The Martha’s Vineyard Refuse District household hazmat collection is scheduled for Saturday July 20. There will be signs at the ferry and details in this column as the plans for this year come to light.

The Chappaquiddick Island Association continues to perform a valuable service in providing an online Insider’s Guide. Below is the section regarding the Chappy Ferry taken directly from the guide. I offer it here as a reminder and to add an update regarding passenger boarding.

“The Chappy Ferry is our lifeline to the main Island. During the summer season the ferry runs continuously every day from 6:30 a.m. until midnight. For any emergency, i.e., any circumstance requiring police, fire department, ambulance or the hospital emergency room, call 911. The operators will communicate with everyone necessary including the ferry captain. For information regarding weather or maintenance delays, contact the Chappy Ferry hotline at 508-627-6965. During busy times the ferries need to synchronize and cannot always wait for all foot passengers. USPS, UPS, Fed Ex, school and emergency vehicles have boarding privileges and do not wait in line. The Chappy Ferry does not carry freight and may not be used as a drop off for deliveries.”


Regarding the note that the ferry cannot always wait for all foot passengers — we have developed a policy that will make final loading of passengers predictable. Once the third vehicle is loaded, neither bikes nor foot passengers will be taken aboard. The space that you must navigate to get past the third vehicle is often too narrow to pass through. Often too, the ferry is at capacity.

If you are parking your car and see that the third vehicle is loading, you will be relieved of the urge to hastily gather people and purses and to make a run for it. I have been watching folks run for the ferry for more than half a century. Nine times out of twenty, they end up riding back to Chappy when they discover that they have forgotten their wallet or casserole in their head long rush.