During the next four weeks I will continue to remind you about the ferry slip repairs scheduled for the school vacation week in April. For a period of eight days the ferry will only carry passengers. The loading ramp on the Chappy side will be removed first thing in the morning on Sunday April 17 and will be back in place by Sunday April 24 at 6 p.m. Passengers will be carried during the entire time.

For those who have a second vehicle, the police have said that you can park a car in town in any legal parking space without getting ticketed for violating the time limit for that space. This does not include loading zones or any other space in which you would not ordinarily park your car. There will be a few spaces at Memorial Wharf but let’s save those for the less mobile among us.

For those who will be parking their car in town during the week and will need a ride home from the ferry I can tell you at this time that several of your neighbors have offered to give folks a lift to or from the ferry. We will post phone numbers at the ferry and in this column as the time approaches.

Chris Kennedy of TTOR promises that during that week you can drive the beach to town without over-sand vehicle permits. You will have to obey the regulations for driving on the beach. The most important one being the requirement to deflate your tires to 12 to 15 psi. This will help to keep you from getting stuck. No guarantees on that though. You need to know what you are doing in order to keep out of trouble. Stay on the level area. Drive in the main tracks. Don’t drive down near the water’s edge. The regulations require that you have a shovel and a tow strap, among other items. Visit thetrustees.org for a full listing of equipment and advice on driving on sand. If you have never driven the beach to town before, I strongly recommend that you make your first trip a daytime experiment.

Just a reminder that during that week, as at all other times, in case of emergency call 911 or from a cell phone 508-693-1212. The folks at the communications center know how to get hold of the ambulance, the police and the fire department as well as the Chappy ferry. One call does it all!

The Slip Away farmers are seeking extra help during the coming growing season. If you want to have a chance to get out into those beautiful Slip Away Farm flower fields, the farmers are looking for one or two dedicated volunteers to help out one day per week during July and August to help with flower harvesting. You may also get a chance at vegetable harvesting. You must be able to work in the sun in a labor-intensive job. Contact Slip Away at 508-627-7465 or slipawayfarm@gmail.com. Follow farm events on Instagram: @slipawayfarm.

Breaking news from Wasque: Chappaquiddicker Alan Wilson reported that a few weeks back he observed swans in the newly-formed swan pond. Now all we need is a layer of muck on the bottom and some invasive species to take hold so that the swans have a source of food.

Last weekend I saw Army Corps of Engineers equipment coming over on the ferry destined for Little Neck out near Cape Pogue. They are gearing up for bomb removal during the next few months. You may occasionally hear a boom when they blow up unexploded ordnance.

They will have to start with some brush clearing. Little Neck is one of the prickliest spots that I know of on Chappy. When I was a kid spending summers at Shear Pen Pond the farthest we ever penetrated that jungle was just under arms length. We would walk the shore searching for lumber and Woods Hole Oceanographic research floats. Back then the flotsam included many highly prized objects such as rectangles of cork from the old-style jackets. My brothers and I had an elaborate system for determining ownership of found items. One of the major factors involved how much stuff you were actually capable of carrying. Being the biggest I had the advantage. My brothers referred to it as an unfair advantage.

The Gazette wishes Chappy columnist Peter Wells a very happy birthday on March 21.

Send Chappy news to peter@chappyferry.net.