Friday, May 2, 2025

Stumpy Point Emergency ferry shut down by low water

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Stumpy Point Emergency ferry shut down by low water

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division’s emergency route at Stumpy Point temporarily suspended operations at midnight last night due to extreme low tide.
 
The route is currently not operating. Northeast winds are causing the water depth to be too low for safe travel. The Ferry Division is evaluating the weather and will resume operations once it is deemed safe to cross.

However, the wind is not expected to shift direction until well into Monday.

With the passage of last night’s cold front, a strong high pressure will build over the northeastern U.S. and wedge down into the Carolinas through the weekend as a coastal low pressure area forms offshore.

The pressure gradient between the high to the north and the offshore low will bring strong winds from an easterly direction at least until Monday.  This could continue to keep the water level lower than normal in the sound near Rodanthe through the period.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Newport, N.C., are predicting northeast and east winds of 15-25 knots Saturday and Sunday, perhaps lingering into next week.

The emergency ferries are available only to residents of Hatteras, non-resident property owners, insurance adjusters, critical personnel, vendors, and supply trucks.  Many of the materials for the temporary repairs to Highway 12 in Pea Island are coming to Hatteras on the Stumpy Point ferry.
The ferry routes to Hatteras via Swan Quarter and Cedar Island and through Ocracoke are booked into next week by visitors coming to Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.

County manager Bobby Outten said the county is working with the Ferry Division this morning to open new supply lines to Hatteras.

At times earlier in the re-entry process, some ferries from Stumpy Point came into the Hatteras village ferry docks, but that trip is about 3.5 hours.

  
Ferry information is available by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 1, or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division’s emergency route at Stumpy Point temporarily suspended operations at midnight last night due to extreme low tide.
 
The route is currently not operating. Northeast winds are causing the water depth to be too low for safe travel. The Ferry Division is evaluating the weather and will resume operations once it is deemed safe to cross.

However, the wind is not expected to shift direction until well into Monday.

With the passage of last night’s cold front, a strong high pressure will build over the northeastern U.S. and wedge down into the Carolinas through the weekend as a coastal low pressure area forms offshore.

The pressure gradient between the high to the north and the offshore low will bring strong winds from an easterly direction at least until Monday.  This could continue to keep the water level lower than normal in the sound near Rodanthe through the period.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Newport, N.C., are predicting northeast and east winds of 15-25 knots Saturday and Sunday, perhaps lingering into next week.

The emergency ferries are available only to residents of Hatteras, non-resident property owners, insurance adjusters, critical personnel, vendors, and supply trucks.  Many of the materials for the temporary repairs to Highway 12 in Pea Island are coming to Hatteras on the Stumpy Point ferry.
The ferry routes to Hatteras via Swan Quarter and Cedar Island and through Ocracoke are booked into next week by visitors coming to Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.

County manager Bobby Outten said the county is working with the Ferry Division this morning to open new supply lines to Hatteras.

At times earlier in the re-entry process, some ferries from Stumpy Point came into the Hatteras village ferry docks, but that trip is about 3.5 hours.

  
Ferry information is available by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 1, or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division’s emergency route at Stumpy Point temporarily suspended operations at midnight last night due to extreme low tide.
 
The route is currently not operating. Northeast winds are causing the water depth to be too low for safe travel. The Ferry Division is evaluating the weather and will resume operations once it is deemed safe to cross.

However, the wind is not expected to shift direction until well into Monday.

With the passage of last night’s cold front, a strong high pressure will build over the northeastern U.S. and wedge down into the Carolinas through the weekend as a coastal low pressure area forms offshore.

The pressure gradient between the high to the north and the offshore low will bring strong winds from an easterly direction at least until Monday.  This could continue to keep the water level lower than normal in the sound near Rodanthe through the period.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Newport, N.C., are predicting northeast and east winds of 15-25 knots Saturday and Sunday, perhaps lingering into next week.

