The Swan Quarter-Ocracoke and Cedar Island-Ocracoke ferries have begun offering additional routes across the Pamlico Sound to accommodate summer traffic.

As of Tuesday, the schedule for these ferries are as follows:


• Cedar Island-Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke-Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter-Ocracoke: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke-Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.


Officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s ferry system highly recommend those who plan to use the ferry routes during the summer to make reservations online or by phone by calling 1-800-BY-FERRY.

Ferry users may sign up for the Ferry Information Notification System to receive real-time text or email updates on weather or mechanical delays.

North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division is expanding the schedules of four ferry routes to accommodate the increase in spring traffic.

As of Tuesday, the Hatteras-Ocracoke route increased daily departures from 36 to 52, and the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke and Cedar Island-Ocracoke schedules both increased from four to six daily departures.

The Southport-Fort Fisher route moved to its spring schedule, increasing daily departures on weekdays only from 28 to 32, but the weekend schedule will remain unchanged.

The Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach, Bayview-Aurora and Currituck-Knotts Island routes will all remain on their year-round schedules.

Spring ferry schedules as of Tuesday, March 31, were the following:

Hatteras-Ocracoke

• From Hatteras: 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m., and midnight.
• From Ocracoke: 4:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m., and midnight.

Cedar Island-Ocracoke

• From Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m.
• From Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

Swan Quarter-Ocracoke

• From Swan Quarter: 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.
• From Ocracoke: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m.

Southport-Fort Fisher weekdays

• From Southport: 5:30 a.m., 7 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 6:15 p.m.
• From Fort Fisher: 6:15 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m.

The full 2026 schedule is available for download. For real time text or email notifications on schedule adjustments and other ferry information, sign up for the Ferry Information Notification System at www.ncdot.gov/fins​.

The North Carolina Ferry Division, under the N.C. Department of Transportation, announced on Friday that four of its ferry routes will adjust for the off-season.

The Ocracoke Express passenger ferry will end its seasonal service on Sept. 15. The 2025 season for the ferry that transports up to 129 passengers between Hatteras and Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor began May 13.

The motor-vehicle ferries traveling between Southport and Fort Fisher, Swan Quarter and Ocracoke, and Cedar Island and Ocracoke are to begin Tuesday adhering to the following off-season schedules:

Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Southport to Fort Fisher during the week: 5:30 a.m., 7 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

Fort Fisher to Southport during the week: 6:15 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Southport to Fort Fisher on weekends: 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

Fort Fisher to Southport on weekends: 7:45 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Visit the website for a complete schedule of all state-run ferries.

After a delay, the two vehicle ferry routes that cross Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke are now operating on the previously announced summer schedule.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division announced earlier this week the increase in trips for the Cedar Island-Ocracoke ferry and the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke ferry.

NCDOT in May alerted travelers that moving to the expanded schedule as planned on May 20 had been postponed while Army Corps of Engineers dredged Bigfoot Slough, the ferry channel near the village’s Silver Lake Harbor.

On Tuesday, ferries on the two routes began adhering to the following schedule:

• Cedar Island-Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke-Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter-Ocracoke: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke-Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

During the busy season, officials strongly recommend reservations, which can be made online at www.ncferry.org, or on the phone at 1-800-BY-FERRY.

The village is only accessible by boat or private airplane.

There are two ways to reach Ocracoke from Hatteras: the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry or the Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry. The express ferry takes reservations, the Hatteras vehicle ferry does not.

For real-time text or email updates on weather or mechanical delays, sign up for the Ferry Information Notification System at www.ncdot.gov/fins. 

Pamlico Sound ferry routes linking the two mainland terminals and Ocracoke Village will remain on its spring schedule of six daily departures until a dredging project planned for the end of this month is complete.

North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division officials said Tuesday that the Army Corps of Engineers had scheduled the emergency project because of shoaling in the Bigfoot Slough ferry channel near the village’s Silver Lake Harbor.

“Our boats are ready, our crews are ready, but the Bigfoot Slough channel is too shallow and narrow to operate our largest ferries safely there right now,” Ferry Division Director Jed Dixon said in a release.

The Corps is responsible for maintaining the channel and has scheduled the emergency dredging project to begin in late May. Weather permitting, the project is expected to take about a week to complete, according to NCDOT.

Once the channel is considered safe, both the Cedar Island-Ocracoke and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke routes will expand from their spring schedules of six daily departures to their summer schedules of eight daily departures.

Officials had initially planned to adopt the expanded summer schedules May 20.

