By Patricia Measer
Every year on Memorial Day Weekend, the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry resumes service for the summer, carrying cars and passengers across the narrowest point of Chautauqua Lake. The ferry has operated annually since 1811, except for a break from 2018 to 2021 for repairs. It’s a well-recognized sight on the lake, with four pilot towers and two US flags – the current one with 50 stars, and the version from 1811. Multiple generations of families have enjoyed traveling on the ferry over the years, making this iconic boat a historic treasure for both residents of and visitors to Chautauqua County.
The ferry was the only shortcut for traffic across the lake until the I-86 bridge was completed in 1982. When ferry service originally started, it was to provide quick access to landowners who had farm land on both sides of the lake, saving them from a 23-mile trip. Back in 1811, such a trip would have taken 4-5 days! However, the ferry ride was only a few minutes. This made it suddenly popular with travelers from all across the county. What started as a small raft pulled hand-over-hand across a rope, became a larger barge that could carry livestock, and then later was replaced by the cable-guided paddlewheel boat we see today. It is one of the few remaining cable-guided ferries remaining in the United States.
After the bridge was built, the county, which owned the ferry at the time, discussed scrapping the boat. Supporters of the ferry who recognized its historical significance convinced the county to keep it running. Eventually, however, the county was unable maintain the ferry. In 2007, a local group called the Sea Lion Project, which had extensive experience in maintaining and piloting historical boats, purchased the ferry and continued its operation. Local resident John Cheney, a member of the group, was the visionary behind the purchase.
“Our family has a lot of good memories around the ferry,” said Martha Anderson, John’s daughter and a current co-president of the Sea Lion Project. “So, my dad was very passionate about keeping it going.” Martha has continued the tradition of making the ferry part her family’s summer experience, by taking her children and now her grandson on rides.
Jay Kuntz, Martha’s co-president, agrees that the ferry is about making memories. Whether it’s the spectacular sunset viewed from the middle of the lake, or a marriage proposal on the ride (they see a lot of those), or a family outing to get ice cream, there is always something that makes the ride special. One of his favorite memories involves an occurrence with a mother and daughter when he was manning the boat one day. The mother promised the young girl that they would go see the ferry. However, the girl was upset when they arrived because she thought she was going to see a magical fairy, not a floating ferry. The story ended happily enough after the confusion was cleared up. But it got Jay thinking about how to continue to promote the ferry to children.
The result was that he and friend Chris Flanders co-wrote a children’s book titled, “The Fairy on the Ferry.” A book-signing event is scheduled for June 11th at the Stow landing. The mother and daughter from the story will be there, along with a photographer, several ballerinas, and a “ferry” godmother. Proceeds from the book will go toward ongoing maintenance and bills related to the boat.
The Bemus Point-Stow Ferry operates Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, all summer long, until the weekend of the Bemus Point Fall Festival. It makes the 935-foot journey between the two villages in about seven minutes. On a busy Saturday, they may run the ferry 50 or 60 times.
During the ride, “ambassadors” chat with patrons about their personal history with the boat, making it a very friendly experience. There is no charge, but donations are gladly accepted.
When asked whether they had any plans to operate routinely during the week, Jay responded, “We would love to, but we don’t have enough people to do that right now. The ferry is staffed by volunteers, who all have families and jobs outside of this.” He added that it takes a certain skill set to pilot the ferry, and requires that the pilots obtain a Joint Pilot and Engineer License from New York State.
The ferry is run occasionally for special events when possible. They have hosted BOCES life skills events, fourth grade history class outings, family reunions and corporate scavenger hunts. Jay and Martha note that the Sea Lion Project has tremendous support from the county, and from the towns of Ellery and North Harmony, which maintain the boat landings.
“And we absolutely could not do any of this without all of our volunteers”, says Jay. “Not only volunteers to run the ferry, but also the volunteers that donate time and materials to keep the boat going.” When the diesel engine had to be replaced, Cummins donated one, along with the manpower for annual maintenance. Other volunteers donated a recharger for the battery, so they can provide more rides. Volunteers maintain the electric winches. The list goes on and on.
“The ferry is part of the fabric of the county,” Jay says. “We are grateful to have so many people who want to keep the history of the ferry alive. Once you lose a piece of history, you can’t get it back.”
For more information, you can find them on Facebook or visit the www.thebemuspointstowferry.com.