Greenport Ferry Runs Expand

A high-speed passenger ferry, shunned by Sag Harbor a year ago, began a trial weekend service from Manhattan to Greenport two weeks ago and has received gushing praise from that village's Mayor. It will extend its weekly runs into the fall.

"It's fantastic," said Mayor David Kapell. "It builds a bridge in history back to the 19th century when that was the way people came out here. It's a bonanza for Greenport."

Mr. Kapell, who rode the New York Fast Ferry during its maiden voyage to Greenport on Aug. 15, described the trip on the 125-foot catamaran as "relaxing, comfortable, and beautiful. Everyone I spoke to had the same reaction: 'What a way to go.'"

Weekend Runs

John Koenig, a partner in the company, said the ferry had brought about 150 passengers the first weekend and 100 the second. It can hold 350 people and travel at up to 35 knots.

The boat remained moored in Greenport over both weekends and was used for daytime excursions around Shelter Island and into Gardiner's Bay.

The ferry leaves its berth at East 34th Street in Manhattan on Fridays at 6:30 p.m., arriving in Greenport via Long Island Sound about three hours later. It returns to New York the same time on Sunday, although this week, because of the Labor Day holiday, it will return on Monday.

Round-trip tickets are $48, a one-way ride is $27. The boat provides food and beverage service.

Sag Harbor Concerns

Last September the company sought to introduce its service to Sag Harbor, but its announcement caught the village by surprise and raised fears of traffic jams at Long Wharf. The Village Board was also concerned that passengers would leave their cars in village parking lots all week.

"The problem we had is that they had spent about two years of planning their service in New York and they gave about an afternoon of consideration to Sag Harbor," said Sag Harbor Mayor Pierce Hance. "It would have turned the village into a parking lot."

Traffic concerns may have caused an uproar in Sag Harbor, but Greenport had had no problems, Mr. Kapell said. "We've had no experience that way whatsoever," he said. "People are coming out on the boat and getting picked up like they would at the train station."

An Alternative

The biggest problem so far, he said, is that the boat's weekly arrival has drawn about 100 curious onlookers to watch it dock.

Although there were reports that fishermen in Plum Gut had complained about the catamaran's wake and speed, Mr. Koenig said, "Nobody said a word to us. You're responsible for your own wake, and we're very conscientious."

"In our view, it offers an important alternative way for people to get out here," said Mr. Kapell. "How can you beat that as compared to the Long Island Expressway or the Long Island Rail Road?"

"It makes too much sense for it not to happen," said Mr. Koenig. "It will happen on the South Fork. You will see it in Sag Harbor or Montauk. Sooner or later, people are going to see the wisdom of it."

But, he said, after "the great debacle of Sag Harbor," his firm would not expand its service there. If a ferry comes, it will come from someone else.

Water Taxi Network?

Mr. Kapell said the day may return when villages on the East End are connected by a network of smaller ferries as they were last century and earlier this century. "It would take the form of a water taxi," he said. "It's very common in other parts of the world."

Mr. Hance said Sag Harbor would be willing to listen to proposals for smaller, localized passenger ferries to serve the village, but only if they "make sense in terms of regional planning" and "if they don't turn Sag Harbor into a terminal. If Greenport wants to be that, fine."

"We still have a working waterfront, and that's what we want," said Mr. Kapell. Although the village has allowed the ferry to dock at a municipal pier for free during the trial runs, "we'll want to be compensated" in the future, he said.

"We think this is an important opportunity to extend our tourist season," he added. To the ferry's detractors, Mr. Kapell said, "My suggestion is, ride it from New York to Greenport, and then we'll talk."