SAFE HARBOR

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

Anyone 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 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.

One of the state ferries undergoes an inspection at the NCDOT shipyard in Manns Harbor.

If you’ve driven across the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge toward Manns Harbor, you’ve likely glimpsed the shipyard’s towering lifts and other elements of its 17-acre facility. They use their 86-foot lift to haul the ferries from the water and inspect the vessels’ hulls on their credited dry dock. Additionally, the shipyard includes a paint building large enough to house the ferries as they undergo the painting process. Another key feature that makes the shipyard a true asset on the East Coast is their giant warehouse full of ship parts and equipment ranging from basic nuts and bolts to massive propellers and generators.

“A lot of these parts are manufactured overseas, and having them right here lets us make a pretty quick turnaround with repairs,” Jed explains.

Expertly inspecting, repairing and returning the state’s ferries and other vessels to the water is a point of pride within the establishment. Completing the Coast Guard-required maintenance and upkeep takes about four to six months – starting with a boat’s initial survey, then replacing corroded material around its hull, repairing interior and exterior pieces, stripping away any old paint in order to replace it with a fresh coat, and giving the finished product its final safety inspection.

The process begins with an initial survey when a boat arrives at the dry dock. The docking department must first lift a ferry from the water, which takes a few hours, before they can strip away the boat’s dry wall. Coast Guard representatives then arrive and conduct a comprehensive hull exam with an ultrasound-like machine in order to determine how much metal the hull lost during the boat’s operation. Ultimately this allows them to make a prognosis about how much – and what kind – of work the ship needs.

At any given time, the shipyard will have seven to eight vessels in various stages of the maintenance process. Once all the repairs have been completed, the Coast Guard returns not only for a final inspection, but also to train crew members in order to ensure optimal safety.

“Then we send it back out with a clean bill of health,” Jed says proudly.

The scope and coherence of the shipyard’s operations also distinguish it nationally. “When you see the scale of what we have to do, it’s really rewarding,” Jed adds. “I’ve been around shipyards all over the country, and ours definitely holds its ground with the best of them.”