For real-time text or email updates on weather or mechanical delays, sign up for the Ferry Information Notification System at www.ncdot.gov/fins. 

Transportation officials are adding more round trips to the Cedar Island-Ocracoke and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke ferry schedules.  

The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Monday that the schedule will be the following starting Tuesday:   

• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m.

The schedule for all of the North Carolina state ferries can be found on the NCDOT website.

Officials recommend making reservations during the spring. Travelers can make reservations online or on the phone at 1-800-BY-FERRY.  

For real-time text or email updates on weather or mechanical delays, sign up for the Ferry Information Notification System at www.ncdot.gov/fins.

As the busy summer season begins, there will be four daily trips offered by the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke and Cedar Island-Ocracoke ferries, North Carolina Transportation Department officials said Monday.

Beginning Tuesday, ferries from Cedar Island to Ocracoke will depart at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily. From Ocracoke to Cedar Island, ferries will depart at 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. daily.

From Swan Quarter to Ocracoke, ferries will depart at 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily. From Ocracoke to Swan Quarter, ferries will depart at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. daily.

These ferry routes will return to the off-season schedule of three daily round trips Sept. 11. A full ferry schedule and seasonal changes are listed on the ferry system’s website.

Officials recommend reservations during summer, which can be made online at www.ncferry.org, or by calling 1-800-BY-FERRY.

Pedestrians can travel to Ocracoke via Hatteras by taking the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry. This ferry makes three roundtrips daily between Hatteras and Ocracoke Village and also accepts reservations.

The Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry route will continue running 36 scheduled departures each day, with additional unscheduled departures added when possible during high traffic demands. No reservations are accepted on the Hatteras vehicle ferry.

For real-time text or email updates on weather or mechanical delays, sign up for the Ferry Information Notification System at www.ncdot.gov/fins.

Ferries taking passengers between Cedar Island, Swan Quarter and Ocracoke are on an alternate schedule as of Monday due to critical shoaling issues in the ferry channel just outside of Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division announced Monday the following schedule change:

• Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m.
• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 1:30 p.m.
• ​​​Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 4:30 p.m.

The Army Corps of Engineers’ contractor Cottrell Dredging is to use the Dredge Lexington in the Bigfoot Slough channel to clear the shoaling, but dredging operations are dependent on weather and tides.

Once water depths in the ferry channel return to acceptable levels, the Ferry Division plans to resume its regular schedule on both routes.

State Department of Transportation officials are transitioning the Southport-Fort Fisher, Swan Quarter-Ocracoke, and Cedar Island-Ocracoke ferry routes to off-season schedules in the wake of the busy summer season starting Tuesday.

All three routes will remain on the following schedules through the end of the year.

Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Southport to Fort Fisher (weekdays): 5:30 a.m., 7 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

Fort Fisher to Southport (weekdays): 6:15 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Southport to Fort Fisher (weekends): 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

Fort Fisher to Southport (weekends): 7:45 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.  

A complete ferry schedule is available online​.

After several weeks of adjusted schedules and a dredge project just outside the Ocracoke-Silver Lake Terminal to alleviate shoaling, ferries that cross the Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke resumed full summer schedules Friday.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ dredge Merritt began work June 17 in Bigfoot Slough. Shoaling in that area made the ferry channel too shallow to safely operate the division’s largest vessels. The dredge project took about two weeks, state Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division officials said.

The following is the full summer schedule:

• Cedar Island-Ocracoke: 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke-Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter-Ocracoke: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke-Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

​Officials highly recommended travelers make reservations during the busy summer season either online at www.ncferry.org, or by phone at 1-800-BY-FERRY.

Real-time updates on weather or mechanical delays on the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter routes can be found on the Twitter feed @NCFerryPamSound.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division oversees the ferry system’s seven routes and 21 ferries.

After more than a week of schedule interruptions from COVID-19 cases and unplanned mechanical issues, two of the three Outer Banks ferries were back on track in time for the long weekend.

North Carolina Department of Transportation department officials said Thursday that Cedar Island-Ocracoke and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke routes had returned to the full summer schedules after repairs on unexpected mechanical issues on sound-class vessels were made.

A worker shortage continues to affect the Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry schedule, officials said. The Ferry Division has seen 97 positive COVID-19 cases among its staff. Trends indicate that the Hatteras vehicle route could continue to be affected with cancellations possible.

Officials announced May 19 coronavirus illness-related interruptions to the Cedar Island, Swan Quarter and Hatteras ferry routes.

