Thread: A Question for the Locals

My family and I are coming down on the 4th of August. We normally come across the bay from Mobile and down Hwy 59. My wife and I have been wondering about coming down to Dauphin Island and crossing to Ft. Morgan on the ferry. Any feed back about which will have more traffic on a Sunday afternoon? How long is the ferry ride and do the crossings get rough? If they do I know my wife will not be happy.

The ferry isn't going to save time if that's what you're asking.

I googled Mobile Bay Ferry and found this:

http://mobilebayferry.com/

I haven't used the ferry in 15 years, PNG is right, it won't shave time off the trip.
The boat ride isn't long, but you could have to wait to get on board. They won't run if the waves are too high, but a little salt spray is not uncommon.
I am sure Chile will chime in, he is our resident ferry boat expert.

Aint cheap either. And if its rough, it will be wet and bumpy, or worse you will get all the way down there and its closed.

Don't forget about Ft.Morgan rd, never fails I always get stuck behind someone that wants to do about 40mph the whole way!

Thanks to everybody that answered already. We were wondering about the time it would take. I hadn't thought about what schedule it ran on. I had thought about the traffic on Fort Morgan road and was afraid that it would be slow.

Originally Posted by PurpleNGold

Don't forget about Ft.Morgan rd, never fails I always get stuck behind someone that wants to do about 40mph the whole way!

All the way to 59!!! It never fails and happened to me again this morning leaving the Ft. Morgan pier. When the ferry arrives it also creates a "wave" of slow moving vehicles that sets you up for a no-win situation if you're looking to save time.

You definitely have to be patient going up and down fort morgan. As someone who used to live in Ft. Morgan the ferry isn't worth it 95% of the time. If your coming on a Sunday, all the traffic will be headed north, and west so you should be fine once your past the tunnel. On a side note, I would tell everyone to be careful and wary of driving too fast down ft. morgan. Trees are very unforgiving, and its pretty horrific the accidents you see down that road. Be careful on the curves.

The ferry takes about 35-40 mins to cross, but at this time of year the wait could be longer, even though they are running two. Plus the weather has been crappy so its hit or miss on canceling. I usually take it when going back to and from Miss. to visit the family just for a change in scenery from 59 not really to save time.

I wholeheartedly agree with the above comments about the Ferry.
Not cheap, not fast (35-40 min average), can get stuck in a line waiting. subject to Mother Nature, mechanical breakdown & Mr. Murphy and then you still have a nice 25 mile drive to the pier.

I live in Mobile and use it quite regularly in the off season to fish Ft. Morgan Point, it is generally a very pleasant/relaxing trip with beautiful scenery.
It saves me the drive time of going all the way around the bay, but doesn't save me any money considering toll vs gas.
I always catch the first ferry (8am) from DI and never have a line from that side, but coming back can be a wait once in awhile.

What does your wife consider rough, I know people that get sick watching the ocean.
I've never had a rough crossing, they don't operate in high wind/waves.

If you've a Smartphone, you can check the ferry schedule, operational status and waiting times on their Facebook page.
And they maintain a recorded telephone message of current operations/departures.
Always check before driving down to the ferry.