IT'S all hands on deck as the Lake Macquarie Ferry sets sail on a new course.
After a successful six-month trial, the ferry will expand its service to Valentine as it zig-zags its way across the lake.
General Manager Peter Hanrahan said they've had plenty of support from businesses around the lake, with pubs, clubs and restaurants near the wharves cashing in on day-trippers.
"We just had a lot of inquiry from local residents at Valentine wanting to use the service, and people already using it wanted a new destination they could hop off at and explore," he said.
"Valentine was seen as a good spot with the club right there on the water and the opportunity to access walking trails at Green Point.
"The idea is to link the attractions around the lake, it's a quick way to transverse east to west and we have a lot of day-trippers up from Sydney exploring the area."
The new stop launches this weekend, with the service starting from Speers Point, travelling across to Booragul, east to Valentine, west to Toronto then on to Belmont and Wangi Wangi.
The timetable will offer three southbound and three northbound runs each day, allowing guests to hop on and off at different destinations in one trip.
Since the ferry service began, operating costs have increased significantly, Mr Hanrahan said - leading to an increase in fares and a reduction in some one-way fare costs.
"We are a private company and receive no council or government funding," he said.
"Our fuel costs have risen by 70 per cent, our berthing fees jumped 40 per cent and wages and insurance continue to rise."
A day pass will cost an adult $38, $36 for concessional fares and $22 for kids.
The one-way fare from Belmont to Wangi Wangi has dropped by nearly 40 per cent, down to $8.
It's a much faster option for those wanting to explore the lake. A Belmont to Wangi Wangi trip would take about 30 minutes by car, and just 12 minutes on the ferry.
Mr Hanrahan said a commuter service is unlikely in the near future.
"Realistically a regular daily service with the high costs is not usually something that would work for a private operator," he said.
"Local government ferries run at a millions of dollars each year loss.
"We always set out to be a tourist attraction for a visitor service for the area - we're always happy to investigate if we could work with someone like the council, but at this stage it's fully-funded by us and in lean times during winter we have to rely on our other businesses to prop up the service."
He said they had been approached by 8 at Trinity to consider running special services during summer.
Lake Macquarie City Council mayor Kay Fraser said the extended Valentine service was a huge win for the community.
A lot more people are using the ferry, not only from the Hunter but further afield with day-trippers or people coming for the weekend," she said.
"It makes such a statement on the water and so many people want to get on that the fact some people are disappointed because it's full and aren't able to is an indication of its success."
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