Eastern Shore Tourism Commission

 Sail back in time to secluded Tangier Island

From the beautiful harbor town of Onancock,  join Captain Mark Crockett on the tour boat Joyce Marie ll for a blissful cruise to tiny Tangier Island, Virginia.

Discover one of the last authentic fishing villages remaining in the Chesapeake Bay where natives still speak in the endearing sing-song Elizabethan manner of the first English settlers.

Here life is lived in the tranquil rhythm of the tides and watermen still carry on the centuries-old tradition of harvesting the waters.  Visitors can enjoy the fresh bounty at several of the island’s home-style restaurants.

Pristine sandy beaches are excellent for relaxing or searching for Native American arrowheads.

Rent bikes or Tangier “Taxis” – golf carts – to cruise the car-less isle.

The new Tangier History Museum & Interpretive Cultural Center and self-guided history walk give insight to the island’s enduring heritage.

Take a Waterman’s Tour with a Tangier captain and discover the island’s legendary soft-shell crab “farms”.

Free kayak rentals and mapped water trails bring you to secluded vistas.

Come twilight, rock on the porch of a Bed and Breakfast Inn and listen to the creatures of the marsh softly serenade the island.

 

TOUR  BOAT INFO

The Coast Guard-certified Joyce Marie II holds 25 passengers.  A fiberglass lobster boat similar to a Chesapeake Bay Deadrise, it was originally built in Maine in 1988.  It is 36 ' long with a 4’ draft.

The ferry will make two round trips 5 days a week during the season starting with an abbreviated schedule in May and will operate on a first come first served basis.

Fare will be $20 a round trip for trips originating from Tangier Island, $25 a round trip for trips originating from Onancock.  The second half of a round trip ticket does not need to be used the same day, but can be used anytime.  

Reservations highly recommended. Call Captain Mark and Joyce Crockett at 757-891-2505.

TOUR  BOAT SCHEDULE

May
Scheduled Dates: 
May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 
23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31 
 
June, July, August, Sept. 

Ferry runs every: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
*as well as Monday, Labor Day.

Departure/Arrival Times May-Sept.
Departs Tangier Island 7:30 a.m.              Arrives Onancock 8:45 a.m. 
Departs Onancock 10:00 a.m.                   Arrives Tangier Island 11:15 a.m. 
Departs Tangier Island 3:30PM                 Arrives Onancock 4:45PM 
Departs Onancock 5:30PM                        Arrives Tangier Island 6:45PM

For more on the Tangier Tour Boat:   www.tangierferry.com

For more information on Tangier Island -  www.gotangierisland.com

ONANCOCK -
Find out why it was chosen one of the Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America

With a pretty, petite harbor, rows of gingerbread porches, clapboard steeples and old-fashioned glass storefronts it’s hard not to be smitten with this charmer chartered in 1680. Learn its esteemed history at Ker Place, circa 1800 Federal style house museum. 757-787-8012.  The small town sophisticate harbors the most restaurants on the mainland from gourmet bistros to an Irish pub, and an intimate wine bar. Dinner and a movie take on a delightful twist with a far from the multiplex madness, retro movie theater or theatrics at the local playhouse. Enjoy shopping opportunities for art, antiques and garden and home furnishings. The wharf provides safe harbor for visiting boaters, fishing charters, and kayaking tours. A boutique hotel and welcoming B & Bs make extended stays more than tempting.www.onancock.org