C O M M U N IT Y
When North Carolina’s many car ferries need a little TLC, they come to Manns Harbor. PHOTO BY RYAN MOSER STORY BY HANNAH LEE LEIDY
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nyone who travels to Ocracoke knows that the ferry ride there is often one of the main highlights of the journey. It enhances Ocracoke’s remotedestination vibe, and the prospect of travel that necessitates a boat holds a certain appeal for many passengers. (Just think about how many photos people snap with their phones en route!) Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Ocracoke ferries operating out of Hatteras Island, Swan Quarter and Cedar Island get the bulk of attention here on the Outer Banks – but they only make up a portion of the fleet that services North Carolina’s waterways. The collection 16 | S PR I N G 2021
Safe Harbor additionally includes the ferries from Currituck to Knotts Island, Bayview to Aurora, Southport to Fort Fisher and the ferry route from Cherry Branch to Minnesott Beach. A United States Coast Guard mandate also requires that each of these state ferries undergo routine inspections and maintenance twice every five or so years. And while 22 ferries operate across North Carolina’s coast, few know that these inspections and scheduled maintenance happen right in our own backyard. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) State Shipyard in Manns Harbor, just west of Roanoke Island, conducts regular inspections, upkeeps and emergency repairs for the entire N.C. fleet. In short, this isn’t your typical small-town shipyard. With four different departments humming under the energy of the shipyard’s 78 employees, efficiency
and utility prevail as the state shipyard’s hallmark features. Between the hull (or welding) department, paint department, mechanics department and docking department, the operation’s facilities and employees’ expertise equip them to conduct any and all repairs of the state’s ships – in house, no less. “This is an essential facility so that we [at the NCDOT] don’t have to take our boats to Norfolk,” says Jed Dixon, the shipyard’s deputy director. And their prime location in Manns Harbor is a crucial piece of the picture. If one of the ferries experiences any damage, such as a failed motor or broken propeller during its route, a team of technicians can often conduct what’s called an emergency haul out. During this process, they’re uniquely positioned to race to the ferry’s location and conduct any necessary repairs on the spot.
