Mary Frances

May 21st, 2023
Troutman, NC
Paul Clayton

Work boats Mary Frances and an unnamed sister rest on the Sabbath at the Lancaster Custom Dock and Lift Systems yard on Lake Norman near Troutman.

Governor Daniel Russell

March 8th, 2023
Aurora, NC
Paul Clayton

River class ferry Governor Daniel Russell covers the Pamlico River crossing between Bayview and Aurora. The boat was built in 1992 by the Conrad Industries shipyard in Orange TX.

Island Girl

March 10th, 2023
Alligator-Pungo Canal, NC
Paul Clayton

Tied up under the U.S.264 bridge over the south end of the Alligator-Pungo Canal, late in the day, with fog and light rain. I talked to the crewman at the pilot-house door, who said they were "waiting for weather". I checked when I got back to the boatyard and found winds predicted to reach 30 knots out of the northwest on the Albemarle, bad conditions for the sound, and making things absolutely wretched on the Alligator River.

Topper Tug

February 20th, 2023
Belhaven, NC
Paul Clayton

The dock barge and work boat of TJ's Marine Construction of Pantego, NC.

Sea Wolf

October 3rd, 2022
Oregon Inlet, NC
Paul Clayton

Sea Wolf and several crane barges sheltered in the bight on the south side of the inlet inside the Basnight Bridge as a low that set up offshore as hurricane Ian passed to the west. The tug was built in 1982 by Adams Boat Builders Company of Lockport, Louisiana and is currently owned by Wittich Marine Incorporated of Bayonne, New Jersey.

Surry, Powhatan

April 10th, 2021
Jamestown - Scotland, VA
Joe Levsen

The two ferries pass on their opposing routes.

Roanoke

May 23rd, 2021
Cherry Point - Minnesott, NC
Paul Clayton

Powhatan

April 10th, 2021
Jamestown - Scotland, VA
Joe Levsen

Joe and Marcia took a trip to Tidewater and came back with this fine picture of Powhatan crossing the James River on a sunny spring day. I posted a picture of her sister Pocahontas on the same route back in September 2017. The two boats are visually similar and each carries up to 70 cars. Pocahontas was built in 1996, but Powhatan is brand new, built by VT Halter Marine, Inc. in Pascagoula, and commissioned in 2019. The construction of Powhatan allowed the ancient Virginia, vintage 1936, to be sold to a private ferry operator in New Jersey. Two smaller boats, Surry and Williamsburg, also support the Jamestown - Scotland route. A picture of Surry was posted here in September 2017.

Nicolet

June 9th, 2003
St. Ignace, MI - Mackinac Island, MI
Paul Clayton

Star Line pedestrian ferry serving the island. We passed on the opposing schedule.

Governor James B. Hunt

March 13th, 2020
Currituck, NC
Paul Clayton

Knotts Island is an isolated part of Currituck County in far eastern North Carolina. It is too small to support a school, so all the kids cross the sound by ferry to attend school on the mainland. The NC Ferry Division generally assigns their smallest boat, the Governor James B. Hunt, to cover the route. The school bus gets priority loading, and then the boat fills out with whatever cars and trucks need to make the trip. Knotts Island does have road access, but it is a long drive up through southeastern Virginia. The picture was taken at the mainland landing in the town of Currituck.

Roanoke

December 4th, 2019
Ocracoke, NC
Paul Clayton

Backing off the Silver Lake dock, bound for Hatteras. This was the next to last departure on the last day of the temporary route after hurricane Dorian.

HC Bea Luna

June 18th, 2015
Beaufort, NC
Paul Clayton

Floyd J. Lupton

February 10th, 2019
Minnesott, NC - Cherry Point, NC
Paul Clayton

James Myrick

December 6th, 2018
Yonges Island, SC
Paul Clayton

Currently owned by Myrick Marine Contracting Corporation of Savannah, Georgia, and pictured here at the Stevens Towing Co. shipyard. The boat was built in 1983 by the Blount Marine Corporation of Warren, Rhode Island.

Bobbie Ann

December 3rd, 2018
Holden Beach, NC
Paul Clayton

Built 1967 in Houma, LA as Dixie Pirate, currently owned by Gore Marine Corporation of Townsend GA.

OSG Honour

December 5th, 2018
Charleston, SC
Paul Clayton

Built for Interstate Oil Transportation Company in 1975 in Houma, LA as Honour, the boat is now owned by Overseas Shipholding Group. Here it is shown at anchor in Charleston Bay in Integrated Tug Barge configuration. The tug fits into a notch in the stern of the barge and is rigidly connected, forming a single vessel. The barge is molded like a ship's hull and the combination could be described as a ship with a detachable power plant.

