If you’re planning a late-summer visit to Talbot County, here’s a heads up. The Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, celebrated for being the oldest privately owned ferry in the United States and continuously operating for 343 years, is not operating right now.
The 65-foot-long ferry vessel Talbot, built in 1980, is steel-hulled and double-ended. It’s equipped with two rudders and two engines so the captain never has to turn around for the out-and-back trip. The vessel, along with the ferry business, went up for sale in the spring of 2024 and found an enthusiastic new owner. The ferry was officially handed off from its longtime owners, Judy and Tom Bixler, to new owners Jim and Mary Andrews during April’s Blessing of the Fleet ceremony.
Unfortunately, the service was only underway for a couple of months under the new owners before it had to be unexpectedly removed from service last week. A spokesperson at JettyLight, the new company, says there was a “progressively worsening noise coming from the propulsion system” and the ferry had to be taken to drydock.
Under the guidance of three captains, Talbot was delivered to Yacht Maintenance Company in Cambridge. The unique vessel is well known to the experts at Yacht Maintenace Company, and JettyLight believes Talbot is in good hands.
On Tuesday a JettyLight spokesman told Chesapeake Bay Magazine, “The ferry required unscheduled maintenance that can only be performed out of the water. Since drydocking was required, JettyLight made the decision to schedule our Coast Guard drydock inspection and renew our underwater hull paint which added a few extra days to the outage. I’m confident the ferry will be back in service in early August.”
You can check for updates on specific dates for the ferry’s reopening through the Oxford Bellevue social media page, the Talbot County Economic Development team, and on the ferry’s automated phone system 410-745-9023.
Before the repair work, Captain Jim Andrews had just begun experimenting with expanded ferry service hours. The ferry operator had the idea of extending hours to serve the dinnertime crowd. It would allow diners to take the ferry from Oxford to The Oaks Waterfront resort and St. Michaels, with the last run out of Bellevue at 9:45 p.m. The ferry also hosted a walk-on Fireworks Float for the 4th of July.
As a vital transportation link for residents, tourists, and businesses alike since 1683 (!), we look forward to seeing what other opportunities the new Oxford-Bellevue ferry operation will provide, once it returns to the water from repairs.
