North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division

Logo of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division

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 of North Carolina.

Three other inland, cable ferries—the Elwell Ferry, Parker's Ferry, and Sans Souci Ferry—continue in operation, under the direct oversight of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and are not under the supervision of the Ferry Division. An additional coastal ferry servicing Hammocks Beach State Park is operated by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, and several private companies operate ferry services to sites such as Cape Lookout and Portsmouth Island.

History

Ferries have always played a vital role to the residents and visitors of Eastern North Carolina. The first ferries began in the mid-1920s when Captain J.B. "Toby" Tillett established a tug and barge service across Oregon Inlet 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 and linked Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island. This became the first route of the NC Ferry System.

The logo of the North Carolina Ferry System that appears on all the vessels beneath the name of the vessel on the tower

Today

The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division extends over seven routes and 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 1,200 miles (1,900 km) 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 sounds and the Cape Fear, Neuse, and Pamlico 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 Hatteras-Class ferry, Roanoke, operating between Cherry Branch and Minnesott Beach on the Neuse River

The North Carolina Ferry System operates seven Hatteras-class ferries. These vessels draft only 4 feet (1.2 m), 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. The Thomas A Baum was sold to a ferry company in the Virgin Islands. The Roanoke was sold to a ferry company in Connecticut

Ferry Name	Year built	Vehicle capacity	Passenger capacity	Gross ton	Length (ft)	Length (m)	Breadth (ft)	Breadth (m)	Draft (ft)	Draft (m)
Kinnakeet	1989	30	149	280	150	46	42	13	4	1.2
Chicamacomico	1990	30	149	280	150	46	42	13	4	1.2
Cape Point	1990	30	149	280	150	46	42	13	4	1.2
Ocracoke	1990	30	149	280	150	46	42	13	4	1.2
Frisco	1990	30	149	280	150	46	42	13	4	1.2

River class

The River-class ferry, Croatoan, operating between Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks.

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.

Ferry Name	Year built	Vehicle capacity	Passenger capacity	Gross ton	Length (ft)	Length (m)	Breadth (ft)	Breadth (m)	Draft (ft)	Draft (m)
Daniel Russell	1993	42	300	418	180	55	44	13	6.0	1.8
Southport	1993	42	300	424	180	55	44	13	6.0	1.8
Neuse	1996	42	300	374	180	55	44	13	6.0	1.8
Floyd J. Lupton	1998	40	300	374	180	55	44	13	6.0	1.8
Fort Fisher	2000	40	300	374	180	55	44	13	6.0	1.8
Croatoan	2003	40	300	376	180	55	44	13	5.5	1.7
W. Stanford White	2003	40	300	372	180	55	44	13	5.5	1.7
Hatteras	2006	40	300	374	180	55	44	13	5.5	1.7
Rodanthe	2019	40	300	388	176	54	46	14	6.0	1.8
James B. Hunt	1984	20	149	462	125	38	40	12	5.0	1.5
Salvo	2022	40	300	388	176	54	46	14	6.0	1.8

Sound class

The Sound-class ferry, Cedar Island, operating between Cedar Island and Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks

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.

Ferry Name	Year built	Vehicle capacity	Passenger capacity	Gross ton	Length (ft)	Length (m)	Breadth (ft)	Breadth (m)	Draft (ft)	Draft (m)
Silver Lake	1965	50	300	688	220	67	48	15	6.0	1.8
Carteret	1989	50	300	771	220	67	50	15	6.5	2.0
Cedar Island	1994	50	300	648	220	67	50	15	6.5	2.0
Swan Quarter	2011	46	300	867	220	67	50	15	7.5	2.3
Sea Level	2012	46	300	867	220	67	50	15	7.5	2.3

Routes

M/V Fort Fisher on the Southport–Fort Fisher Ferry route

• 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 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 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 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 began in 1966 to provide workers at the mining companies in Aurora 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 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–Fort Fisher: Service began across the Cape Fear River in 1965; it links NC 211 to US 421. This route was designed for use by tourists traveling between the attractions north and south of the mouth of the Cape Fear.

Route	State highway	Body of water	Crossing time (h:mm)	Distance (mi)	Distance (km)	Fare	Annual vehicles	Annual passengers
Currituck–Knotts Island	NC 615	Currituck Sound	0:45	5.0	8.0	Free	30,000	90,000
Stumpy Point–Rodanthe	NC 12	Pamlico Sound	1:45	18.0	29.0	Free	N/A	N/A
Hatteras–Ocracoke	NC 12	Hatteras Inlet	1:00	4.5	7.2	Free	353,000	960,000
Swan Quarter–Ocracoke	NC 45	Pamlico Sound	2:40	27.0	43.5	Toll	27,000	65,000
Cedar Island–Ocracoke	NC 12	Pamlico Sound	2:25	23.0	37.0	Toll	76,000	184,000
Bayview–Aurora	NC 306	Pamlico River	0:30	3.5	5.6	Free	82,000	130,000
Cherry Branch–Minnesott Beach	NC 306	Neuse River	0:20	2.5	4.0	Free	277,000	487,000
Southport–Fort Fisher	NC 211	Cape Fear River	0:35	3.5	5.6	Toll	185,000	500,000

Emergency route

• Stumpy Point–Rodanthe: An emergency service which provides an alternate means of connecting the north end of Hatteras Island to the mainland. It runs only on an as-needed basis, which typically occurs after a hurricane washes out NC 12 near the Oregon Inlet. 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

As of April 2023, most of the ferries are free to use. The exceptions are the Cedar Island-Ocracoke, Swan-Quarter-Ocracoke, and Southport-Fort Fisher vehicle ferries. For the two Ocracoke ferries, the fares are $1 for pedestrians, $3 for bicycles, $10 for motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, golf carts, or three-wheeled vehicles, $15 for four wheeled vehicles up to 20 feet (6.1 m), as well as motorcycles with sidecars or trailers, $30 for vehicles 20–40 feet (6.1–12.2 m), and $45 for vehicles 40–65 feet (12–20 m). For the Southport-Fort Fisher ferry, the rates are $1 for pedestrians, $2 for bicycles, $3 for motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, golf carts, or three-wheeled vehicles, $7 for four wheeled vehicles up to 20 feet (6.1 m), as well as motorcycles with sidecars or trailer, $14 for vehicles 20–40 feet (6.1–12.2 m), and $28 for vehicles 40–65 feet (12–20 m).

External links

• NCDOT Ferry Division Home page
• NCDOT Cedar Island Ferry movie