Island Tide

December 5th, 2018
Wadmalaw River, SC
Paul Clayton

Chem Rotterdam

April 1st, 2018
Tampa, FL
Paul Clayton

Baltic Leopard

April 1st, 2018
Tampa, FL
Paul Clayton

Bulk carrier built in 2009. I found her at the Titan America aggregates dock and took the picture from Seaplane Basin Park.

Seabulk Challenger

March 1st, 2018
Delaware River, DE
Paul Clayton

Outbound from Port Richmond, bound for Galveston. The photograph was taken from the New Castle, DE waterfront.

Delaware

February 28th, 2018
Lewes, DE - Cape May NJ
Paul Clayton

Departing Lewes Terminal.

Enterprise

February 25th, 2018
Newport News, VA
Paul Clayton

The queen of the fleet for over 50 years, USS Enterprise was decommissioned in 2017 and now rests on a dock in Newport News. Many would like to see her become a permanent monument, but, even with her nuclear powerplant removed, she is probably still too "hot" for preservation.

Arlington

February 27th, 2018
Old Point Comfort, VA
Paul Clayton

LPD-24 USS Arlington is an Amphibious Transport Dock of the United States Navy. Here she passes in to Hampton Roads silhouetted against the early morning sun.

Elizabeth River Ferry III

February 26th, 2018
Norfolk, VA - Portsmouth, VA
Paul Clayton

A fleet of these small pedestrian ferries run continuously between the two cities.

Capt Woody

February 25th, 2018
Newport News, VA
Paul Clayton

Cornhusker State

February 25th, 2018
Newport News, VA
Paul Clayton

Crane ship of the U.S. Navy Ready Reserve. She was built in 1967. Moored alongside is sister Flickertail State.

Carteret

February 17th, 2002
Pamlico Sound, NC
Paul Clayton

Encountering rough conditions far out in North Carolina's inland sea.

Robert B. Turecamo, Fort Fisher

November 18th, 2010
Beaufort Inlet, NC
Paul Clayton

The tugs are waiting to escort Federal Agno to the Port of Morehead City.

Hatteras

March 26th, 2017
Cherry Branch, NC
Paul Clayton

Hatteras is tied up at the Cherry Branch Terminal, probably for engine work.

Edward L. Ryerson

June 2004
Manitowoc, WI
Paul Clayton

When the picture was taken the ship was laid up, but surprisingly she was put back in service in 2006 hauling taconite pellets on Lake Superior. Currently she is in layup in Superior, WI.

Badger

June 2004
Ludington, MI - Manitowoc, WI
Paul Clayton

The last of the breed. Badger is the last coal-fired steamship in regular service in the United States. She ferries cars, trucks and people across Lake Michigan from May to October of the year, connecting U.S.10 between Ludington and Manitowoc and saving travellers 4 hours over driving by way of Chicago. The photograph was taken at Manitowoc.

Kinnakeet

May 22nd, 2010
Minnesott, NC - Cherry Point, NC
Paul Clayton

Atlantic Spirit

April 19th, 2013
Norfolk, VA
Paul Clayton

Bulk carrier built in 2007, as of November 2017 the ship was still in service and reported off the coast of Japan.

HC Bea-Luna

June 18th, 2015
Morehead City, NC
Paul Clayton

Jean Ribault

October 28th, 2017
Mayport, FL - Fort George Island, FL
Paul Clayton

The ferry connects two sections of Jacksonville at a narrow stretch of the St. Johns River. It runs on the half hour and only takes a few minutes to make the crossing.

Frisco

October 20th, 2017
Ocracoke, NC - Hatteras, NC
Paul Clayton

Approaching the Hatteras landing.

Cumberland Queen II

2013?
St. Marys, GA - Cumberland Island, GA
Ellie Clayton

Pedestrian ferry to National Seashore.

W. Stanford White

October 20th, 2017
Hatteras, NC - Ocracoke, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Waiting to load at the Hatteras terminal.

Victory II

October 22nd, 2017
Green Cove Springs, FL
Paul M. Clayton

Casino boat is laid up at Green Cove Springs.

Americana

October 22nd, 2017
Green Cove Springs, FL
Paul M. Clayton

Built in 1988, Americana is laid up on the same dock in Green Cove Springs where I found Cape May Light and Cape Cod Light in 2009. It's the same story - bankruptcy of the operator, in this case Travel Dynamics International. The boat was christened Yorktown Clipper and renamed several times over the course of its career.

Cedar Island

October 20th, 2017
Cedar Island, NC - Ocracoke, NC
Paul M. Clayton

The big Sound Class boat carries a full load of vacationers to Ocracoke on a beautiful fall Friday.

