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, Noon, 1 p.m., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, midnight.
Departing Ocracoke: 4:30 a.m., 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 p.m., 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30, 10:30, 12:30 a.m.
