Summer ferry schedules for Ocracoke Island adjusted due to shoaling, labor shortage

June 6, 2022 | Local News

Hatteras ferry docks. Photo by Joy Crist.

A labor shortage at Hatteras and severe shoaling issues in Pamlico Sound have forced the North Carolina Ferry System to adjust its summer schedules to and from Ocracoke Island.

The Ferry Division has been working to address its labor needs with six job fairs across eastern North Carolina in 2022, but still needs to fill several temporary and permanent positions to be able to fully staff its summer operations at Hatteras. Those interested in applying should go to the state jobs website and search the term ‘ferry’.

A seventh job fair is scheduled in Manteo on Thursday, but until manpower needs are met, the vehicle ferry schedule between Hatteras and Ocracoke will be as follows:

From Hatteras: 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and midnight.
From Ocracoke: 4:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, severe shoaling in Pamlico Sound’s Bigfoot Slough has created a safety issue for the largest of the sound class ferries. As a result, those ferries have been pulled from the route, and schedules have been adjusted to reflect the change.

Those schedules, effective immediately, will be as follows:

Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.

The Ferry Division is working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to have an emergency dredging operation conducted in Bigfoot Slough as soon as possible. Once water levels in the ferry channel have been returned to a safe depth, the Pamlico Sound routes will resume their normal summer schedules.

In the meantime, travelers making short visits from Hatteras to Ocracoke are encouraged to use the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry to avoid wait times for the vehicle ferry. The passenger ferry makes three round trips daily, taking travelers directly into Ocracoke Village, where a free tram operated by Hyde County will take them to shops, restaurants and attractions. Reservations are available online or by calling 1-800-BY-FERRY.