Ferry

The Ferry – Packing, Parking, Passes, Schedule, Pets

Everything and everyone gets to Dewees by boat. Everything you bring with you will need to be loaded from your car, onto and off of the Ferry, onto a golf cart, to the home where you are staying, and up to the top levels.

Prior planning for gear and groceries can really help your journey.  Limiting your luggage is one of the easiest ways to make your trip more manageable.  Pack lightly; you won’t need a ballgown or skateboard on Dewees!  Rubber bins are useful for stacking, keeping elements and animals out, and reducing plastic grocery bags which can harm our environment.
Try to minimize packaging.  Call us if you have questions about what needs your rental provides (beach chairs, bikes, fishing gear, beach towels, etc.)  If you are trying to minimize ferry charges, you may want to pick up groceries before getting to the island.

The ferry connects Dewees with the Isle of Palms. Park your car in the Dewees Parking lot on the Isle of Palms, located on 41st street between the fire station and the IOP marina.  (insert map photo)(directions link)

We have very limited capacity for luggage.  When you get to the ferry,  pull up to the unloading area, put your things in a luggage cart and then go park your car in the parking lot.  Only five carts fit on the boat, so try to limit yourself to one cart per household.  Once you have loaded your cart, please stand on the top level out of the way of disembarking passengers.  Remember that the ferry has a rather short turn-around time: only eight minutes to offload passengers and gear, and load oncoming passengers.  Please allow carts and passengers off the ferry before boarding.

Because Dewees is private, all ferry passengers need prior authorization and an access card.  You will scan your card each time you ride the boat. Guests and renters return the card to the Deckhand at the end of your stay. You need to let us know the names of all expected guests in order to get access cards.
Your access card is your ticket to be on the boat.  A 5$ replacement fee will be charged if you lose it.  A transportation deposit is charged to your credit card at the time of reservation, and will be billed to you at the rate of $10 per roundtrip at the end of your stay.  When you get on the boat, ask the deckhand to look in the simplistate folder for your access card.

There are restrooms at the IOP marina next door, as well as drinks and basic sundries.  There is also a place where you can run your dog, with clean up bags available.

Ferry Schedule

The Dewees ferry starts running at 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday.  On Sunday it starts at 8 a.m.  The last run to the island at is 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.  On Friday and Saturday, it runs until 12 midnight.  The ferry goes over to the island on the hour.  To save money and fuel, the ferry does not run if there are no riders.  You can call for the ferry if you want to go off the island.

The ferry ride is a scenic 20 minute ride up the Intracoastal Waterway. Be sure to check out our notices for environmental and social programs. Binoculars and field guides are available: maybe you will see turtles, manatees, bald eagles, deer, or dolphins!

The ferry is ON DEMAND only. That means, if you show up (on time) on the Isle of Palms for a ride to Dewees, the ferry will run as scheduled.  But if you are on Dewees, you need to call the Ferry Captain at 843-568-3990 and request a run to Dewees by 10 minutes to the hour for the run leaving at the half-hour.  (So you need to call by 7:50 in order to ride the 8:30 boat.)

Pets Must Be on Leash on the Ferry and Docks

Pets should always be leashed in the parking lot, on the ferry, and on Dewees at the ferry landing/causeway area. There are cleats where you can tie your dog as you load your gear.  Children should be supervised aboard the ferry, especially on the top deck.

Once on the island, transportation is by golf cart, bike, or foot.