O princípio parece ser que há uma única balsa. Você faz a balsa atravessar o rio em um ponto especialmente lento, depois atracar no lado oposto e desembarcar. Em algum momento, outro usuário (do outro lado) usará o barco para retornar à costa oeste, tornando o barco pronto para uso novamente. Não parece haver um sistema de polias para devolver o barco sozinho, ou pelo menos não há nenhum mencionado.
They turned down the Ferry lane, which was straight and well-kept and edged with large white-washed stones. In a hundred yards or so it brought them to the river-bank, where there was a broad wooden landing-stage. A large flat ferry-boat was moored beside it. The white bollards near the water's edge glimmered in the light of two lamps on high posts. Behind them the mists in the flat fields were now above the hedges; but the water before them was dark, with only a few curling wisps like steam among the reeds by the bank. There seemed to be less fog on the further side.
Merry led the pony over a gangway on to the ferry, and the others followed. Merry then pushed slowly off with a long pole. The Brandywine flowed slow and broad before them. On the other side the bank was steep, and up it a winding path climbed from the further landing. Lamps were twinkling there. Behind loomed up the Buck Hill; and out of it, through stray shrouds of mist, shone many round windows, yellow and red. They were the windows of Brandy Hall, the ancient home of the Brandybucks.
Este sistema funciona melhor quando há tráfego regular (o que parece haver, dada a proximidade do Brandy Hall e da cidade de Brandybuck) e, obviamente, Farmer Maggot teria uma boa ideia de que lado o ferry seria atracado. naquela hora do dia, dado seu óbvio interesse no tráfego que passava e na presença de Merry.