Posted on July 27, 2026
BALD HEAD ISLAND — Ferry service to and from Bald Head Island are running on a limited schedule after shoaling at the Bald Head Island entrance channel has created unsafe conditions.
Shoaling is the build-up of sand and sediment, creating shallow waters and typically occurs on the island two to three times annually. However, the current shoaling event has been labeled as “unprecedented” by Mayor Peter Quinn.
“The recent period of persistent winds and associated currents has accelerated the movement of sand into the channel, creating shoaling conditions that have not been experienced at this level for some years,” Village representative Carin Faulkner wrote in an email to Port City Daily.
She added the duration and intensity of the current conditions are “unusual.”
When excessive wind creates currents and brings sand into the channel, it prevents dredging in turn allowing the shoaling to worsen. The village indicated it has not experienced this degree of sand ridges or sand bars in several years.
The island has hired a dredging company to restore the channel to a safe depth by removing the accumulation of sand. According to Quinn, it usually takes three days dredging the barge, but the process has been extended due to the severity of wind.
The contractor arrived at the scene during the evening of Sunday, July 19. But dredging was paused on Monday due to “unfavorable wind conditions,” according to the Village, and resumed Thursday, July 23.
“Larger equipment would not be able to access our channel nor make the operation more efficient,” Quinn said in a statement. “Dredging the channel requires moving approximately 12,000 cubic yards of sand; in comparison, our recent 2025 Coastal Storm Damage Reduction (CSDR) project involved approximately 1 million cubic yards.”
While dredging occurs, the channel will be closed to all traffic, with exceptions for emergency operations.
This means the ferry is running on a limited schedule based on daily low tides, though sometimes the unsafe conditions cancel operations altogether. Dredging times change daily based on weather and tides, but this weekend the company is working from 7:45 p.m. on Friday, July 24, until 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 25. Saturday evening’s dredging schedule is not yet known.
To support dredging, Ferry operations will end early Friday, July 24. There is a possibility ferry operations will stop early on Saturday, July 25, as well; low tide is at approximately 11 a.m. Ferry service is likely to be interrupted during and 1.5 hours before and after low tide. A statement on Bald Head Island ferry website noted closure is dependent on Friday night’s dredging progress.
The last ferry departure on Thursday, July 23, left from Deep Point in Southport at 7 p.m. and Bald Head Island at 7:30 p.m. (All operation updates will be made available on the Bald Head Island ferry here.) To Port City Daily, Faulkner said a “small group of day trippers” needed to be assisted by the Bald Head Island Department of Public Safety after missing the Thursday’s last ferry. The Village had to coordinate with the department to have the channel momentarily opened so the visitors could leave on a water taxi.
Sporadic ferry operations also affect services, such as mail and trash. USPS relies on larger ferries, not currently in use due to the shoaling, to transport mail to and from the island; UPS and FedEx use the barge which is closed. The last UPS and FedEx packages entered the island Monday.
Trash is collected and taken off the island as well; however, trash has only been able to be picked up for a small number of neighborhoods, as garbage trucks had nowhere to empty the collected trash.
Faulkner shared, once the barge resumes normal operations, expected Monday, July 27, the Bald Head Island Transportation plans to prioritize addressing community necessities like mail and trash services, as well as receiving food shipments for grocery stores. Once essentials have been delivered to the island, independent barge users will be allowed.
“Even though this event is unprecedented, the situation is like what we could experience after a storm event when the US Coast Guard closes the river to all vessel traffic,” Faulkner said, adding that during true emergencies the Village would be able to use assets from partners such as the U.S. Coast Guard. “The island is in an even better place in this instance because smaller boats have been able to get in and out to transport passengers and any supplies except during dredging operations.”
Because shoaling is not rare for the island, dredging operations are included in the island budget. Every two years the island receives funds through the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The state covers 75% of the expense while the island picks up the remaining 25%.
Faulkner said for fiscal year 2027, the island budgeted $200,000 for marina channel maintenance, with 75% of the $200,000 reimbursed by the state. She added that typically the Village’s 25% share does not rise above $50,000 net per fiscal year. The current dredging event is within budget.
Reliably predicting weather events, such as shoaling can be difficult but the Village plans to take steps to prevent such extremes in the future, including debriefing the event with coastal engineers.
“After this shoaling event is resolved, the Village will be evaluating everything associated with the event from cause to response, and what actions can be taken to prevent or predict future events,” Faulkner said.
