North Carolina’s newest and largest ferry boat, which is affiliated with Elon University, was christened Nov. 7 at Mann’s Harbor, N.C.
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The N.C. Department of Transportation has a tradition of associating boats in its fleet of ferries with colleges and universities in the state. Since the previous boat affiliated with Elon had gone out of service, the new Motor Vessel Swan Quarter was decked out with Elon’s logo and the maroon and gold colors.
About 200 people gathered at the Ferry Division’s shipyard at Mann’s Harbor to christen the $13 million ferry, which was built in Texas over the past two years. State Transportation Secretary Gene Conti said that the new ferry is on par with the most modern and finest ferries in the world, with modern electronic navigation and safety systems.
“This new ferry will help us further carry out our mission of connecting people and places,” Conti said. “It will be an impressive addition to the Ferry Division’s fleet and will be an ambassador for the great state of North Carolina.”
Conti noted that the sound class ferries are a lifeline for the coastal region and “essential to the evacuation of residents and visitors” when hurricanes approach North Carolina’s coast.
Representing Elon at the christening was Dan Anderson, assistant vice president and director of university relations. He praised the state’s vision in affiliating ferries with the state’s higher education institutions, giving the schools greater visibility and helping visitors to the Outer Banks learn about colleges and universities across North Carolina.
Following remarks by state and local elected officials, Conti’s wife Betsy cracked a bottle of champagne on the Swan Quarter’s bow, officially dedicating the vessel.
The 220-foot long sound class ferry will carry 50 vehicles and 300 passengers on the Pamlico Sound routes from Swan Quarter and Cedar Island to Ocracoke. It will make 4-6 trips a day, with each leg of the voyage taking about 2-3 hours. The ferryboats are designed to withstand the abuse of constantly traversing the shallow, turbulent waters of the Pamlico Sound.
The new vessel meets the Americans With Disabilities Act by featuring an ADA-compliant elevator, which has a 13 person capacity; moves 25 percent faster than existing sound class boats; meets Environmental Protection Agency standards for diesel emissions; and is the first of two sister ships that will join the division’s existing four Sound Class ferries. The second ferry will be put into service next summer.
During the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island routes carried more than 91,000 vehicles and 217,000 passengers between Ocracoke. The new vessel will go into service as soon as it receives its Certificate of Inspection from the U. S. Coast Guard.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division currently extends over seven routes and has more than 21 ferryboats. Each year, North Carolina ferries transport more than 1.1 million vehicles and more than 2.5 million passengers across the Currituck and Pamlico sounds, and the Cape, Fear, Neuse and Pamlico rivers.
The former boat affiliated with Elon, the Motor Vessel Bonner, is no longer in service and has not been for several years. The boat was last used to construct artificial oyster beds with Marine Fisheries and is currently moored in a restricted area at Cherry Branch and has no public access.