Ferry life

For some, taking a ferry to and from an island may appear to be a chore. For me, it’s a moment of pause. The 17-minute ride from Maine State Pier to Forest City Landing is an opportunity to disconnect from work and reconnect with my family. Quinn, our jaunty little 2-year-old, joins us every morning and evening for the journey. His school is on the mainland, a few blocks from where my wife works. Most mornings he can’t wait to get onto the boat.

While the official ferry captain sits high above the cars and passengers in the wheelhouse, Quinn has become the Machigonne’s unofficial skipper. He trots around the deck bringing smiles to regular ferry commuters. He loves looking for wildlife. When we’re lucky, Quinn and I spot a harbor seal. This is a clear step up from the sightings on my former commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan on the Q train, where an exciting find was a mischief of rats scampering across the tracks. This reminds me of the time I overheard a toddler ask his mom to, “Go to the zoo” – to which his mother brought him over to the side of the platform to search for rats. I’m glad to have left that life behind.

Recently the ferry has reduced service due to the COVID pandemic. This, along with the statewide mandate to work-from-home, has grounded us. We haven’t taken the ferry in 10 days. At first, I appreciated avoiding the scrabble to catch the 7:15am boat. But more and more, I miss it. I miss the structure of making the ferry every morning and evening. I miss seeing our island buddies making their way to and from town. I miss being able to pick-up a fresh loaf of crusty bread from Standard Baking Co. before shipping off.

Fingers crossed that the coronavirus crisis will pass, and we’ll be back on the Machigonne soon. I know someone who is clearly looking forward to the journey.

[Photo attribution to Kevin O’Connor; available on Instagram]