Someone please start a ferry service!

Restless

New Member

I really wish someone with a lot of money would start a ferry service from St. Mary's or Calvert County over to the Eastern Shore! So many of us love going over to the beaches, but it takes close to 4 hours to get there since we have to drive up to Annapolis to get across the bay. The bridge up there always has such backups on the weekends too. Having a ferry down this way would alleviate some of that problem and bring more people through our area to spend money on their way over to the Eastern Shore. There is a ferry service from Lewes, DE to Cape May, NJ and has been for years. Why couldn't we do that here?

I know I'm probably just dreaming that this will ever happen. Every time we drive over to Assateaque we comment on wishing there were a quicker way to get there. I'm sure many of you have thought the same. I guess posting this is my way of seeing if anyone else has this dream.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
There have been numerous attempts to establish ferry links between southern MD and the eastern shore (Crisfield, for example) as well as with Va's northern neck (near Tappahanock).

The usual run of uninformed and uneducated NIMBY's present an impenetrable barrier to rational decisions on such services. Same kind of "crew" that keep yapping at Dominion's heels with respect to the Cove Point LNG project. They are out there...always.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
I doubt there would be enough traffic year around to make this viable. How much would it be worth to you to cut those 4hrs in half ? $129 ? $59?
The NC State ferries, WA State ferries and Alaska marine highway are all subsidized infrastructure measures. As there are already roads to the eastern shore, there is no reason for MDOT to subsidize a ferry.
 
Here are rates from the Long Island ferries between LI and CT. Port Jefferson is 22 miles, Orient Point is about 12. Not subsidised, private company, been in business for as long as I can remember. It is PACKED year round, reservations required.
https://www.88844ferry.com/Rates.aspx
A ferry between Western and Eastern shores wouldn't have to run a full schedule all year, maybe 9-10 months with a reduced schedule between Labor Day and Memorial Day. I think you'd be surprised at how man people would head to the Eastern Shore that wouldn't drive it because of the time involved.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
We've been involved in some in depth studies that resulted in some very solid proposals. VDOT in particular had obligated a bunch of money to cover terminal infrastructure.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
I doubt there would be enough traffic year around to make this viable. How much would it be worth to you to cut those 4hrs in half ? $129 ? $59?
The NC State ferries, WA State ferries and Alaska marine highway are all subsidized infrastructure measures. As there are already roads to the eastern shore, there is no reason for MDOT to subsidize a ferry.
The history of the issue proves otherwise.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Here are rates from the Long Island ferries between LI and CT. Port Jefferson is 22 miles, Orient Point is about 12. Not subsidised, private company, been in business for as long as I can remember. It is PACKED year round, reservations required.
https://www.88844ferry.com/Rates.aspx
A ferry between Western and Eastern shores wouldn't have to run a full schedule all year, maybe 9-10 months with a reduced schedule between Labor Day and Memorial Day. I think you'd be surprised at how man people would head to the Eastern Shore that wouldn't drive it because of the time involved.

I have taken the Bridgeport ferry a number of times when I lived on LI and CT. However, the population of Suffolk county is 1.5mil, the population of Nassau county is 1.35mil. The benefit of the ferry on LI extends to all types of northbound travel, not just seasonal leisure travel. For anyone in northern Calvert or Chuck co, there would be no benefit to a ferry vs. looping around to the bay bridge. The population that could benefit from a eastern shore ferry would be southern calvert and St Marys, together they would be about 1/20th of the population that supports the LI ferries.

The eastern shore is a leisure destination, there is not much commercial travel between the two relatively sparsely populated areas. Unless there was a way to draw significant commercial traffic (e.g. offer a way for trucks to bypass a bad section of I95), there just wouldn't be a commercial case for it. If there was a way to make money with it, there would already be someone doing it. The state has studied it, studied it again, and again, and again and we still dont have a ferry. It's not all the NIMBYs doing.
 
Did you ever think of the other way round? There is limited commercial business because it's too hard to get there? There are huge poultry farms and an huge upcoming in beer crafters and foods. Establish a new route, make it easier to be profitable, and it will get used for more than leisure. New business will flourish.
 

CRHS89

Well-Known Member
OC tourism used to end at Labor Day but many businesses stay open year round now. More and more people head over on weekends in the off season than years ago.
 

Merlin99

Visualize whirled peas
PREMO Member
I doubt there would be enough traffic year around to make this viable. How much would it be worth to you to cut those 4hrs in half ? $129 ? $59?
The NC State ferries, WA State ferries and Alaska marine highway are all subsidized infrastructure measures. As there are already roads to the eastern shore, there is no reason for MDOT to subsidize a ferry.
I think the navy could do a lit to justify the cost. Several times we've had to take the C-12 to wallops for unscheduled work or meetings. Even more often for one day trips, 4 hours there 4 hours back one hour actual work.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Did you ever think of the other way round? There is limited commercial business because it's too hard to get there? There are huge poultry farms and an huge upcoming in beer crafters and foods. Establish a new route, make it easier to be profitable, and it will get used for more than leisure. New business will flourish.

