News of The Abacos

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The Albury Ferry Service ... Connecting the Abacos
Charlene Fernander

Steeped in the traditions of living in the Abaco Cays, Marcell Albury is more than qualified to man the helm of the Albury Ferry Fleet. It's well known that some of the most time-honored of those traditions are the friendliness and warm hospitality with which locals greet their guests. So, when I called Mr. Albury to request information on the history of the ferry service, I was delighted to discover how receptive he was to having What's On! Abaco interview him. In fact, he graciously invited my co-writer and I to visit him at Man O' War Cay. As it turned out, Marcell had to "take up the slack" and captain one of the Donnies as some of the other boat captains were off on vacation. But this was no problem for the gregarious Mr. Albury. He simply suggested that we tag along with him on a Marsh Harbour-Man O' War Cay run. As he skillfully guided us out of the Crossing Beach Harbour, I could not help but notice how confidently he performed this task. It was obvious that he could probably maneuver around these waters in his sleep. And so as we headed out across the open water, we engaged in a great chatting session as to how it all began.

Before February, 1959, there was never really much need for a ferry service. In those days, locals communicated between the Cays with telegrams, using the old morse code system to relay messages. The population was so small that trips between the Cays were infrequent and like everywhere else, people made due without the hustle and bustle of what we've come to expect with modern transportation. But, one month earlier on January 19th, 1959, with the opening of the Marsh Harbour Airport and daily arrivals of the Bahamas Airways flight from Nassau, the number of people requiring passage to the outlying cays increased significantly. The only available air service prior to this had been by amphibian aircraft which only transported seven persons at a time. Inspired by the vision of a growing demand of more adequate transportation between Marsh Harbour and the Cays, Marcell Albury decided to act on what seemed to be a good opportunity for business.

His first venture involved a deal with an old friend. An American call Hedwig, who had been vacationing in the Aba fiberglass trees".

But as the years went on, it became apparent that wooden boats required much more maintenance. For example, the wooden boats had to be painted every year and after 5 years, began to show sign of serious structural wear and tear. On the other hand, fiberglass only needed a "touch of paint" every 3 years and could last up to 30 years before any structural problems developed.

The fleet now boasts 8 sparkling fiberglass boats. Locals have come to affectionately recognize the vessels as the Donnies - Donnie I through VIII. The name has such prominence we just had to ask Marcell the origin of the name. With a wry smile he went on to recount how it all came about. Years ago, a certain 12 year old girl from Hope Town used to make weekly visits to her grown up sister in Marsh Harbour. Around the same time, the Alburys were building another new boat. The young lady commented that since she was such a faithful passenger she must have already paid the cost of the new ferry. He agreed and decided to name the boat after her. The name stuck and so today the whole fleet bears her name.

The Donnies are semi-enclosed and come in three sizes-34ft, 39ft, and 45ft. The boats and captains are inspected and licensed by the Bahamas Government. They can travel up to a speed of 18 mph, are equipped with fire extinguishers, sufficient life vests to accommodate all passengers, floating cushions, first-aids kits, VHF radio and emergency flares. All of the ferries are powered by diesel engines and run up to three days on a full tank. They are used to carry anything from mail, baked goods and groceries to pets in carriers. They have even been used as an emergency ambulance service.

Nowadays, the company is managed by Marcell and Christine's older son, Ralph and has been for the past eight years. His younger son, Matthew, assists from time to time. There are an average of 5 to 9 male boat captains and two female office assistants -one at the office in Man-O-War and one in Marsh Harbour. There was a female boat captain in recent years but she has since moved to another island. The Alburys are quite particular in their expectations of their captains. They must have good knowledge of the sea, and know how to swim, possess personalities suited to interacting with the public, have a command of boat mechanics and be unquestionably trustworthy. Ideally, they should be residents of Man-O-War Cay. This is because all of the ferries set out from and return to Man-O-War Cay. This is because all of the ferries set out from and return to Man-O-War Cay each day. Most of the repair and maintenance is carried out by Ralph Albury at the Cay.

Marcell, who is semi-retired, was born at Man O' War Cay. He began his career as a carpenter. At the end of World War II, he and his wife, Christine decided to work on contract on a farm in Wisconsin. The United States was experiencing increased demands to work on contract on a farm in Wisconsin. The united States was experiencing increased demands for food, while at the same time, the bulk of their work force was overseas at war. As a result, the Government contracted work to people in the Caribbean. They were in the States for a total of 9 years, with some of it being spent in Highland Park, Chicago working as a carpenter. After braving so many cold winters, the time gradually came when they wanted to return home... and the idea of Albury's Ferry was born. Marcell, who is a senior Rotarian, now divides his time between traveling with Christine and acting as a consultant for the company. You may also find him dashing between the Cays on his 19ft. Boston Whaler called Marcell's Rolex.

Albury's Ferry Service operates several 20-30 minute return trips daily between Marsh Harbour, Hope Town, Man O' War Cay, Scotland Cay and Guana Cay. They are known for leaving exactly on time. Fares are $8.00 round-trip for adults and $4.00 for children. Charters are also available at anytime. Albury's Ferry will celebrate its 40th anniversary on the 18th of February, 1999. One man's dream become a reality that serves the necos for an number of years, owned a 40' lobster boat which Albury negotiated to buy. This boat would be the forerunner of today's fleet. At this time he and his wife, Christine, owned and operated the company single-handedly.

Around 1966 when Bahamas Airways began flights between Florida and Marsh Harbour, the volume of visitors arrival greatly increased and Albury's brother, Ritchie, joined the business. While Ritchie continued to pilot the first boat, Marcell began constructing a second boat at the home port of Man O' War Cay. In time the practical circumstances of running a business would direct the two brothers to alternate between responsibilities. Sharing responsibilities naturally included agreeing on important decisions. One of those decisions would involve changing the construction of the boats from the use of traditional wood to the more modern fiberglass. At first, Marcell was staunchly against the new material ­ his opinion was that, "if God wanted boats to be made of fiberglass, He would've madeeds of a whole community. We hope it will continue to serve the Abacos for years to come