New home owners: The Ferry
Another transition new Martha’s Vineyard home owners experience when spending time on island is the role of the ferry. As a vacationer it is almost competitive to acquire the perfect reservations to arrive and depart on Saturdays in August. The Bourne Bridge, the rotaries, the green Steamship Authority signs all trigger the anticipation for the Vineyard… Kids are bouncing in the back seat and parents are smug that they are pulling into the terminal at just the right time, not too early but with time to use the bathroom, pick up a schedule, and buy an ice cream cone.
New home owners soon discover that the ferry is a busy and critical part of island life. We need it to get to medical facilities, schools, sports events, Logan airport, museums, restaurants, concerts, conferences, and shopping.
Although there are many enjoyable reasons to be on the ferry going off island, the boat is a necessary part of many islanders’ and non islanders’ lives. There are a substantial number of commuters that travel in both directions for work. Some have the same seat or group with whom they have coffee or beer depending on the time of day, while others prefer to enjoy their solitude and read the paper.
There are kids who attend school off island who can be seen studying, doing home work or not… The student athletes who travel for games are disciplined and show full respect to each other and those around them, as this is what their coaches expect.
These are the obvious passengers, but every day people are traveling for private and personal reasons. They go off island to receive medical tests and treatments, to visit sick family or friends, or to interview for a job. Not always able to “hide” in the car, people’s personal space on the boat is important.
On the other hand there are always universally enjoyed moments on the ferry like two dogs saying hello, or children playing hide and seek. The flat screen tv’s unite football fans and weather watchers, and there’s always one guy who drinks his beer quite comfortably at nine thirty in the morning… In a way it’s really nice to be part of a living, breathing population of different ages and purposes united by our experiences on the ferry.