The South Ferry Company

What The South Ferry Company does

The South Ferry Company, Inc. is a private ferry operator incorporated in New York that shuttles people and vehicles between Shelter Island and North Haven (on the Sag Harbor side) 365 days per year, with continuous departures every 10–15 minutes and no reservation requirement. Core operating assets are ferry vessels carrying autos (under 22 ft), bicycles, motorcycles, standard trucks by length, specialty trucks (boom, concrete pump, dump, garbage, hazmat, tank, tractor-trailer), buses, and trailers, plus walk-on passengers. There are two physical locations: the north dock and office at 135 South Ferry Rd., Shelter Island, and the south dock at 400 Ferry Rd., Sag Harbor (North Haven); weekday hours run approximately 5:20 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., with extended weekend hours into the early morning.

The business model is purely transactional. Revenue is generated per crossing via cash payment onboard, with one-way and same-day round-trip fares differentiated by vehicle class, plus non-expiring ticket books (auto 10-trip, passenger 30-trip one-way / 20-trip round-trip) and weekly commuter passes (5 or 6 round trips). Resident passes are offered in two tiers—Option 1 for primary-residence New York driver's-license holders and Option 2 for property owners or long-term renters—both include all passengers and have no expiration. Fare changes require Suffolk County legislature approval, as demonstrated by the May 6, 2025 approval and May 12, 2025 effective date of the current rate schedule. Customer segments comprise Shelter Island residents (daily commute and essential access), non-resident commuters, tourists and visitors, and commercial vehicle operators.

The competitive position rests on the absence of any road alternative between Shelter Island and North Haven, making the company the sole provider on this specific crossing; the separate North Ferry operates a different Shelter Island-to-Greenport route. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: customers arrive at the dock on a first-come, first-served basis. Marketing presence is limited to the company website (southferry.com), with no app, digital payments, API, or third-party integrations disclosed. The firm is privately held by unclear ownership, with one named executive—Cliff Clark, CEO—and no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or partnerships beyond an informal reference to the North Ferry as a related but separate service.

Name

The South Ferry Company

Legal name

The South Ferry Company, Inc.

Website

https://southferry.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The South Ferry Company, Inc. is a private New York ferry operator that runs the sole vehicle-and-passenger shuttle between Shelter Island and North Haven 365 days a year, serving island residents, commuters, visitors, and commercial truck operators on a cash, per-crossing basis with discount commuter and resident passes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger and Vehicle Ferry Services

NAICS

Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Passenger Ro-Ro Ferries (Vehicle + Passenger) (THAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Island & Remote Community Ferry Services (THAIAJAG), Urban/Commuter Ferry Operators (Harbor/Water Taxi) (TLAFALAB)

Keywords

• Passenger ferry service
• Vehicle ferry transport
• Commuter ferry passes
• Resident ferry tickets
• Maritime transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Shelter Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Passenger and Vehicle Ferry Fares: One-way and round-trip fares charged to passengers, vehicle operators, bicyclists, and motorcyclists using the ferry service. Cash payment accepted onboard. Revenue is transactional per crossing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The South Ferry Company runs a high-frequency passenger and vehicle ferry shuttling people, cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and other vehicles between Shelter Island and North Haven, New York, every 10–15 minutes, 365 days a year. Riders pay cash at the dock for a single trip or use commuter passes, resident passes, or ticket books for repeated travel; no reservation is required.

Product overview

The South Ferry Company operates a single unified ferry transportation service between Shelter Island and North Haven, operating 365 days a year with departures every 10-15 minutes. The core offering is vehicle and passenger ferry transport with cash-only payment accepted onboard. Additional products include Weekly Commuter Passes available for purchase Monday through Wednesday, Resident Passes for Shelter Island residents with no expiration, and Ticket Books for prepaid multi-day use with no expiration date.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single-Trip Passenger Ferry Passage One-way, cash-paid passage for a foot passenger (or passenger with bicycle, motorcycle, or other vehicle as applicable) on a scheduled ferry between Shelter Island and North Haven, NY. Available 365 days a year with departures roughly every 10–15 minutes and no reservation required.
• Single-Trip Vehicle Ferry Passage (Car / Truck / Bus Classes) One-way, cash-paid passage for a vehicle — with separate fare classes for cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicle types — on the scheduled Shelter Island–North Haven ferry. Riders simply drive on at the dock; no reservation required.
• Weekly Commuter Pass A weekly pass for frequent commuters that entitles the holder to repeated ferry passage between Shelter Island and North Haven, NY, during the validity period, purchased directly from the company.
• Resident Pass A pass issued to local residents that entitles the holder to ferry passage between Shelter Island and North Haven, NY, on the company's regular schedule.
• Pre-Purchased Ticket Book A book of ferry tickets purchased in advance from the company and redeemed one ticket per crossing on the Shelter Island–North Haven ferry, providing volume-based pricing for riders who want prepaid convenience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Service frequency of every 10-15 minutes ensures minimal wait times

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• North FerryminorOthersSeparate ferry company operating a different route between Shelter Island and Greenport. Not a formal partnership. South Ferry tickets do not work on North Ferry and vice versa. Listed as a transportation resource for customers needing to reach Orient Point/Cross Sound Ferry.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• NY Waterway: Largest private commuter ferry operator in New York Harbor. Comparable in passenger ferry operations and continuous-service model, though focused on urban commuter corridors rather than island lifeline service.
• Casco Bay Lines: Operates year-round passenger and vehicle ferry service to islands in Casco Bay, Maine. Comparable in essential island community ferry service with commuter and resident pass programs.

Direct peers

• Steamship Authority: The largest ferry operator serving the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket with vehicle-and-passenger Ro-Ro service. Comparable in operating model (essential island lifeline, mixed passenger/vehicle/commercial traffic, regulated pricing, multi-class fare structure).
• Cross Sound Ferry: Operates vehicle and passenger ferry service across Long Island Sound between Orient Point and New London, CT. Directly comparable in vehicle Ro-Ro operations, ticketing, and Northeast coastal geography.
• Seastreak: Operates commuter and seasonal passenger ferries in the New York / New Jersey Harbor and to the Hamptons/Martha's Vineyard. Comparable in Northeast passenger ferry operations and commuter-focused service model.
• North Ferry: Operates the other Shelter Island ferry route (Shelter Island ↔ Greenport) using a similar vehicle-and-passenger Ro-Ro model. The most direct comparable as it shares the same island, similar fare structure, and the same regulatory environment under Suffolk County.
• Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company: Operates a vehicle-and-passenger ferry between Port Jefferson, NY and Bridgeport, CT. Comparable as a Northeast vehicle Ro-Ro ferry with mixed passenger, commercial, and commuter use.
• Block Island Express / Block Island Ferry: Operates vehicle and passenger ferry service to Block Island, RI from the mainland. Comparable as a Northeast island-lifeline Ro-Ro ferry with seasonal demand, mixed fare classes, and essential-service positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Washington State Ferries: Largest ferry system in the U.S., operating vehicle and passenger ferries across Puget Sound. Comparable in vehicle Ro-Ro operations, regulated pricing, and essential-service positioning, though at vastly larger scale.
• NYC Ferry (Hornblower): City-contracted passenger ferry service across NYC waterways. Comparable in passenger ferry operations, though operates at much larger scale under a public-private contract structure rather than a private regulated utility model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southferryinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-ferry-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The South Ferry Company