Hatteras – Ocracoke Ferry

 

“Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make u s think things we like to think.”

Robert Henri

Let me start by giving the back story of our trip on this wonderful ferry. So I will start as our journey began so you will know why we ended up on this ferry going to the island. The Hatteras – Ocracoke ferry is the most popular of all the ferry routes in North Carolina which has seven ferry routes. We had not intended to use this ferry going to the island. Instead, we were going to use the Cedar Island ferry to Ocracoke since driving from the south. We always enjoyed that ferry ride as it is a little longer than the other rides. Yes, you have to pay for it but it is worth it.

On our way to the ferry this December just after Christmas, we were planning on taking the late afternoon ferry across to Ocracoke but got a call from the ferry terminal saying that our ferry was canceled. Oh my. I guess that is fairly normal during the slow season (winter) and there just probably wasn’t enough traffic. Since we had reservations at a hotel on Ocracoke we called the hotel and the receptionist told us we could get on the island by using the Hatteras- Ocracoke Ferry. She looked up all the information told us how long to drive around. We decided to drive around through the country to Cape Hatteras and come across the sound that way. It was an extra four hour drive. Fortunately the day was young so it was feasible to do this. We always give ourselves lots of extra time.

It was a gorgeous drive and down roads we had never traveled before. The North Carolina country side is gorgeous with beautiful farm fields and old farm houses dotting the countryside. We saw young deer running on the side of the road and then darting into the woods. We drove over the bridge to the Outer Banks at sunset. The orange sun shone off the water of the Croatan Sound giving a beautiful glow to the water and its surroundings. Yes, it was a long drive but we really enjoyed the scenery. We headed straight to the ferry driving down NC road 12. We were told if you are getting to the island of Ocracoke near 9 pm, all the restaurants would be closing. So if you are hungry and want to grab a pizza to eat while waiting for the ferry, Angelo’s in Buxton, NC is a great stop. We ordered ahead, made a pit stop to pick up the pizza, and headed the last ten miles to the ferry terminal.

Ferry terminal on Ocracoke Island

Okay, so I gave a lot of the back story. Now about the ferry. We pulled into the ferry terminal getting right in line for the ferry. We were second vehicle in line. By now it was dark and we sat and enjoyed our pizza while waiting for the ferry to arrive. More and more cars arrived but there still was only a small group of cars heading to Ocracoke at that hour unlike normal. There is a restaurant on one side of the terminal that was closed at this hour and bathroom facilities. When the ferry arrived, we were guided up onto the ferry and off we went.

This was a very different experience taking the ferry in the dark. We had never gone at night so that was something new. The captain had a powerful search light he used to help guide him across the Pamlico Sound. We passed many smaller boats getting slammed by the waves while we seemed to just be gliding through the water. The captain was amazing as he weaved through the markers making his way across the sound. The route seemed strange as Ocracoke was so close to Hatteras but with the sand bars, we had to zig zag all across the sound to follow the channel. What used to take the ferry a half and hour, now takes an hour to make it across the short passage.

This free ferry runs 365 days a year and is only canceled or delayed if the winds get too strong. It runs from 5 am to 12 midnight. The busiest days in the summer are Tuesday through Thursday. If you do not want crowds the best time to get a ferry is early in the day like on the 6, 7, or 8 am or at night. The last boat leaves at midnight. We were told if you go during busy times in the summer, you may have to wait a couple of hours.

The ferry started back in the 1920’s. In the 1930’s, the ferry became subsidized by the government to keep it affordable. After a while, the NCDOT (North Carolina Department of Transportation) bought out the ferry business. What a great service and what a great way to travel.

The following day, we came back on a morning ferry from Ocracoke back to Cape Hatteras. After driving onto the ferry, we got out of our car and walked around. We headed up to the lounge where we got to speak with one of the friendly crew members and learned a lot about the ferry system. The lounge was simple with chairs lined up in a row and windows on both side. No food or beverages sold onboard. It is a nice place to go to get out of the wind. The crew member told us they hire a crew that works seven days on and seven days off. They work 12 ½ hours a day and on the last ferry across, they dock at the ferry terminal in Ocracoke in case of an emergency on the island.

The crew is put up in barracks with two guys per room. There are four storage chests that they can store their items in on their off weeks. The crew members alternate beds every other week. He also told us there was just a vote to see if they wanted a bridge to connect Ocracoke to Cape Hatteras and the islanders of Ocracoke said no way. It would change their island and they didn’t want that at all.

He also told us a story of a lady who showed up at the Cape Hatteras side of the ferry with a box. She asked if they would take it across to give to a lady living on the island. He said, we would have to see inside the box. She opened it and there were a bunch of baby opossums. She told him there was a lady on Ocracoke that had an animal rescue who could take care of them. They agreed and the baby opossums got a free trip across the sound and were saved.

The ride going back to Cape Hatteras was gorgeous. The sun was shining and the sky was a clear blue. This is a relaxing trip beautiful views. The sea birds sailed just above the water and at times dove it to catch a meal. The views were spectacular as we saw the island of Ocracoke slowly fade in the distance. The ocean sparkled in the sunlight as it appeared like diamonds floating across the water. As the crewman said to us, “What job could you have that has such beautiful views.” You could tell, he loves his job. What a relaxing way to enjoy this trip. Now off to explore the Outer Banks. If you haven’t tried using the NC ferry system, put it on your bucket list. It is fantastic.

Till next time. Bye for now.