IslandFerry
Where does your
ferry dollar go?
Every crossing burns real diesel.
The channel doesn't close because the budget ran short. But the fuel account does.
Where fuel costs land
Per round trip, average 2025 pricing.
Your donation in fuel terms
$45 covers one crossing of diesel.
That's the nurse on the 6 a.m. run getting to the mainland hospital.
"I'm on the 6 a.m. run every Tuesday and Thursday. If that boat doesn't go, I don't get to the hospital. There's no other way across."
Steel doesn't maintain itself.
A 187-ton diesel hull needs dry-dock inspection every two years. No inspection, no certificate. No certificate, no crossing.
Dry-dock, 2024
Portsmith Marine Yard — 11 days out of service
$8,400
Hull plating repair · 2024
Engine overhaul reserve
$0
Needed: $120,000 by 2027
Next inspection
Mar 2026
Funding gap: $18,000
"I drive the school bus. The kids on this island go to school on the mainland. The ferry is the school bus route."
They show up before sunrise.
Two licensed masters, one part-time engineer, and a rotating roster of volunteers who run the deck before their actual jobs start.
Dale Hutchins
Volunteer Deck Hand
Lobster boat captain by day. Has pulled the 5 a.m. deck shift for eleven years.
Renée Blanchette
Licensed Ferry Master
Holds a 100-ton master license. Has piloted 2,190 crossings without incident.
Tomás Ferreira
Volunteer Deck Hand
High school shop teacher. Handles lines and vehicle loading on Saturday and Sunday.
Licensed master wage
$28.50/hr
6% below state maritime average
Volunteer deck stipend
$0
Fuel reimbursement only
Crew training & certification
$4,200/yr
USCG-required, not optional
"Last January there was a structure fire on the east side. My truck, my gear, and three other volunteers crossed on that ferry in twelve-degree weather. We got there."
The channel freezes. The ferry doesn't stop.
Ice reinforcement, mooring line replacement, and dock infrastructure aren't glamorous line items. They're the difference between running and not.
What winter costs, line by line
Ice reinforcement — bow plate
Welded steel overlay, inspected annually
Mooring line replacement (×6)
Salt and ice destroy lines in 18 months
Dock heating & de-icing
Loading ramp must stay clear for vehicles
Emergency pump & bilge work
Freeze-thaw cycles stress hull seams
Winter crew overtime
Ice ops require four hands, not two
Your donation in dock terms
$210 replaces one mooring line.
That's the line holding the ferry at 3 a.m. when the tide pushes hardest.
"People ask why I volunteer at 4:45 in the morning. Because the island doesn't run without the ferry, and the ferry doesn't run without people showing up."
Keep the boat running.
No overhead mystery. Every dollar mapped to a cost you've already read on this page.
What your gift covers
Accountability
IslandFerry is a 501(c)(3) municipal authority. Annual operating reports are filed with the state and available on request. Your donation is tax-deductible.
Tax ID: 01-2345678