UPDATED, 12:30 p.m., Monday: Cliff Clark of Shelter Island's South Ferry said that the ferry cannot operate due to high tides until probably about 3 p.m. Monday, at which time Clark will know if he can power up again.
"If we can get going at 3 p.m. we will probably be able to run until about 9 p.m.," he said.
Clark said he will have a crew ready to go for the first departure on Tuesday at 5:40 a.m. but will not know if conditions will allow the boat to run.
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Ferries on both sides of Shelter Island will run throughout Hurricane Sandy, though hide tides will cause delays in service, according to representatives of both the North and South ferries.
North Ferry general manager Bridge Hunt said that ferry service from Greenport is suspended as of 9 a.m. Monday and will not resume until the water goes down — the boat cannot connect to its ramps if the tide is too high, he said.
“We’re anticipating fewer departures — it’s not that it’s too rough to ride in the wind, we just need to be able to connect to the ramps,” he said. “But our intention as always is to get people where they need to go.
Hunt recommends calling 631-749-0139 to listen to updated messages on North Ferry scheduling throughout the storm.
On the south side, South Ferry manager Cliff Clark said that he’s been running one boat all morning and will continue to do so, but again, if the tide is too high, the boat has to wait.
“And we’ll have to stop if the water flows up into the road — people can’t drive through three feet of water,” he said.
Clark said he believes he can transport emergency vehicles to and from Shelter Island throughout Hurricane Sandy. Call the South Ferry at 631-749-1200 for more information.
High tide times for Monday morning for Greenport and Sag Harbor is 10:49 a.m.
