Nor'easter ferries: Block Island cancels all Friday boats, Hy-Line off through Saturday
The nor'easter is at its peak. Overnight the National Weather Service upgraded its Storm Watch to a Storm Warning for the waters the island ferries cross, and it runs until 8 p.m. Saturday. The Block Island Ferry has cancelled every Friday sailing. Hy-Line has no Vineyard boats through Saturday, and the Steamship Authority is down to one boat, sailing trip by trip, on the Nantucket run. Cross Sound has already cancelled crossings for Saturday. Its Woods Hole–Vineyard boats were all still listed on time early Friday. Here is each route, today and tomorrow, and what each company does with your ticket.
Ferry status on Friday, and what is already cancelled for Saturday
Every line below comes from the operator's own status page or alert feed, checked between 4:47 and 5:05 a.m. EDT on Friday.
| Route | Friday, Sept. 25 | Saturday, Sept. 26 |
|---|---|---|
| Steamship Authority · Woods Hole–Vineyard Haven / Oak Bluffs | All 54 listed trips on time (as of 4:47 a.m.). Oak Bluffs trips "extremely likely" to be diverted to Vineyard Haven | Nothing announced. The Authority expects "significant effects" through Sunday |
| Steamship Authority · Hyannis–Nantucket, high-speed | All 10 trips cancelled (the M/V Iyanough will not run) | Nothing announced |
| Steamship Authority · Hyannis–Nantucket, car ferry | 8 of 14 cancelled. The remaining 6 depend on the M/V Woods Hole, running trip by trip | Nothing announced |
| Hy-Line · Hyannis–Oak Bluffs (Vineyard) | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| Hy-Line · Inter-island (Vineyard–Nantucket) | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| Hy-Line · Hyannis–Nantucket, high-speed | Trip by trip. No individual trips cancelled yet (every trip was cancelled on Thursday) | Nothing announced |
| Block Island Ferry · Point Judith, traditional | All departures cancelled | No alert yet. The company expects "multiple days" of interruptions |
| Block Island Ferry · Point Judith, high-speed | All departures cancelled | No alert yet |
| Cross Sound Ferry · New London–Orient Point | 15 departures cancelled (8 from New London, 7 from Orient) | 6 cancelled (3 from each side). "All other ferries are running as scheduled" |
Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket: Woods Hole is still the way across
Hy-Line's Vineyard boats are off until at least Sunday. The Steamship Authority's Woods Hole boats were still on the schedule on Friday morning, and Nantucket has one boat, sailing trip by trip.
At 4 p.m. Thursday Hy-Line cancelled its Martha's Vineyard and inter-island ferries for both Friday and Saturday. That makes four days in a row without its seasonal Hyannis–Oak Bluffs service, which normally runs until October 25. The Steamship Authority's Vineyard boats cross the shorter route from Woods Hole, and at 4:47 a.m. Friday all 54 of the day's listed trips showed "On Time". There is one catch: the Authority says diversions from Oak Bluffs to Vineyard Haven are "extremely likely", and that service will continue "as weather conditions allow". If you are booked to Oak Bluffs, plan to land in Vineyard Haven.
Nantucket is much harder. The Steamship Authority says the M/V Iyanough (its fast ferry) and the M/V Eagle will not run on Friday. The M/V Woods Hole covers what is left, three round trips on a trip-by-trip basis. The M/V Monomoy will make one morning run to take fuel trucks to the island and bring them back at about 1:30 p.m., with no passengers or cars on board. Standby is closed in Hyannis, and in Nantucket the Authority estimates a 36-hour wait for a standby car, up from 24 hours on Thursday. Hy-Line's Nantucket boat is also running trip by trip. On Thursday it cancelled every trip in stages through the day, the last six at 2:06 p.m.
| SSA Hyannis–Nantucket | Cancelled Friday | Still listed (trip by trip) |
|---|---|---|
| High-speed from Hyannis | 8:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m. | None |
| High-speed from Nantucket | 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 8:45 p.m. | None |
| Car ferry from Hyannis | 9:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 8:00 p.m. | 6:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m. |
| Car ferry from Nantucket | 6:30 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m. | 9:15 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 8:00 p.m. |
Block Island and Long Island Sound
Block Island has no ferry at all on Friday. Cross Sound is running a reduced schedule across a Long Island Sound that is under a Gale Warning until Sunday morning.
The Block Island Ferry posted its Friday alert at 5 p.m. Thursday. All traditional and high-speed departures are cancelled "due to adverse sea conditions". Staff will call passengers and drivers who had reservations on Friday morning to refund or reschedule them, and the caller ID will show 866-783-7996. The company is watching the marine forecast for Friday to Sunday and still expects "multiple days of ferry service interruptions". It has not posted anything for Saturday yet. Its website still shows the normal Saturday timetable: six traditional round trips (9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from Point Judith) and five high-speed round trips. Treat those as scheduled, not confirmed.
Cross Sound Ferry cancelled 16 departures on Thursday. For Friday it has cancelled 15: 6:30, 7:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 2:30, 3:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. from New London, and 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. and 12:30, 1:30, 4:30, 5:30 and 9:15 p.m. from Orient Point. Its notice lists the 4:30 p.m. from Orient twice, so we count it once. If you are booked on another Orient departure, call to confirm. For Saturday it has cancelled 6: 6:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from New London, and 8:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Orient. The company says "all other ferries are running as scheduled".
| Cross Sound Ferry | From New London, CT | From Orient Point, NY |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, Sept. 25 (cancelled) | 6:30 a.m. · 7:30 a.m. · 10:30 a.m. · 11:30 a.m. · 2:30 p.m. · 3:30 p.m. · 6:30 p.m. · 7:30 p.m. | 8:30 a.m. · 9:30 a.m. · 12:30 p.m. · 1:30 p.m. · 4:30 p.m. · 5:30 p.m. · 9:15 p.m. |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 (cancelled) | 6:30 a.m. · 10:30 a.m. · 2:30 p.m. | 8:30 a.m. · 12:30 p.m. · 4:30 p.m. |
The storm, hour by hour: what the Weather Service has in force
These are the active National Weather Service products for the waters the ferries cross and the coasts around them, as reissued overnight into Friday by the Boston/Norton and Upton, N.Y., offices. All times are EDT. Thursday's watches have become warnings.
