Apparently in all the current financial woes, the ferry to/from Ocracoke Island (Outer Banks, NC – OBX) has been affected. It seems that the Ocracoke ferry schedule will now maintain the winter ferry schedule throughout the summer – until the financial crisis has subsided. There’s an upside and a big downside to this story.
The upside: my beloved Ocracoke may be less crowded. With fewer ferries running, it’s likely to cut down on the number of people on the island.
The downside: The downside is for the people who live year-round on Ocracoke and rely on tourist trade for their living. Fewer people may well result in a negative impact on so many people like bed-and-breakfast facilities, family-owned hotels, restaurants, shops etc. This could be a hard hit for these folks and I feel for them.
Those of us who visit Ocracoke regularly will need to be sensitive to this and support the locals with our trade. This is SUCH a very special place, and access to it by ferry is absolutely vital. We need to ensure that the people who rely on tourist trade are supported through this difficult time. A majority of the locals who live year-round on Ocracoke, make the majority of their income during the summer months – this could be a challenge.
Hi Suzanne,
thanks for this post I’m a New York transplant with a small business on Ocracoke Island. I don’t believe that most visitors understand the Island’s economy. The season here is very short and depends on visitors. It makes for a very long winter when you have no business / income. I’m always amazed by people who come into my shop and tell me they can get something cheaper at walmart. I give them a map, tell them it will take them three hours to get to the nearest walmart and show them the door.
Ocracoke I think is a real bargain vacation, and for anyone who is thinking of coming out this summer there seems to be lots of rental deals on cottages. I always thought back when I was a visitor that Ocracoke was and [still is a] wonderful and inexpensive getaway!
So, visitors please keep coming to our Island. Just remember that it is a one of a kind place and be thankful we don’t have a walmart.
By: Mary on March 21, 2009
at 2:40 pm
Hi Mary:
Thank you for your post. I love Ocracoke dearly and when I heard about the ferry cutback I really became concerned about how this would affect the O’Cockers who are so dependent on tourist business – because the summer income represents income for the entire year.
We’re all hit by the financial crisis in this country, but for a place like Ocracoke which requires a commitment to get to … the ferry cutback is not a good thing! We’ll be there for the entire next week and look forward to visiting the restaurants, the shops and beach at “hoi toide”!
By: Suzanne Boswell on March 21, 2009
at 3:49 pm