Hampton Roads

May 16th, 2013
Savannah, GA
Paul M. Clayton

Dredge Hampton Roads works close to the Savannah waterfront. The vessel is owned by Marinex Construction, Inc. of Charleston SC, and is the smaller of two dredges operated by the company. She and sister Savannah are on permanent duty keeping the port of Savannah open.

Fort Fisher

November 28th, 2004
Southport, NC - Fort Fisher, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Taken from aboard my sailboat Valor. From my notes of that day - "Passed ferry coming out of Southport and Mary Beth came out and waved her cap at me." That would be Captain Mary Beth Ray, a friend from the marina who held a regular position of command for many years on this route. Years later I would have the privilege of crossing the Cape Fear in the pilot house of an NC ferry as her guest.

Fort Fisher

2003
Fort Fisher, NC - Southport, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Valcour

June 2002
Port Kent NY - Burlington VT
Paul M. Clayton

UBC Bremen

August 21st, 2013
Morehead City, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Patriot

2004
Bald Head Island, NC - Southport, NC
Paul M. Clayton

In the ICW near Southport Marina.

Unknown

June or July, 2003
Columbia River, OR
Paul M. Clayton

Unidentified freighter passing under the Columbia River Bridge at Astoria, OR in the summer of 2003.

Unknown

2003
Cape Fear River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Unidentified freighter in the fog on the Cape Fear River, taken from the Fort Fisher - Southport ferry. As a safety precaution, the ferry held departure until the crew could make visible contact with the ship. We heard her foghorn out on the river long before we could see her.

Cape Point

September 19th, 2008
Hatteras - Ocracoke, NC
Paul M. Clayton

A big late summer crowd aboard Cape Point on their way to Ocracoke Island for the day. We were aboard Chicamacomico on the opposite run. During tourist season the boats on the Ocracoke - Hatteras route don't adhere to schedule, turning around as fast as they can discharge and reload at the terminals.

Thomas A. Baum

November 11th, 2006
Hatteras - Ocracoke, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Inbound to Hatteras landing, taken from boat on opposing schedule.

Kinnakeet, Frisco

October, 2001
Hatteras - Ocracoke, NC
Paul M. Clayton

The two boats pass near the landing at the north end of Ocracoke Island.

Governor James B. Hunt

September 18th, 2017
Currituck - Knotts Island, NC
Paul M. Clayton

The boat covering this route is the smallest in the NC Ferry Division system, with a capacity of 18 to 20 cars. The rationale for the route is to carry schoolchildren from Knotts Island to mainland Currituck County, since the island population is too small to support a school. When I rode it in 2017, there was a school bus and about 10 cars going to the island, with 6 cars on the return. The boat makes six round trips a day, less on weekends and in the summer when school is out.

Unnamed

September 13th, 2017
Meherrin River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Driving east on U.S. 158 toward Edenton, I caught a glimpse of a sign on a side road with the word "Ferry" on it. I doubled back at the first opportunity and found a sign indicating the Parker's Ferry on the road ahead, operating during daylight hours. I drove down the road, which turned to gravel, and eventually reached the Meherrin River. There was a sign instructing the driver to blow the horn to summon the boat. There was an NCDOT truck already waiting and the ferry was just leaving the other side. The river is quite narrow and in a couple of minutes we loaded and began the crossing, which itself just took a few minutes. On the other side, I followed a gravel road for several miles and came out near Murfreesboro, NC.

The ferry is cable operated, operates every day during daylight hours unless the water is too high or rough, and is free. It is considered an inland ferry and is not under the jurisdiction of the NC Ferry Division, but is run by the local District Office. There are two more of these ferries in North Carolina, the Sans Souci ferry crossing the Cashie River near Winton, and the Elwell ferry crossing the Cape Fear near Riegelwood.

Federal Agno

November 18th, 2010
Beaufort Inlet, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Federal Agno

November 18th, 2010
Beaufort Inlet, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Federal Agno

November 18th, 2010
Beaufort Inlet, NC
Paul M. Clayton

William A. Irvin

June 24th, 2003
Duluth, MN
Paul M. Clayton

This vessel was put in service in 1938 and worked for 50 years until she was laid up in 1978. After languishing for 8 years, she was purchased and given a cosmetic refurbishment and put on display in downtown Duluth. The vessel was well-maintained by her former owner U.S. Steel Corporation and is in fine condition today.

William A. Irvin

June 24th, 2003
Duluth, MN
Paul M. Clayton

Climbing to the bridge of a preserved Great Lakes bulk carrier.

