KENNEBUNK — The drive from Kennebunk to Ogunquit on Route 1 doesn’t take very long, provided it’s winter and the roads are bereft of heavy traffic. During the summer … well, things change.

The population increases, with seasonal residents flocking to southern Maine in search of beach sand and sun, restaurants and shops. Tourists flood the region seeking the same. An otherwise simple drive can turn sluggish as motorists clog the main arteries and, in some instances, slow traffic to a crawl.

That’s where Hydi Dixon comes in.

The owner and operator of a high-end taxi service called HydiDrive, she’s no stranger to the frustration of Route 1 travel. A resident of Kennebunk and former resident of Ogunquit, Dixon ”“ an avid golfer and golf instructor ”“ was determined to find a link between the two communities that would bypass altogether the bumper-to-bumper jostling of vehicles bound for amenities along the coastal corridor.

A couple of years ago, riding ocean waves on a Boston Whaler, she struck upon an idea.

“I just needed to get off of the golf course for a day,” said Dixon. “I was putzing around on the ocean, because I love being out on the ocean, and that’s when I noticed that Kennebunk and Ogunquit actually aren’t that far from each other.

“That’s when it came to me: water taxi.”

Now, her new venture, HydiWave, is a reality. A 24-foot, six-passenger Boston Whaler, the HydiWave made its inaugural run between the two vacation destinations last week, and Dixon hopes that the water shuttle service will not only help visitors and seasonal residents travel faster, but perhaps enhance the business climate in those towns by introducing potential new clientele.

Round trips take passengers from the Pilot House Restaurant in Kennebunk to Perkin’s Cove in Ogunquit and back. Seafarers book their trips primarily through reservations, though Dixon said that late-comers can grab a ride if there’s room.

Sandie Tynik, owner of Stem to Stern, a nautical supply store in Kennebunkport, thinks such a service could be a boon to business in Dock Square.

“If you’re taking Route 1, it takes a while to get to Wells, or to Ogunquit,” said Tynik. “Parking can be an issue, too. You pay a lot.”

By avoiding those issues, visitors may be more inclined to make the trek between the two destinations, she said. And there may perhaps be visitors to the Kennebunks who otherwise wouldn’t find themselves there, intimidated as they are by the trip via land.

“I think it’s kinda cool,” she said. “Who knows? It could work. Anything that gets people here is a good thing.”

Melissa Haseltine, who works at Candy Man in Dock Square, cited the boom in population during the summer as a reason why some tourists may feel hemmed in by clogged roadways. An increase in clientele from a town such as Ogunquit would only benefit the business community, she said.

“Anything that comes through the ‘Port has the potential to be good for business,” said Haseltine.

And Dixon is betting that, once people reach their destination, they’ll be in a better mood. Traveling by car, she said, is often mired in unpleasantness; the vehicle is hot, drivers become sluggish, children complain of discomfort.

A trip on the ocean, by contrast, is refreshing, bringing with it the benefit of a restorative sea breeze and the lulling motion of gently roiling Atlantic waves.

“People will be happier, and they get to enjoy a great destination,” she said.

Pam Padget, owner of Alisson’s Restaurant in Dock Square, said it’s too soon to tell whether a water taxi would have an appreciable effect on business in the Kennebunks. She said Route 1 traffic is the heaviest when it rains ”“ and the HydiWave is weather-dependent, shutting down operations when the feasibility of ocean travel is compromised.

Still, Padget acknowledged that it might be a nice alternative for travelers.

“I guess if you want to go to Ogunquit, that’s as good a way to get there as any,” she said.

Calls to the Maine Department of Transportation were not immediately returned. But information on its website indicates that several paving and road construction projects will be taking place in southern York County between now and November, both on Route 1 and on I-95, which connects several coastal communities, Kennebunk and Ogunquit among them.

That’s what Dixon hopes her patrons can avoid. And since both she and the captain are more than happy to point out the sites to their passengers, she hopes they’ll glean knowledge that may inspire them to spend their money in local shops and restaurants.

“I think they may just have a better appreciation of where we are,” said Dixon.

— Staff Writer Jeff Lagasse can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 319 or [email protected].