MANNS HARBOR, N.C. (AP) - A new passenger-only ferry linking two favorite locales for vacationers on North Carolina’s barrier islands won’t be making its maiden voyage this summer after all because of boat construction delays.
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division now says service by an express ferry between Hatteras and Ocracoke villages won’t begin until the end of the year.
Division spokesman Tim Hass told The News & Observer of Raleigh the ferry builder has faced a shortage of workers in specialized trades, particularly certified marine welders. Now it’s aiming to complete the boat in the fall.
The nearly 100-seat ferry will bring people and bikes directly into Ocracoke Village, where free trams will run on a half-hour loop. The division says the trams will begin operating before the ferry comes online.
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