A ferry would not affect interstate access to the Delmarva peninsula. We are at the end of the road and so are they. Now if I295 terminated right around California, there would possibly be a case for a ferry to connect the eastern shore to the highway system.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
I've been a consulting engineer in the ferry business internationally for 30 years. I know a little bit about the vessels, their operation. capabilities and, most importantly, economics. It's a tough industry and many a private operation have failed. Many others have succeeded..some very well indeed. Imperatore's New York operations and Virtu's Mediterranean operations are two that we helped start up that became very successful. Before the "chunnel" was opened, we were having a grand time and rolling in dough with all the cross-channel ferries that were running.

The proposed ferry connection between Piney Point and the Virginia side near Tappahanock was 100% shut down by NIMBY factors and nothing else. That ferry operation was going to be funded nearly 100% by the operator. Imagine that...a connection to VA-17 and south that didn't involve the overloaded Nice Bridge.

When Congress passed, in the later 90s, the extensive and forward-looking intermodal transportation acts that included the Marine Highways components, we were hopeful. I was nominated to serve on the advisory commission that would guide/plan the way forward. Then Congress never funded the bill. But a few states, Maryland not really one of them, proceeded with their own "parts" and VDOT spent, or obligated, quite large pots of money to do their part. Out of that came many studies including some that showed how viable and very useful ferry services could and should be established. The system that would initially connect Reedville, Crisfield, and near-Norfolk (capacity to include tractor trailers) was envisioned to be expandable and expanded to include feeder or side connections that included southern MD...somewhere in lower Calvert County, exact location to be determined.

A separate operation was started to provide people-only commuter ferry service that connected the upper Potomac basin area to points south on both the MD and VA side. Initially planned to extend only south to Ft. Belvoir and Ft. Washington, the system was eventually expected to grow and connect as far south as Norfolk. Service to the eastern shore or north up the bay was not being considered. The company was funded by venture capital (private equity) with a large matching component from the VDOT funds. With only months remaining to take delivery of first ferries and start operations, the company disintegrated in to a very messy internal battle that destroyed it. The details remain sealed as part of the final settlements reached years later. That was almost 15 years ago; a new company has just this year stepped in to "pick up the pieces" of that planned system and give it a go.

It will be interesting to see if the far reaching Marine highways legislation that Congress passed back then will be "revived" and actually funded in the infrastructure spending Trumps says he will push. One the most important components of that grand plan was the development of special coastal container and truck-trailer transport ships, and new port facilities, tied directly to rail in addition to highways, to support the ships. All in an effort to get commercial transportation offloaded from the I-95 corridor.
 
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softtouch

Member

I really wish someone with a lot of money would start a ferry service from St. Mary's or Calvert County over to the Eastern Shore! So many of us love going over to the beaches, but it takes close to 4 hours to get there since we have to drive up to Annapolis to get across the bay. The bridge up there always has such backups on the weekends too. Having a ferry down this way would alleviate some of that problem and bring more people through our area to spend money on their way over to the Eastern Shore. There is a ferry service from Lewes, DE to Cape May, NJ and has been for years. Why couldn't we do that here?

I know I'm probably just dreaming that this will ever happen. Every time we drive over to Assateaque we comment on wishing there were a quicker way to get there. I'm sure many of you have thought the same. I guess posting this is my way of seeing if anyone else has this dream.
There is a house for sale on the Ranch Club airport. You could fly to the O C airport,
 

NorthBeachPerso

Honorary SMIB
A ferry would end up just like independent restaurants and other businesses.
You guys all cry and moan and wish they were here, someone opens one up and no one goes to it because you don't trust non-chains, it closes and everyone says, "Wha' happen?".
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
It'll happen. After the next BRAC round when the navy has to shut down PAX and there are piles of money on the table to build an 'intermodal logistics park spaceport and nail salon' on the grounds. By building the dock on navy land it avoids the nimbys and once the federal government is involved there is no need for financial viability.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
It'll happen. After the next BRAC round when the navy has to shut down PAX and there are piles of money on the table to build an 'intermodal logistics park spaceport and nail salon' on the grounds. By building the dock on navy land it avoids the nimbys and once the federal government is involved there is no need for financial viability.

:lmao: Ya think? And don't forget the Solomon's cruise ship terminal too.
 

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
A ferry would end up just like independent restaurants and other businesses.
You guys all cry and moan and wish they were here, someone opens one up and no one goes to it because you don't trust non-chains, it closes and everyone says, "Wha' happen?".

The non-chains that are actually good have done alright.

Just because something is not a chain does not mean its worth a ####. Around the base lunch is king, quick in and out matters.
 

NorthBeachPerso

Honorary SMIB
The non-chains that are actually good have done alright.

Just because something is not a chain does not mean its worth a ####. Around the base lunch is king, quick in and out matters.

Yeah, but just remembered all the pissing and moaning.

This thread, as do many others, made me think of the newish Calvert resident who stated at one of the public hearings for Armory Square in Prince Frederick that we had to have a Home Depot because there was nowhere in the County he could buy a hammer and nails. He was stating that in front of the Planning Commission then chaired by Maurice Lusby, owner of the hardware store known as Lusby Motors, and a few seats away from a couple of Sneades, owners of the Sneade's Hardware stores.
 
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