By Connie Leinbach
After completing dredging in the Big Foot Slough channel just outside Ocracoke, the long-route ferries across the Pamlico Sound began their summer schedule today.
Four boats are running between Ocracoke and Swan Quarter and Cedar Island, a ferry service worker confirmed.
Continued shoaling in this channel forced the North Carolina Ferry Division to keep its two largest vessels at the dock, and the spring schedule of three daily departures was retained later than usual.
The sidecaster dredge Merritt arrived at the slough to clear out the narrow area around channel marker 10 on May 22, two days later than expected, said Ferry Division Director Jed Dixon during a meeting here that day about South Dock. It was originally scheduled for May 10 but got delayed until later in the month, said Ronnie Smith with the Army Corps of Engineers at the May 21 Ocracoke Waterways Commission meeting.
Dredging usually takes several days but he said the summer schedule was to start June 3.
Hyde County Manager Kris Cahoon Noble and the Commission, of which islander Ernie Doshier is the chair, have been asking federal officials to designate the nearby natural channel to the west, called Nine Foot, as the official channel in the Pamlico Sound.
A federal channel, which would require Congressional approval, Nine Foot is under the control of the Corps, but it is deeper and less subject to shoaling.
The Corps is also looking into getting a permit to be able to use “best water” in this area.
Smith also said that they are looking to get the pipeline dredge to this area later this year and Doshier asked that the dredge arrive in November, rather than January or February when the winter weather could prevent its arrival.
The schedule for both Pamlico Sound routes that begins today (June 3) has four departures from each side as follows:
- Cedar Island-Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Ocracoke-Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Swan Quarter-Ocracoke: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Ocracoke-Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.
Reservations are highly recommended during the busy summer season. Travelers can make reservations online at www.ncferry.org, or on the phone at 1-800-BY-FERRY.
Travlers wanting to access Ocracoke via Hatteras can use the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry, which runs directly between Hatteras and Ocracoke Village and also accepts reservations.
In addition, the Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry route will continue running 52 scheduled departures each day, with additional unscheduled departures added when possible during high traffic periods.
No reservations are accepted on the Hatteras vehicle ferry.
For real-time text or email updates on weather or mechanical delays, sign up for the Ferry Information Notification System at www.ncdot.gov/fins.
