PBS Documentary – 50 years of Cape May Ferry

Cape May has been associated for decades with the summer get-away for generations of Eastern Province confreres as well as many Daughters of Charity during weeks when the confreres are not using the house.

This Sunday, August 23, many PBS stations will feature “The Billion Mile Journey” a history celebrating the famous ferry.

This documentary spotlights the 50th anniversary of the iconic waterway of the Twin Capes region. The program, featuring the rich stories behind the ferry’s historic “billion mile journey” is available to watch here online.

Produced by WHYY in Wilmington, Delaware, Billion Mile Journey: The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is a one-hour show that features some of the most interesting stories about the ferry, which began operations on July 1, 1964. Over the course of 50 years, the ferry has touched the lives of millions of visitors and residents of Delaware and New Jersey as a well-known tourist destination and essential mode of transportation.

The program documents the history of the ferry and tells the personal stories of a 20- minute wedding in 1996 and the rescue of a dog that led to procedure changes on the vessels. Filmed and edited in high definition, viewers will receive an in-depth look at operations on both sides of the bay, discover how the boats are launched and learn what it takes to rebuild a ferry engine. The production coincides with WHYY’s 50th year of reporting in Delaware.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority and serves the Twin Capes region of Cape May, NJ and Lewes, DE. On July 1, 1964, the first ferry vessel departed the Lewes terminal at 6:47 a.m., carrying eight vehicles and fifteen passengers. Over the years, the ferry has transported more than 43 million people and 14 million vehicles across the Delaware Bay. Cars from each of the 50 states and numerous foreign countries have made the ferry trip and over one billion miles have been covered during the 50 years of round trip travel.