Manteo to Dredge Ocracoke Ferry Channel

The North Carolina Ferry System’s Dredge Manteo is about to repair severe shoaling in the Ocracoke ferry channel near the South Dock Terminal.

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), dredging will likely begin Sunday, with service interruptions on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route possible beginning this weekend and into next week.

“The dredge cleared the channel back in November,” said Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin. “But in the past two months, rapid shoaling has nearly filled it back in. We need to make these emergency repairs immediately while we pursue a more permanent solution.”

Dredging is expected to last about a week, with the Hatteras ferry route resuming normal operations after completion, reported NCDOT.

The dredge Manteo, designed and built by DSC Dredge, was christened in a ceremony held April 28th 2016, at the NCDOT State Shipyard in Manns Harbor, North Carolina.

The Manteo – able to house a 16-person crew, with a full galley, four bunk rooms and two full bathrooms – is capable of dredging a channel to a depth of 30 feet. It is equipped with automation, including sensors to measure the amount of material dredged, and software to map the exact location where the vessel does its work.

The 154-foot cutter suction dredge Manteo will arrive on site Thursday night, and spend a day or two setting up before dredging operations begin.

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