Passenger ferry operations remain suspended due to mechanical issues

Operations for the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry continue to remain suspended due to mechanical issues, per a July 12 update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Ferry Division.

The passenger ferry was initially suspended indefinitely on July 6, 2023, and has not resumed service in the past week.

Per NCDOT spokesperson Tim Hass, the initial suspension of service was due to an issue with the starboard hydraulic steering pump. “We continue to work on the mechanical issues and will provide an update when they are resolved.”

Funding issues at NCDOT have also caused the Hatteras-Ocraccoke vehicle ferries to operate on a shoulder-season schedule, with departures from each side every hour instead of every half hour, which was the normal schedule in previous summers. Vessels have been kept on standby, however, to meet vehicular demand with additional runs as needed.

Per WOBX.com, these issues have spurred a huge outcry from Ocracoke residents and businesses, including a float in this year’s Independence Day parade.

Originally scheduled to be completed in 2018, the construction of the Ocracoke passenger ferry encountered multiple delays, and the NCDOT leased a vessel for its first three seasons of operation, beginning in 2019.

The vessel owned by the state and launched in 2o22 is a 100-passenger, catamaran-style ferry with 96 interior seats, an upper deck with 26 additional seats, two wheelchair tie-downs, 16 bicycle racks, wireless internet access, and a concession area.

The passenger ferry service performed well in 2022, and more than 25,000 people used the Ocracoke Express that operated between May 17 and Sept. 29. That included a roughly week-long period around the end of July when problems with the electrical and propulsion system cropped up.

To get notified of ferry delays or cancellations, sign up for text and/or email alerts via the N.C. Ferry System’s new FINS system: www.ncdot.gov/fins. Users will get notified of any schedule changes directly from the terminal, and can unsubscribe at any time.

The public can also see updates on all three Ocracoke Island routes via the Ferry Division’s Twitter accounts at https://twitter.com/NCFerryHatteras/ and https://twitter.com/ncferrypamsound/.