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| Issue #24, September 8, 2006 |
Here Comes A New Ferry
Greenport To Shelter Island May Get A Little Easier For Ferry Riders
By Phyllis Lombardi
This is about the other ferry. Not the one that goes to New London. We’re all swamped with stories about those boats out of Orient Point.
Instead, hear this. The North Ferry hopes to purchase a third large boat to carry cars and passengers from Greenport to Shelter Island. OK. Guess that’s not bad idea in itself. Let’s get the details.
Well, the new boat would cost about $2 million. My first reaction is ho-hum. That’s not out of line with what’s happening on the rest of the North Fork. Why, I could pay $20 for a hamburger right here in Southold. Though it would be obscenely big – like so much around here nowadays.
What else about the proposed new ferry? Talk to Julie Ben-Susan, general manager of the Shelter Island Heights Property Owners Corporation. That’s the group owning the ferry line. Julie said North Ferry runs five boats at present. Only two of them are large and purchased within the last four years.
When one of those big ones has to be pulled for maintenance, the problems begin. Long lines of cranky customers, for example.
That translates, said Julie, to the acquisition of a third large boat. And raising ferry rates would help pay for the boat as well as meet rising fuel prices and increasing labor costs.
Now I’m not equipped to evaluate any of this stuff – whether a new boat is needed or if the proposed rate hikes are fair. The Suffolk County Legislature’s budget review board can and will do that. Of course I have every confidence in those guys.
But there may be options. There usually are. I have one and I want you to tell me if it holds water. My proposal would not only reduce rates, it would eliminate the need for a new boat, perhaps even dry-dock some of the boats now in use. Moreover, it would be good for the health of North Forkers.
I propose a swimming lane between Greenport and Shelter Island. True, my experience with swimming lanes consists of heated hotel or YMCA swimming pools. Every amenity available. Most especially bathrooms. But if we pool our expertise, I’m sure we could pull it off. After all, the distance between Greenport and Shelter Island is minimal. A 15-minute ferry ride at most. And the waters are generally calm. So this theory of mine is worth a try.
First, we’ll establish an All Wet Commission to study the situation. The AWC will determine the width of the lanes. (We’ll need two lanes – some swimmers may plan on returning to their point of departure.) Then there’ll have to be some sort of safety patrol. Finally, weather conditions. If high winds can occasionally stop the ferries from running, perhaps swimmers should be detained, too. And what about winter-water temperatures? We can’t have a Dan’s Papers headline reading “East End Suffers Hypothermia.” Yes, the All Wet Commission will be busy indeed.
Perhaps there’s a solution. We’ll get the Peconic BayKeeper involved. He can paddle alongside the swimming lanes, watch for swimmers in distress, and call for assistance, if necessary. Now I never really knew what the Peconic BayKeeper does all day. I didn’t realize anybody had to keep the bay. I just thought it would always be there. But with this new assignment, the Peconic BayKeeper would really earn his keep. Maybe even get a raise.
Also, the Peconic BayKeeper could transport a swimmer’s pet. Well, if the swimmer has a pet deer, OK. Deer can swim that distance. Perhaps some dogs, too. But if the swimmer has a cat or a snake, then the baykeeper can help.
As for cold winter water? Easy. We’ll set up a wet suit business at ferry sites in Greenport and Shelter Island. Swimmers can suit up in Greenport, for example, fight the bay ice, and then turn in their wet suit on Shelter Island. A challenge, surely, but we’re up to it.
One concession, though. Children under twelve years old and seniors over 60 would be required to boat the bay. But the kids would go no charge and the seniors ride reduced rate, of course. Thus we save you money, too.
So come on out east and bring your swimsuit. The water’s fine.
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