The "Ferrymen of Pinel Island" Story

Passengers pay before boarding the ferry to Pinel.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing on the dock at Cul-de-Sac waiting to board the ferry to head to the small island known as Pinel of the coast of French St. Martin.  Little island has no inhabitants except for the many iguanas that line the area near the covered kitchen to the rear of Karibuni beach bar and beg for scraps from the cook who prepares the meals using either a generator or propane.  

Ferry ticket box where you used to
have to buy ferry tickets to Pinel.

For years Carol and I have made our yearly journey to the island using the ferries that shuttle patrons the half-mile to the sandy shore of Pinel.  I have written a few stories about the island in the past, but my story today deals with the ferrymen who transport their fares to and from this little paradise that reminds one of Gilligan's Island from the 1960's TV show of the same name.  Ferries start to run about 10:00 AM and at one time you had to buy your fare at the ticket window, but now the ferryman collects the fee as you board his ferry.  Years ago the ferryman transported their customers using oars and muscle power, but in the mid-1980's motorized craft appeared.  Each ferryman owns their own boat and represents themselves as an independent businessman, but since a co-op was formed years ago, you now can take one ferryboat over to Pinel and return on a different one.  

Passengers are sandwiched into the
ferry boat for passage to Pinel.

All ferrymen charge the same price and take turns running their boats to the island.  The water depth is approxi- mately three feet deep and you can see the bottom the entire ride over and back.  At times you may be able to see a ray or even a sea turtle on your trip over or back.  

Mr. Hodge, ferryman, also known as "Sweet
brown sugar", with his whistle.

The ferrymen have a variety of personalities and many riders know them by name.  Mickey, Guitto, Daniel, Vidian and the patriarch of all ferrymen, Mr. Hodge, known to many as "Sweet Brown Sugar" or "The Ferry Nazi," shuttle their passengers with stern warnings about keeping your arms and legs inside the ferry or to stay seated until they announce their landing at the Pinel dock.  Mr. Hodge rules with a stern arm and whistle.  Many of the ferryboat men were at one time fishermen who built their own flat-bottomed boats themselves for transporting passengers.  

Arrival at Pinel Island.

And, if you have ever ridden in one of the boats, you may often wonder how they can pack as many people in one boat without it tipping it over or sinking it with all the weight, but that evidently has never happened.  For Carol and me, the ride to and from the tiny island on the ferry is almost as much fun as reaching the final destination and enjoying the beach and atmosphere for the day.  Oh yeah, remember the ferryman's warning of not missing the final ferry back at 5:00 PM, or you may find yourself looking for food scraps with the iguanas for your evening meal.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Arriving at Pinel from Cul de Sac on the island of St. Martin.

Watching the ferryboat arrive from the top of Pinel.

Another of the ferrymen who transport passengers to Pinel from St. Martin.

Mr. Hodge preparing to land at the dock in Pinel.  He barks instructions and blows his whistle and you'd better listen to him or you may be asked to exit the ferryboat.

Carol and I enjoy the ride as we are transported to Pinel on a ferryboat.