The next Chappy Community Center potluck supper will be hosted by Sue and Chris Phinney on Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. Please bring a dish or dessert of your choosing to serve six. You can sign up to host by calling Lynn at 508-627-8222 or putting your name in the date book. Potluck dinners are held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month except in December. That month the second potluck is on Christmas Eve. The first potluck of December is the appreciation dinner in honor of the captains and crew of the Chappaquiddick ferry.

You probably have noticed by now that there is only one Chappy ferry in Edgartown Harbor these days. The On Time 2 has voyaged to Vineyard Haven to be hauled out of the water at the Packer Marine Railway for U.S. Coast Guard inspection and preventive maintenance. We won’t know how long that ferryboat will be away until its bottom has been cleaned, the Coast Guard inspects and the maintenance crew goes over the hull with a fine-toothed comb. Luckily hurricane Matthew only had minimal effects on the Vineyard and did not goof up our plan to haul the ferry out the day after Columbus Day. We like to get started on the work while the weather is still warmer. The work goes faster and the boat returns to service sooner.

The ferryboats must be hauled out of the water for Coast Guard inspection every two years. Fortunately this is the year that the shorter of the two boats gets hauled out. The On Time 2 is 56 feet long while the On Time 3 is 64 feet long. That additional eight feet of boat makes a big difference. The On Time 3 consistently carries three vehicles per trip whereas the On Time 2 often can only fit two. During busy times with lots of big pick up trucks and an occasional trailer, the On Time 2 may carry only half as many vehicles per hour as her bigger sister. Lucky for us that it’s the bigger sister which will remain in service to handle all of the traffic alone. All the same, there will be delays, so leave an extra half hour or so to get to appointments and reservations on time.

You may have also noticed that during wild and stormy weather that we often use just one ferryboat. Here’s why. The Chappy ferry is an integral part of emergency service on Chappy. The police, ambulance and fire department all depend on the ferry to be ready and able to provide service to Chappy so that they can perform their duties. During wild weather seaweed gets swept loose from the harbor bottom and ends up tangled in the ferryboat’s propellers. This interrupts the flow of water through the propeller and interferes dramatically with the ferryboat’s ability to make headway in the strong wind and current present during storms. Often the wild weather is accompanied by higher than normal tides and big waves which tear planks and timbers from piers. This waterborne debris can damage the rudders and propellers of the ferry.

We have found that the On Time 2 handles better than the On Time 3 in bad weather. Also, because its rudders and propellers are mounted with skegs and shrouds they are better protected from debris and seaweed. With this in mind, the On Time 3 gets tied up during storms and held safely in reserve to provide emergency service and to be ready to get back to work with clean propellers as soon as the storm has passed and the water is clear of seaweed and lumber. We get scuba diver Heidi Raihofer to pull the seaweed out of the propellers of the On Time 2 as soon as possible, but in the meantime, the On Time 3 is back in service moving the traffic quickly. Our goal is to avoid shutting down all together during bad weather and to get back to normal service immediately afterward. We are at the mercy of Mother Nature and through years of experience have learned how to reduce the impact of storms. We can keep operating but at a slower pace. Seems like a good compromise to me.

Remember that the ferry will begin operating on the winter schedule starting Sunday night Oct. 16. This means that the ferry runs continuously from 6:45 a.m. to 8 p.m., then 9 to 10 p.m. and then 11 to 11:15 p.m.

Send Chappy news to peter@chappyferry.net.