The Chappy Ferry Book

The newly released CHAPPY FERRY BOOK, by Tom Dunlop, which tells the dramatic, sometimes incredible 200-year-old story of the ferry for the very first time.

The book comes with remarkable photographs by Alison Shaw (and scores of historic images never seen before) as well as a short film on DVD by John Wilson -- hosted by Dick Ebersol, the former head of NBC Sports -- showing the ferry at work today.

Uriah Morse, ca. 1807-1835 The first known owner of the Chappy ferry.

Consider H. Fisher, ca. 1866-1883 The second known owner of the Chappy ferry

This is the oldest known image of the Chappy ferry in operation: Owner and skipper Charles B. Osborn unloads four passengers (and a valise) from his rowboat ferry at his boathouse pier, just south of what is now Edgartown Marine, circa 1895.

  CITY OF CHAPPAQUIDDICK of 1935, the first self-propelled scow (or motorized barge) on the route. 

Anthony A. Bettencourt, 1929-1948 The fifth known owner of the Chappy ferry (1929-1948)

Foster B. Silva, 1948-1953 The sixth known owner of the Chappy ferry

George T. Silva, 1953-1962 The seventh known owner of the ferry

Laurence A. Mercier, 1962-1966 The eighth known owner of the Chappy ferry

Jared N. Grant Era, 1966-1988 The ninth known owner of the Chappy ferry. The ON TIME III rounds the corner at Bend in the Road Beach in Edgartown on the day of her launch. The person supervising the tow is Lynn Murphy of Chilmark.

Debra J. Grant and Roy Hayes Era, 1988-2008 The tenth known owners of the Chappy ferry

Peter S. Wells and Sally T. Snipes Era, 2008-present The eleventh known owners of the Chappy ferry

This camera barge was the original self-propelled, car-carrying Chappy ferry, built by Tony Bettencourt, Manuel Swartz Roberts, and others on Chappaquiddick Point in 1935. Her name was CITY OF CHAPPAQUIDDICK. Serving as the platform for the filming of the last act of JAWS may have been the last job she ever did.

Alison Shaw photo

Alison Shaw photo

Tom Dunlop and Alison Shaw collaborated on this project as well.

Another Alison Shaw project

 All photos courtesy 'The Chappy Ferry Book'

Author Tom Dunlop and photographer Alison Shaw, who brought out the beautiful 'Schooner', the story of the building of the schooner Rebecca at the Gannon & Benjamin yard, have teamed up again to produce 'The Chappy Ferry Book' a history of the ferry running between Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick Island. It's delightful. The book is lushly illustrated, filled with archival photos from the very early rowboat years, through the Jaws' adventure and up to the present with contemporary work from Alison Shaw. Tom Dunlop deftly embellishes the history of the ferry with context, anecdote and occasional intrigue. Reading the book, it is clear that the ferry has become a well loved fixture of Island life. Regardless of whether or not you have any interest in the Vineyard or Chappy Island, this is the story of the evolution of a simple, but essential service. It transcends the mundane by revealing the humanity of those involved.Highly recommended. Comes with a nice little video as well.

The 'Chappy Ferry Book', 'Schooner', and Alison Shaw's beautifully photographed 'To The Harbor Light', Lighthouses of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod are all published by Vineyard Stories, which is a uniquely interesting publishing house, a whole other story. Visit them.

I apologize for any inconsistency in the spacing of photos and captions. Blogger is being ornery.

Originally posted by Thomas Armstrong on 70.8%