For islanders and Cape Vincent commerce, return of Horne's Ferry is welcome service
Aug. 15—CAPE VINCENT — At 8:15 Tuesday morning, Horne's Ferry made its first run of the season, from Cape Vincent to the Port of Alexandria, on Wolfe Island in Canada.
A line of cars and small group of onlookers awaited its arrival by the ferry ramp on Club Street. A low rumble from the vessel's engine alerted them that it was nearing the dock. It's the St. Lawrence River's only international ferry, and so far this season, it's not been running.
When the ferry operator annonced on Facebook Sunday that Tuesday was the day of its return, it was met with instant excitement, its post garnering nearly 800 likes, 166 comments and shared with 424 others.
One of the onlookers Tuesday was Kristie Stumpf Rork, executive director of the Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce.
"I can hear it," she said excitedly as it rumbled in to the dock.
Stumpf Rork is pleased to have Horne's Ferry back in operation, after it was closed for the first part of the season. The Canadian vessel transports people and vehicles to and from Cape Vincent, across the St. Lawrence River.
"Having the ferry not run for half the season certainly affected the economy here in Cape Vincent," she said.
The ferry also had a late start last year after staffing issues kept it in port.
Earlier this week, owner and operator George Horne declined to say why the service wasn't offered for the full season, but he was pleased to have The William Darrell running across the river again.
Small retail businesses in town, like the coffee shops and gift shops on Broadway Street, rely on the ferry for business. Now, they can begin to "recoup that retail money," Stumpf Rork said.
According to Stumpf Rork, Cape Vincent is known for two things: "our lighthouse and our ferry."
After docking, the ship's crew laid out the metal ramp so cars could load. Colin Smith, the engineer onboard, was helping travelers position their vehicles on the deck.
"Its like playing the game Tetris," Smith said. The ship usually fits 10 to 12 cars — fewer when there are bigger trucks.
The ferry can fit buses if they leave the ramps open, position the vehicle perpendicular, and strap it down.
In addition to boosting Cape Vincent's economy, the ferry makes traveling much easier for those who live on Wolfe Island and mainland Canada.
"It is more of a convenience than anything," said Jennifer Eves, a Wolfe Islander who works at the Wolfe Island Tourist Information Center in Marysville and runs the shuttle bus service there.
John Sheridan, of Kingston, was using Horne's Ferry on Tuesday so he could go golfing in the States. "This should save me an hour of driving," he said. Sheridan said he is unhappy with the service of the state-run, Wolfe Islander III Ferry that connects Kingston to Wolfe Island. He said he would much rather pay a fee, like the one required on the privately owned Horne's Ferry, because the service is much better.
To get to the United States when Horne's Ferry is not running, Wolfe Islanders must take the Wolfe Island Ferry north across the river to Kingston, then drive about 40 minutes east to cross the Thousand Islands Bridge.
On Horne's Ferry, the trip to the United States takes only 10 minutes.
Although those first travelers coming from Cape Vincent on Tuesday only had 10 minutes on the boat, the rhythmic splashing of waves and mechanical hum, fading into seemingly infinite water and sky to the west, made for a pleasant experience.
George Horne, the ship's captain and owner of the ferry, was steering from his cabin perched well above the deck. Horne, looking out into the river, with his hand on the wheel, appeared to be taking in all of those sounds and sights.
Horne was happy with how everything was running on Tuesday. "Its going good," he said.
Horne's Ferry makes hourly runs out of Cape Vincent, from 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It costs $25 for one U.S. car and driver, $10 for U.S. motorcycles, and $5 for bicycles and walk-ons.