The Weather Service expects coastal flooding over "multiple high tide cycles from late Friday through the weekend", with the greatest risk south of Boston and on the Cape and Islands. Even once the boats sail again, roads to the terminals may be flooded around high tide.
Refunds and changes: what each company does with your ticket
It depends on who cancelled: the ferry company or you. If the company cancels your sailing, you are usually covered. If you cancel because you are worried about the forecast, normal fees apply unless the company has waived them.
| Operator | If the company cancels | If you change or cancel |
|---|---|---|
| Steamship Authority | Rebook online, at a terminal or by phone at (508) 477-8600 | Change and cancellation fees waived for travel scheduled Thursday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 27 |
| Hy-Line Cruises | Your reservation automatically becomes open-ended so you can rebook. For a refund, call (800) 492-8082 or (508) 778-0404 | Refundable less $5 per passenger if you cancel by 5 p.m. the day before. Not refundable on the day of travel, but the ticket stays valid for one year if you tell Hy-Line before your departure time |
| Block Island Ferry | Your reservation is cancelled with the sailing. For Friday, staff are calling passengers and drivers to refund or reschedule (caller ID 866-783-7996) | Online passenger tickets are non-refundable. You get one courtesy change up to one calendar day before, by phone only. Vehicle reservations can be changed up to three times, and a refund (minus a $12.85/$25.70 fee) needs 7 days' notice |
| Cross Sound Ferry | Not spelled out on its website. Call (860) 443-5281 or (631) 323-2525, or use Change/Cancel online | Cancel before your departure or lose the fare. Vehicle fee: $5 each way if you cancel a day or more ahead, $15 on the day. Passenger tickets cancel free |
| Prudence Island Ferry | Updates on its website and by text alert | Processing fee waived if you call to reschedule a vehicle reservation during the storm: (401) 683-0430 |
How to check your sailing before you leave
Only the operator can tell you whether your boat is going. Local TV and social media reposts can be hours out of date.
North Carolina: six of seven NCDOT ferry routes suspended
The same coastal low is hitting the Outer Banks. The Weather Service has a Coastal Flood Warning for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands until 11 p.m. Friday, and says NC 12 is closed from the Basnight Bridge to Rodanthe.
| NCDOT route | Friday, early | Thursday, early |
|---|---|---|
| Hatteras–Ocracoke (vehicle) | Suspended | Suspended |
| Cedar Island–Ocracoke | Suspended, resolution expected in 6–12 hours | Normal |
| Swan Quarter–Ocracoke | Suspended, resolution expected in 12–24 hours | Normal |
| Currituck–Knotts Island | Suspended, resolution expected in 12–24 hours | Normal |
| Cherry Branch–Minnesott Beach | Suspended | Suspended, 12–24 hours expected |
| Bayview–Aurora | Suspended (status dated four days ago; NCDOT gives no reason) | Suspended |
| Southport–Fort Fisher | Normal operations | Normal |
Correction to Thursday's version: we said the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferries were the car routes to Ocracoke still running. Both were suspended later on Thursday, so on Friday morning there is no NCDOT ferry to or from Ocracoke. NCDOT's resolution times are its own estimates. The Coastal Flood Warning runs until 11 p.m. Friday, and a High Surf Advisory for Hatteras Island runs until 8 p.m. Saturday. NCDOT's Ferry Information Notification System sends route changes by text or email.
Route pages mentioned in this story
Schedules, fares and terminal details for the ferries near the storm's path.
- Steamship Authority: Current Status. Travel advisory with Friday's vessel plan for Hyannis–Nantucket, Oak Bluffs diversion warning, fee waiver for Sept. 24–27, and the trip-by-trip status for Sept. 25 (both sections as of 4:47 a.m. EDT).
- Hy-Line Cruises: Alerts (alerts posted Sept. 22–24; Friday–Saturday Vineyard cancellation posted 4:00 p.m. EDT Sept. 24, Friday Nantucket advisory 7:15 p.m.) and Island Ferry FAQs (cancellation, refund and weather policy).
- Block Island Ferry: Active Service Alerts (posted Thursday, 5 p.m.), homepage timetable and FAQs (weather cancellations, change and cancellation policy).
- Cross Sound Ferry: Departure Cancellations (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) and FAQ (cancellation policy).
- National Weather Service, Boston/Norton: Storm Warnings, High Wind Warning, Coastal Flood Warning and Advisory, and High Surf Advisory issued 1:38–1:53 a.m. EDT Sept. 25. Upton, N.Y.: Gale Warning for eastern Long Island Sound (2:48 a.m.), Wind Advisory (4:31 a.m.) and Coastal Flood Watch (9:08 p.m. Sept. 24). Newport/Morehead City: Coastal Flood Warning for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands (4:42 a.m.). All via weather.gov.
- NCDOT Ferry Division: Current Conditions route-status table, checked early Thursday and early Friday.
- Chappy Ferry: recent alerts (Sept. 22–24). Prudence & Bay Islands Transport: homepage notice.
By The us.ferje.info newsroom — We keep the route pages for U.S. car and passenger ferries, from Chappaquiddick to the Outer Banks, and track the schedule changes, fare changes and weather suspensions that affect how people actually get across.