High winds Saturday cancel some Ocracoke ferry routes

Ferry departures for the Ocracoke-Swan Quarter and Ocracoke-Cedar Island routes have been canceled Saturday, due to high winds that have made travel unsafe in the Pamlico Sound.

The following departures have been canceled:

• Ocracoke-Swan Quarter: 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke-Cedar Island: 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry routes are on schedule. However, that ferry and other routes could be canceled later today, due to the strong coastal storm forecast this weekend.

A coastal storm packing strong winds and localized heavy rainfall is forecast to impact coastal North Carolina with its greatest impacts between Saturday night and Monday morning.

Ferry officials recorded sustained winds of 35 mph in the Pamlico Sound this morning.