Letter to the staff

Evan Scall on August 16, 2026

I want to thank all of the captains and crew of the ferry who supported me through the purchasing process. It has been a long road with new hurdles every day, but throughout the process, the people who make the ferry run were there for us. I’m sure some of the questions I asked them were annoying, and they may have questioned some of my grand ideas—and probably still do.  This business operates 365 days a year and is impossible to manage alone.  I’m supported by my wife, Evan, who is truly the backbone of the operation, my 2 sons Niyol and Mason, as well as everyone who took time to share their support.
 

The crew members have shown incredible patience while I navigate the task in front of me. The people who maintain the boats and facility have been amazing, not only in the work they do but also in sharing the knowledge it takes to keep it all running...you know who you are. So much focus was put on the ownership aspect of this endeavor and not enough on the steadfast hard working members of the ferry staff who show up every day to provide safe, reliable, friendly service without asking for anything in return. 

Along the way, someone shared a fact that summed up why the crew is so vital to the operation. A full time captain will make approximately 24,000 crossings a year. A full time resident will make approximately 730 crossings a year if they go across and back at least once every single day. That means someone would need to live on the island of Chappaquiddick for about 32 years to gain the same knowledge about the ferry that a captain gains in one year. I am lucky enough to have captains with over a quarter million crossings, and the staff combined has about 2 million crossings.

Words can't express how incredibly grateful I am to the Chappy Ferry team, but I hope this letter expresses some of my gratitude. I'm so lucky to have such experienced and dedicated captains and crew. Thank you all. I look forward to the many years ahead together.

Ferry Approach, Beneath a Ramp

admin on April 18, 2013

Here’s a perspective on the ferry that no one but an owner of the service, or perhaps a maintenance person, has EVER seen before.

This video, shot from underneath the Edgartown ramp sometime during the effort to reinforce the foundation and repair the ramp itself (mid April 2013), shows the ON TIME III approaching the slip from the middle of the harbor and docking.

We’re pretty certain that the videographer is maintenance manager Erik Gilley, who recently dove beneath the ramp to funnel concrete into a void along the foundation. But we’ll correct ourselves if we are wrong.

You can tell how little space there is under here. Imagine bringing a camera with you and shooting as you see the ferry come toward you! Imagine CONTINUING to shoot as the captain reverses her engines to slow the ferry down, and all that frothing backwash comes at you!

Wearing AMITY Name Board

admin on September 16, 2012

During JAWSFest (August 9-12, 2012), the ON TIME II wears AMITY name boards as she did in the first, second and fourth JAWS films. Thanks to John (Spurs) Trainor for shooting and posting this video of a famous little ferry in one of her more famous roles.

Strong Tides II, 2008

admin on September 8, 2012

A year after the Patriots’ Day Storm opens South Beach to the sea in 2007, the ON TIME III (departing Edgartown) and ON TIME II (departing Chappaquiddick) are carried to the south on a strong ebb tide. Since the opening, the tides in Edgartown harbor have “reversed” direction — this is a falling tide.

Ferry Crosses in a Strong Tide, 2007

admin on September 6, 2012

Two months after the Patriots Day Storm of April 16-17, 2007 opens South Beach to the Atlantic Ocean, the ON TIME III cuts her way across a strong tide running through the entrance to Edgartown Harbor. Captain Brad Fligor at the helm.

Chappy Ferry Book Now Available at the Ferry — And Many Other Places!

admin on May 16, 2012

You can buy THE CHAPPY FERRY BOOK (and with it THE CHAPPY FERRY MOVIE on DVD) from a captain or deckhand while the ferry is in the slip. Either ask for one as you board, or ashore after the ferry has come in, or from the table (with the umbrella) where tickets or sold. The price is $27.50, including state sales tax.

You can also buy the book at these Vineyard stores: Edgartown Books, Soft as a Grape, Edgartown Marine, the Katama General Store, and Morning Glory Farm (in Edgartown), Soft as a Grape (in Oak Bluffs), and Bunch of Grapes (Vineyard Haven).

It is also available at mainland bookstores (either in stock or by order).

On line, it’s available through publisher Vineyard Stories (vineyardstories.com) or on Amazon.

Or from many, many places on this website!