The now-famed Cape May-Lewes Ferry is celebrating its 60th anniversary this Monday, July 1. Looking back, it’s hard to imagine that there was ever a time when this vital transportation service, which doubles as a major area attraction, did not exist. Yet prior to July 1, 1964, that was indeed the case.
In this Flashback Friday Feature, I’m exploring the history behind how the Cape May-Lewes Ferry was established. I will provide insight into the initial drive and reasoning behind its origins while highlighting some of its most significant developments and innovations over the years.
Pre-Ferry Preliminaries
The earliest proposed concept for establishing a connective ferry between Lewes, Delaware, and Cape May, New Jersey goes back to 1926. The original idea called for repurposing an old, out-of-commission military ship from the Great War (World War I) to transport passengers back and forth across the 17-mile (27 km) stretch of the Delaware Bay that both locations shared. Aside from a few conceptual ideas, no solid plans were ever developed. So, the project remained at an indefinite halt and was nearly forgotten.
It wasn’t until 1951 that an alternate means of adjoining Delaware and New Jersey was established. That came about with the opening of the Delaware Memorial Bridge—a dual-span suspension bridge that crosses over the Delaware River. Its regional points of origin are from New Castle, Delaware to Pennsville Township, New Jersey. Let it be known, however, that only the eastbound portion of the bridge was completed in 1951. The westbound side didn’t come about until 1968.
While the Delaware Memorial Bridge certainly made for more convenient travel between the two states of Delaware and New Jersey, it was still a far cry from the original idea of an efficient ferry boat operation running from Lewes to Cape May and vice versa. But it wouldn’t be long before a reignited interest in that scenario would emerge.
Enter Delaware River and Bay Authority
An Act of the U.S. Congress and the Legislatures of both Delaware and New Jersey saw the formation of the new Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) in 1962. The newly established Authority was tasked with managing all crossings between the two states via the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay. They were also mandatorily led to reassess and resolve the longstanding inconvenience of not having a viable source of connection between Lewes and Cape May.
Lo and behold, the DRBA Commissioners revisited the long-ago ferry idea and got to work. This led to engineering reports, budget planning, various assessments, and months of prep work. But it all finally came together with the Delaware River and Bay Authority at last being able to conduct their very first trial ferry crossing on October 17, 1962. For this initial trial, they borrowed the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Commission’s SS Pocahontas ferryboat from Virginia.
Prepping for the Ferry
With updated results from their ferry study, DRBA Commissioners got to work on the development and opening of a new Cape May-Lewes Ferry system at the earliest possible timeframe. From Virginia, they purchased an entire fleet comprising four ships, which were once used in Chesapeake Bay transport between Cape Charles and Virginia Beach. Those ships would no longer be needed with the opening of the new Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel in 1964.
Instead, the fleet would find new life within the Cape May-Lewes Ferry system. All would be rechristened from their original names—SS Pocahontas, SS Princess Anne, SS DelMarVa, and MV Virginia Beach to new ones—the SS Delaware, SS New Jersey, SS Cape May, and MV Cape Henlopen.
The Official Grand Opening
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry officially opened to the public on July 1, 1964. The week leading up to its inception was one laden with ongoing parades, festivals, ceremonies, concerts, and plenty of other fun follies. These celebrations spanned both sides of the Delaware Bay in what was referred to as the “Hands Across the Bay” preopening inaugural. Most of the week-wide activities and special events were led by local governments, chambers of commerce, community organizations, and of course by DRBA directly.
One of the most enthralling dedication celebrations included a fly-over by a squadron of jet fighter planes and 25 sky-divers! Other highlights included music from both the Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard Bands. Dedication ceremonies were delivered at both the Lewes and Cape May terminals on June 30, 1964.
Changes Through the Years
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry’s boom in popularity came about almost immediately after its establishment. There have, of course, been several changes here and there over the last six decades, including a reduction of operational hours from 24 a day to 16.
It’s also important to note that since it debuted all those years ago, all of the original vessels have since been replaced. The current fleet is now made up of three distinct ships, all with unique and differing appearances. The updated line includes the MV Delaware, MV New Jersey, and MV Cape Henlopen.
Despite their differences, all of the Cape May-Lewes ferries share several commonalities. Every vessel in the fleet, for instance, contains an open car deck situated atop a hull low to the water. Up to 100 cars can be ferried over on a single ship in addition to 800-foot passengers.
They’ve all been built to the following specifications: a length of 320 feet (98 m) with a breadth of 68 feet (21 m), a displacement of at least 2,100 tons, a maximum draft of 7 feet (2.1 m), two 4,000 horsepower (3,000 kW) diesel engines, and a top speed of 16 knots (30 km/h) (18 mph).
The ferry terminal buildings in both Delaware and New Jersey received significant updates during the 2000 to 2001 years. Both now feature unique towers with elevators and staircases to connect the terminal buildings to glass-enclosed walkways for foot passengers without vehicles. Guests can also enjoy an array of in-house conveniences in the updated terminals, including onsite dining, bars, gift shops, and more, including gallery exhibits featuring history and art.
As Popular as Ever
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is as popular today as ever before, if not arguably more so. Over the last 60 years, these ferries have carried well over 17 million vehicles and more than 45 million passengers back and forth between both sides of the Delaware Bay.
Some folks rely on the ferry services for work reasons. Others take to cruising for purely pleasurable pursuits, like sightseeing, dolphin and whale watching, or for navigating between the two states to check out area attractions or to attend a localized event or happening.
The one-way journey lasts around 85 minutes. During that time you will find plenty onboard to keep you preoccupied. You can also enjoy such conveniences as air conditioning, television, WI-FI, food and beverages, and more. Whatever your specific reasons for sailing aboard the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, it’s sure to be a relaxing, smooth sailing experience.
Learn even more about the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, including the physical site addresses for both locations’ terminals, scheduled arrival and departure times, and even information about booking tickets for an upcoming ride on the official website at www.cmlf.com.