Page 30: of Marine News Magazine (March 2018)

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PROPULSION

NORTH CAROLINA FERRIES

Change Course

Credit: EBDG

FOR THE FUTURE

Shoaling shif s NCDOT’s propulsion needs, prompting a sea change.

T rustmaster waterjets step in to carry the day.

By Joseph Keefe n Swansboro, North Carolina, boatbuilder U.S. Work-

LOCAL CHALLENGES: PROBLEM SOLVED boats (formerly Armstrong Marine) is assembling the With a projected delivery date for late June 2018, the

I linchpin of NCDOT’s business plan for its future Out- changes will come not a minute too soon. That’s because er Banks ferry services. Separately, in both Hatteras and Hatteras Inlet is a very dynamic body of water. It has changed

Ocracoke, crews are preparing to break ground on new many times – and dramatically – over the past 15 years, said parking additions and visitor facilities. Jed Dixon of the North Carolina Ferry Division. Dixon,

The Ocracoke Express passenger ferry project – made speaking at the annual PVA Convention in Savannah, ex- necessary by the shifting and unpredictable shoaling on plained, “The route previously run by the NC Ferry has to

North Carolina’s Outer Banks – will, starting this summer, change because of severe shoaling. Now they have to go out change forever the way tourists and visitors get to and from and around the whole inlet system to get to Ocracoke Island. these national treasures. This shoaling has created real hardships for our operations.”

In a nutshell, the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry is a Also according to Dixon, dredging efforts by USACE new service from NCDOT designed to alleviate summer- had been unsuccessful because of the nature of the shoal- time congestion issues on the existing Hatteras-Ocracoke ing in the area and weather patterns. In fact, and in 2013, car ferry route. Passengers will be able to make a reserva- a multi-million dollar dredging project was undertaken. tion and walk onto a ferry that will take them into the “And the day they