The department has scheduled a new job fair 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 9 at the College of the Albemarle’s Dare County campus in Manteo as part of a hiring effort. Visit the employment website and enter the word ferry in the search box for information.  

“The Ferry Division is working to address all issues affecting the Hatteras vehicle ferry route and return to a full summer schedule as soon as possible,” officials said.

Before departing, travelers should check the Hatteras route’s Twitter on the website, or call the Hatteras terminal at 252-996-6000.

Travelers also have the option to ride the passenger ferry between Ocracoke and Hatteras. Make a reservation on the Ocracoke Express passenger-only ferry, which makes three round trips daily directly between Hatteras and Ocracoke Village.

Now that spring is on the horizon, more daily departures are being added between Hatteras, Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferry terminals and Ocracoke.

The Ocracoke-Cedar Island and Ocracoke-Swan Quarter routes will increase daily departures from two to three from each side per day starting Tuesday and the Hatteras-Ocracoke route will go from 14 to 18 departures from each side per day, state Department of Transportation officials said Monday.

The following is the new schedule effective Tuesday:

Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m.

Hatteras to Ocracoke: 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m., 10 p.m., midnight.

Ocracoke to Hatteras: 4:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m.,11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:45 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and midnight.

The Cedar Island and Swan Quarter routes will remain on these schedules through May 23, when the routes will go to a full summer schedule.

The Hatteras route will add more departures on April 5 before going to a full summer schedule May 17.

The complete schedule is available online.

Pamlico Sound ferry routes between the mainland and Ocracoke returned to a full schedule Wednesday after being reduced to two runs for most of this month because of shoaling in the ferry channel outside Ocracoke Harbor.

A test run with the M/V Swan Quarter Tuesday showed that the Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging efforts opened ferry channel depths and widths in Bigfoot Slough, allowing safe passage for all of the state’s ferries, officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division said Tuesday.

Ferries between the mainland and Ocracoke will continue to run on a reduced schedule until Monday.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division extended the altered schedule on Pamlico Sound between Cedar Island, Swan Quarter and Ocracoke through Monday while the Army Corps of Engineers continues 24-hour dredging to combat shoaling issues in the ferry channel just outside Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor.

Shoaling occurs when sand and sediment fill into a ferry channel, making water depths too shallow and the channel too narrow for safe operation of the ferry system’s largest vessels.

The Corps has two dredges, Murden and Merritt, working together in Bigfoot Slough channel to perform 24-hour dredging. On Monday, the Ferry Division will make a test run in the channel with its largest vessel, the M/V Swan Quarter. If water depths and channel widths are at acceptable levels, the ferry division will resume its regular schedule on both routes Tuesday, according to NCDOT.

The schedule was first reduced from three to two ferry runs per day March 26 and again April 1, then April 5. The ferry was suspended completely from April 8 to April 12, all due to shoaling in the ferry channel just outside of Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor. Two ferry runs resumed April 13.

For up-to-the-minute information on schedule changes on the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter routes, please follow @NCFerryPamSound​ on Twitter.

Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferries, which carry passengers across Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke, resumed Tuesday after having been suspended over the weekend and on an altered schedule through most of April.

North Carolina Department of Transportation officials said Tuesday that service will begin with a two-boat, alternate schedule while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to mitigate shoaling issues in Bigfoot Slough.

The schedule for April 13 – 16, weather permitting, is as follows:

• Ocracoke to Cedar Island:  7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The schedule was first reduced from three to two ferry runs per day on March 26, and again April 1,then April 5. The ferry was suspended completely from April 8 to April 12, all due to shoaling in the ferry channel just outside of Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor.

Shoaling happens when sand and sediment fill into a ferry channel, making water depths too shallow and the channel too narrow for safe operation of the ferry system’s largest vessels.

For up-to-the-minute information on schedule changes on the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter routes, please follow @NCFerryPamSound on Twitter.

Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferries to and from Ocracoke have been suspended until Monday because Bigfoot Slough is too shallow and too narrow to operate ferries.

The state Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division announced Thursday the suspension, which is attributed to worsening shoaling in the ferry channel just outside of Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor.

Shoaling occurs when sand and sediment fill into a ferry channel, making water depths too shallow and the channel too narrow for safe operation of the ferry system’s vessels.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to work in the Bigfoot Slough channel to clear the shoaling. The Ferry Division said it would reassess channel conditions Monday and decide whether to resume service.

Because of shoaling issues in the ferry channel just outside of Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor, ferries traveling to and from Ocracoke from Cedar Island and Swan Quarter will continue to run on an alternate schedule until April 1.