The emergency ferries are available only to residents of Hatteras, non-resident property owners, insurance adjusters, critical personnel, vendors, and supply trucks.  Many of the materials for the temporary repairs to Highway 12 in Pea Island are coming to Hatteras on the Stumpy Point ferry.
The ferry routes to Hatteras via Swan Quarter and Cedar Island and through Ocracoke are booked into next week by visitors coming to Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.

County manager Bobby Outten said the county is working with the Ferry Division this morning to open new supply lines to Hatteras.

At times earlier in the re-entry process, some ferries from Stumpy Point came into the Hatteras village ferry docks, but that trip is about 3.5 hours.

  
Ferry information is available by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 1, or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division’s emergency route at Stumpy Point temporarily suspended operations at midnight last night due to extreme low tide.
 
The route is currently not operating. Northeast winds are causing the water depth to be too low for safe travel. The Ferry Division is evaluating the weather and will resume operations once it is deemed safe to cross.

However, the wind is not expected to shift direction until well into Monday.

With the passage of last night’s cold front, a strong high pressure will build over the northeastern U.S. and wedge down into the Carolinas through the weekend as a coastal low pressure area forms offshore.

The pressure gradient between the high to the north and the offshore low will bring strong winds from an easterly direction at least until Monday.  This could continue to keep the water level lower than normal in the sound near Rodanthe through the period.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Newport, N.C., are predicting northeast and east winds of 15-25 knots Saturday and Sunday, perhaps lingering into next week.

The emergency ferries are available only to residents of Hatteras, non-resident property owners, insurance adjusters, critical personnel, vendors, and supply trucks.  Many of the materials for the temporary repairs to Highway 12 in Pea Island are coming to Hatteras on the Stumpy Point ferry.
The ferry routes to Hatteras via Swan Quarter and Cedar Island and through Ocracoke are booked into next week by visitors coming to Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.

County manager Bobby Outten said the county is working with the Ferry Division this morning to open new supply lines to Hatteras.

At times earlier in the re-entry process, some ferries from Stumpy Point came into the Hatteras village ferry docks, but that trip is about 3.5 hours.

  
Ferry information is available by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 1, or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.

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Previous article
The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division has been overwhelmed with reservations for visitors wishing to visit Ocracoke, as well as Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras village through Ocracoke. To help meet the demand, the division has added an additional departure from Cedar Island for Friday and Saturday only until Highway is repaired. The new departure times of 11 p.m. from Cedar Island and 1:30 a.m. from Ocracoke will begin Saturday, Sept. 17. The Cedar Island-Ocracoke schedule currently is: Departing Cedar Island at 7 a.m., 10, 1 p.m., 3:30 and 6; and Departing Ocracoke at 7:30 a.m., 10, 1 p.m., 3:30 and 8:30. Beginning Sept. 17 until Highway 12 is repaired, the schedule on Friday and Saturday will be: Departing Cedar Island at 7 a.m., 10, 1 p.m., 3:30, 6 and 11; and Departing Ocracoke at 7:30 a.m., 10, 1 p.m., 3:30, 8:30 and 1:30 a.m. The Swan Quarter-Ocracoke schedule remains as follows: Departing Swan Quarter at 7 a.m., 10, 12:30 p.m., 4:30 and 7; and Departing Ocracoke at 6:30 a.m., 9:30, 12:45 p.m., 4 and 10. Visitors are reminded that there are only four Sound Class vessels that can make the crossing from Cedar Island to Ocracoke and Swan Quarter to Ocracoke. These ferries can carry approximately 50 cars each. People are also reminded that it takes 2.5 hours to cross the Pamlico Sound from Swan Quarter and 2.25 hours to cross from Cedar Island. Travelers who want to get to Hatteras Island and are considering the new late run from Cedar Island are reminded that the last ferry from Ocracoke to Hatteras is at 11 p.m., and the first one is at 5 a.m. Reservations for these additional weekend runs will not be available online but can be made by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 2. The reservations center is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Reservations for all other departures to Ocracoke can be made at www.ncferry.org. Ferry schedule information is available by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 1, or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.
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