THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 23, 1995 TAG: 9507200191
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 54 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: Ron Speer
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
The first ferryboat I ever rode took me from Manhattan to the Statue of Liberty.
I was a soldier, only 19 and on temporary duty in New York City, and it was the first time I'd ever been on a boat.
It was exhilarating, the waves splashing off the bow as the boat plowed through the evening mist across the Hudson River to the towering symbol of America's openness to immigrants.
I've been in love with ferries ever since.
The very word spells romance to me. Say ``ferryboat'' and I see a slow-moving vessel pushing its way out of a heavy fog, heading for refuge as crewmen covered with yellow foul-weather gear and huge hats ready the lines, their work unnoticed by an oblivious couple huddled against the rail, obviously in love.
Or I see Humphrey Bogart, cigarette dripping from his rain-swept lips, waiting alone on deck as a ferry carries him out of sight to a foreign port on an undercover mission that must succeed or the nation falls . . .
Or Lauren Bacall standing bravely in the bow, never looking back, rain soaking her long tresses as she leaves Germany and her lover to return to a good but dull life in London.
Rain and fog go well with ferryboats for some reason.
It was raining the night Joanne and I took the ferry across the Elizabeth River to Norfolk on our first evening together. Usually I like to stand in the bow, listening to the water smash against the hull, and keeping an eye out for other vessels in case the captain needs my help.
This night, however, the cold, wind-swept rain forced us to seek shelter inside. We held hands like teenagers, and she kept the spray of flowers I'd given her clutched in her other hand. We were delightfully abashed when a smirking youngster told us when we docked that ``you're a real cute couple.''
I think it was raining, too, the day we took our first trip together and rode the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke, the village names dripping with the sound of mystery and adventure.
There is no better place for a ferryboat aficionado than the Outer Banks.
Can you think of a more romantic-sounding ocean voyage than the trip from Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Island? A more bucolic journey than the voyage from Knotts Island to Currituck? A more relaxing ride than the passage from Ocracoke to Swan Quarter?
And they're free, most of them.
A ride on a ferry is one of the highlights of any visit here, a marvelous way to introduce landlocked newcomers to the sights and sounds and smells of the sea.
And people traveling between Hatteras and Ocracoke have a brand new ferry to enjoy: The good ship Thomas A. Baum.
Named for the man who started ferrying folks nearly three-quarters of a century ago, the Thomas A. Baum is easy to spot - her topsides are painted red and white.
She was launched Wednesday in a boisterous celebration in Manteo, and now is part of the fleet that provides transportation to the island of Ocracoke.
The good folks of Ocracoke need her and the other ferries. The island is one of the few left that can't be reached by car, and Ocracoke youngsters learn early that the ferries are the lifeline to the outside world.
They are also a swell way to soak up the atmosphere of villages and ports and passing boats for people who just want to enjoy a cheap cruise.
I'm looking forward to riding her. Perhaps I'll take my wife, give her some flowers, and hold hands. Hopefully it will rain.
Our trip 11 years ago was a wonderful beginning. Maybe on the Thomas A. Baum somebody will tell us we're a cute old couple.
There just ain't anything more romantic than a ferryboat in the fog or the rain.
Sail safely, Thomas A. Baum. by CNB