Games to play while waiting in the Ferry Line

The first year we were here someone explained to us how the line for the ferry works.

There are several lanes painted on the asphalt. Each of them is marked for destination and status - NH= North Haven; VH= Vinylhaven; RES= going to the islands with a reservation. Folks line up for the ferry as early as the night before, and must be with the vehicle 15 minutes before loading. The result of all this is a long line of cars with folks waiting. We keep expecting a tailgating party to break out at any minute.

When the ferry is loading, cars and trucks are pulled out of line depending on what there is room for on the particular run. We had wondered about the cars in line with large gaps between. Watching the loadmaster fit garbage trucks, semi-tractor rigs and passenger vehicles into the space of the ferry deck like a jigsaw puzzle is a quarter hours entertainment. The islanders call back and forth between vehicles and catch up on the news of the day. People who live on the islands often have one vehicle on the island and another on the mainland to avoid the problems with the limited number of cars back and forth.

Between ferries the folks waiting in line will wander off into town to get a bite to eat or do some shopping, so it can get quiet. When time for the next ferry to load comes along, activity picks up. The ferry runs seven days a week (except some holidays) from 7 am to 5 or 6 pm, with two vessels on each run shuttling back and forth between terminals. These are the ferries to the Havens.

There are a few to other islands, with only one trip every few days, or maybe once a week, depending on the location. In the 'off season' at least one of the more infrequent runs drops to twice a month. Talk about needing to plan ahead!