The state implemented the altered schedule Friday for the Pamlico Sound ferries from the mainland to Ocracoke.

The schedule is the following through April 1, weather permitting:

• Ocracoke to Cedar Island:  7:30 a.m., 1 p.m.
• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 1:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 4:30 p.m.

Shoaling occurs when sand and sediment fill into a ferry channel, making water depths too shallow for safe operation of the ferry system’s largest vessels.

The Army Corps of Engineers’ Dredge Murden continues to work in the Bigfoot Slough channel to clear the shoaling, but dredging operations are dependent on weather and tides. Once the dredging work is complete and water depths in the ferry channel return to acceptable levels, the ferry Division will resume its regular schedule on both routes, according to NCDOT.

For up-to-the-minute information on schedule changes on the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter routes, please follow @NCFerryPamSound on Twitter.

Ferry service on the Pamlico Sound routes between Cedar Island, Swan Quarter and Ocracoke will run an abridged schedule Dec. 22-28 due to a COVID-19-related temporary staff shortage.

Six employees, who last worked the route Dec. 14, have tested positive for COVID-19 and are under quarantine for at least 14 days. There are 11 other employees that came in contact with the crew who have not tested positive, but are all under quarantine.

Service on the Pamlico Sound routes between Cedar Island, Swan Quarter and Ocracoke will be reduced between Dec. 22-28 to the following schedule:

• Ocracoke-Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Cedar Island-Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
• Ocracoke-Swan Quarter: 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter-Ocracoke: 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

State Department of Transportation officials said that two of the positive tests came from the crew of the M/V Swan Quarter, and four work are onshore personnel. The  Swan Quarter, which currently runs the Cedar Island-Ocracoke route, has been cleaned extensively using COVID-19 procedures.

All ferry crews are required to wear face coverings when on board and passengers are required to practice social distancing and wear face coverings while on ferry decks or in passenger lounges.

The Hyde County and Carteret County health departments as well as the state Department of Health and Human Services have been notified of the positive tests.

The terminals at Cedar Island, Swan Quarter and Ocracoke have also been cleaned and sanitized since the positive tests. During the pandemic, all ferries and terminals have undergone frequent cleanings while in service.

Passengers who think they may have been exposed to the virus should contact their local health departments.

Pamlico Sound ferry routes will resume a full schedule Saturday between Ocracoke and the two mainland ferry terminals, Swan Quarter and Cedar Island.

North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Friday that the Bigfoot Slough dredging effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was successful and the Ferry Division will resume the three-boat schedule between Ocracoke, Swan Quarter and Cedar Island.

The following schedule will go into effect Saturday:

• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.

This schedule will remain in effect through the off-season months as long as water depths in Bigfoot Slough remain stable.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

With the return of the M/V Silver Lake from its required dry dock period, the North Carolina Ferry Division was able to resume Sunday a two-boat schedule on its routes between Cedar Island, Ocracoke and Swan Quarter.

Because of shoaling issues in the ferry channel outside of Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor, daily service will be reduced by one trip each way on the Pamlico Sound between Ocracoke and both Cedar Island and Swan Quarter until further notice.

The state Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division announced Wednesday the following schedule that will start Thursday:

• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Cedar Island:  7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Swan Quarter to Ocracoke:  10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter:  7 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Reservation holders whose trips are affected by the change will be notified by email or phone.

The latest survey by the Army Corps of Engineers shows water depths in Bigfoot Slough near Ocracoke as low as 8 feet, which means the ferry system’s two largest sound-class vessels, the Swan Quarter and the Sea Level, cannot cross the area safely.

The ferry channel in Bigfoot Slough is a federally maintained channel, meaning that any dredging that occurs must be performed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Ferry Division has notified the Corps of the critical need for dredging in the area, according to NCDOT.

OCRACOKE – The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division announced Sunday an alternate schedule for the Pamlico Sound Ferry due to the current emergency restrictions in place for visiting for Ocracoke Island.

The alternate schedule for its Cedar Island-Ocracoke and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke routes began Monday.

The schedule will be as follows:

• Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Visitors are reminded that Hyde County’s mandatory evacuation order for visitors remains in effect. Only residents, property owners, emergency workers, vendors and critical infrastructure personnel with Ocracoke re-entry documentation will be allowed onto Ocracoke-bound ferries. Law enforcement officers will be on hand at ferry terminals to enforce the re-entry restrictions.

The routes will resume their regular summer schedules when the emergency orders are lifted.