Hoss

April 19th, 2013
Elizabeth River, VA
Paul M. Clayton

I took this picture from aboard Marian Claire at the end of a trip through the Dismal Swamp Canal.

Floyd J. Lupton

August 16th, 2010
Neuse River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Kinnakeet

June 25th, 2010
Neuse River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Bow Viking

May 16th, 2010
Morehead City, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Various Odfjell vessels are a common sight on the Morehead City dock.

Cape Cod Light

April 18th, 2009
Green Cove Springs, FL
Paul M. Clayton

For a comparatively new vessel, Cape Cod Light has a hazy history. My best information is that she and sister Cape May Light were built in 2001 for an operation called Delta Queen Coastal Voyages. By the end of the year, the company was bankrupt and both boats were laid up at Green Cove Springs, where I photographed them im 2009. Rumor has it that a company called Waterfront Lifestyles International bought the boat in 2008 with intentions of converting it to a floating condominium, but it doesn't appear that anything came of it. Another rumor is that one of the boats was chartered in 2010 to serve as housing for relief workers in Haiti after the devastating earthquake.

MSC Kalamata

September 14th, 2016
Crossing Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, VA
Paul M. Clayton

As of September 10, 2017, MSC Kalamata was in the Balearic Sea, bound from Valencia, Spain to La Spezia, Italy.

Surry

May 23rd, 2016
Jamestown - Scotland, VA
Paul M. Clayton

Stormont

June 2006
Country Harbour, N.S.
Paul M. Clayton

Cable ferry near Port Bickerton, Nova Scotia.

Viking

June 2004
Marinette, WI?
Paul M. Clayton

Built in 1925 and christened Ann Arbor No. 7, she was rebuilt in 1964 and renamed Viking. She worked hauling freight cars and passengers across Lake Michigan until she was laid up in 1982. Finally in 2013 the hulk was cut down into a barge.

William H. Donner

June 2004
Marinette, WI?
Paul M. Clayton

Built in 1914, the hulk of Great Lakes ore carrier William H. Donner was still in service as late as 2011 as a freight transfer vessel.

Topo

June 2004
Soo Locks, MI
Paul M. Clayton

Pocahontas

March 26th, 2002
Jamestown - Scotland, VA
Paul M. Clayton

Na'Hoku

August 21st, 2013
Beaufort Inlet, NC
Paul M. Clayton

This boat was built in 1981 and currently hails out of Charleston, so she is a familiar sight along the southeastern coast. In recent news, Na'Hoku lost her tow April 20th, 2017 and it washed up on the beach at Lake Worth, FL. No damage, no harm done.

Aurora

November 21st, 2014
Beaufort Inlet, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Aurora is a chemical tanker built in 2000, gross tonnage 16,454, flagged under the Marshall Islands. As of September 9th, 2017 she is off the coast of South Carolina.

Celine

February 16th, 2015
Morehead City, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Floyd J. Lupton

February 16th, 2010
Neuse River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Unidentified

June 17th, 2002
Ocracoke NC - Cedar Island NC
Paul M. Clayton

Valcour

June 2002
Port Kent NY - Burlington VT
Paul M. Clayton

The boat was built in 1947 out of war surplus materials.

Governor Edward Hyde

October 2001
Cedar Island - Ocracoke, NC
Paul M. Clayton

As best as I can determine, this boat, built in 1977, is no longer in service.

Kinnakeet

February 17th, 2011
Neuse River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Hatteras

December 11th, 2012
Stumpy Point - Rodanthe, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Hatteras is far out in Pamlico Sound on the 2012 temporary route between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe that was set up to ameliorate the transportation issues caused by severe washouts on Highway 12. The road was closed from Bonner Bridge to Rodanthe for months. The picture was taken from aboard W. Stanford White running on the opposite schedule.

Croatoan

December 11th, 2012
Stumpy Point - Rodanthe, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Croatoan is inbound to Stumpy Point. The picture was taken from W. Stanford White on her way to Rodanthe.

Cape Point

December 11th, 2012
Pamlico River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Approaching the dock at Aurora on a mild December day. Dan and I were on our way to ride the Stumpy Point Ferry.

Thomas A. Baum

October 1st, 2016
Neuse River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Neuse

July 16th, 2013
Pamlico River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Chicamacomico

August 17th, 2015
Neuse River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

This boat, like most of those used on the Neuse River Minnesott to Cherry Point route, is a member of the NCDOT Ferry Division's Hatteras Class. She carries up to 26 cars amd 149 passengers, and was built in 1990.

Kinnakeet

May 31st, 2016
Neuse River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Thomas A. Baum

March 6th, 2017
Neuse River, NC
Paul M. Clayton

Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Paul M. Clayton