Do you ever feel like getting away from it all? Take a ferry!
When we bought our property on the Kingston Penninsula (or the ‘KP’ as I like to call it), people said ‘are you sure you want to have to take a ferry every time you go home??’ I honestly have to say, after 5 years, it hasn’t got old. Especially during the summer when, just a short cruise away, your best life awaits.
You can get to the Penninsula without using one of the government-run ferries by travelling via Hampton, but our home on the KP’s southern tip is ideally situated between the Gondola Point, Grand Bay-Westfield and Millidgeville ferries, each with a 13-minute ride between our house and the other shore.
For more info on our ferries, see this link:
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/dti/bridges_ferries/content/ferries.html
Weekday mornings are a scramble; all of the ferries are busy, busy, busy, with commuters heading to town to work. Those headed east take the two Gondola Point cable ferries, with a 24-car capacity, running continuously, all year long, crossing the mid-point of the Kennebecasis River to Quispamsis, Rothesay and East Saint John. Likewise, those headed west travel via Grand-Bay Westfield; two similar cable ferries (15 car) cross the larger Saint John River to deliver you toward West Saint John, Lorneville, Lepreau and all points south.
After a long week at work, EVERYONE is excited to play on the weekend! And, if you don’t know what is going on, you can check the community board on the ferry! The boats are packed with happy people heading home, heading to cottages, heading up to the Kingston Farmers Market….people are smiling and you can feel the party has begun – but beware! One must know ferry etiquette! Always listen to your ferry operators, no delays and never EVER jump the line! 😉
Community Events are often posted on the boats… gossip can be readily found on deck between the cars 🙂
Our ‘home ferry’ is the Penninsula Princess, the ferry closest to Saint John itself (it also allows you to connect to the smaller Kennebecasis Island ferry). From those who know the history of the river, she was preceded ‘back in the day’ by the ‘Romeo and Juliette’. The Princess, as she is affectionately called, is a 24-car, non-cable ferry that traverses a wider section of the Kennebecasis between Summerville (KP) and Millidgeville (SJ). It is very convenient for those who work in Saint John proper and who have business in the city centre. But the Princess is special; she has her own schedule and she likes to go to bed for the night, so you need to know what time she is on ‘shuttle’ and when she starts and ends her runs for the day.
I’m always amazed at the skill with which our ferry operators land the Princess – even in thick fog!
She also takes a break for the winter; as she has no cable and bubble system, she has to wait until the spring thaw opens the Kennebecasis once more (and lo, all the people rejoice!)
Everyone watches the water level during the spring freshet. In 2018, the whole wharf disappeared.
But we love her and her crew. Every time I drive on, I get that friendly wave from the deck hands (standard for travellers on all the ferries, by the way), but I am especially cared for by Ralph and his co-worker Pat, who always have a kind word and a ‘have a great day’ when I leave (probably about time I took them another freshly-baked pie 😉).
They are all great! Today, I’d like you to meet Angie Ring and Buck Raynes, two of the crew who also often see us safely across.
Angie and Buck, taking us over to a night on the town 🙂
I asked Angie what she liked best about working on the Princess. She smiled and said, ‘working outside in the weather’. I asked her what she liked least; you guessed it – ‘working outside in the weather’. But I have to tell you, these people work hard! All shift, they pack cars inches apart, staying exactly on time, keeping us from having to wait too long for the next ride. Shooing the ducks away from the landing when the ferry comes into the wharf, looking out for the travellers, vehicles and the winged hangers-on and even preventing people from missing the ramp and ending up in the drink (thanks Angie😊).
But truly, we are lucky to have our ferry system and we should not take it for granted. Whenever humanly possible, it runs smoothly and everyone works very, very hard to minimize down time. We are grateful to those who, with a smile and a friendly wave, deliver us safely between shores. Yes, once in a while, the wait may seem long, but it’s only because you are anxious to get back to such beautiful country. The ferries are part of the charm; a little ‘sea cruise’ where the unwinding begins as you set sail toward your happy place ❤️.
High Water Cottage 