Balboa Island Ferry scuttles early morning runs

June Casagrande

The Balboa Island Ferry has shortened its summertime operations from

24 hours to a 5:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. schedule, ferry manager Lowell

Swett said.

The new schedule began this morning and is expected to be the

permanent summertime operating schedule.

The change was made because operating the ferry overnight costs

more money than it brings in, Swett said.

“Financially, it’s just not feasible,” he said.

The ferry service operates three vessels and, until recently, it

employed 16 captains. One captain left the company, making it even

more difficult to run a cost-effective overnight operation. Swett

could not give exact figures for how many people use the ferry from 2

to 5:30 a.m. during the summer, but said it wasn’t enough to cover

the costs of staffing during that time.

The company has had the change of hours posted near its landing

sites for about a week to warn users of the schedule change.

Wintertime hours of 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 6

a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday are expected to remain the

same.

The business is regulated by the state Public Utilities

Commission, but Swett said he did not believe that the schedule

change will have to go through the commission for approval.

Not everyone agrees with the change.

“It’s super-convenient to have that ferry open 24 hours in the

summer,” said Brad Thompson, a Balboa Island resident and regular

user of the ferry. “In the summertime, when there’s summer south

swells and you want to go surfing before 5:30, now you won’t be able

to.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.