Getting home from Manhattan
without the ferry
It costs about $55 plus toll and tip to take a taxi home from Whitehall.
Instead you can try one of these.

1.
Take the R train to almost the end of the line -- Bay Ridge/86th Street. Catch the S53 to Port Richmond or the S79 (Hylan Blvd to the Mall). You have to transfer from either of these to catch a bus to the ferry somewhere at the point where they get off the expressway. The driver will know. 
--Linda Jones

2.
Take the R train through Brooklyn to 86 Street and 4th Avenue, then transfer to the S53, S79, or S93 bus across the Verrazano Bridge to Staten Island. 
S53 runs every 9 to 40 minutes, 24 hours a day. 
S79 runs every 10 to 24 minutes morning through evening, with no late night service.
S93 runs weekdays mornings and evenings only (CSI service).
All three routes require another bus to get to St. George -- asking the driver which one is probably the best, or calling a car service. 
-- Tamara Coombs

3.
Locate the express bus closest to the ferry, and that goes closest to your home.   More information to come --

or
Locate an eating establishment near the ferry. go have a good meal, kill a few hours, and usually the problem will have been resolved when you're finished.  -- Bob Zion