Shepler's Ferry

Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry is one of two ferry companies serving Mackinac Island, Michigan. The company has docks in Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. Shepler's provides ferry and freight service to Mackinac Island.

History

The company was founded in 1945 by Captain William H. Shepler, a native of Mackinac. Shelper first sold snacks to people waiting for the ferry across the Straits of Mackinac, later expanding to a charter ferry service. Shepler expanded his two-ship fleet following the end of World War II, and in the winter of 1950, built a 30-foot (9.1 m) cabin cruiser with twin gas engines with a capacity of 24 passengers. The vessel was christened the Miss Margy after Shepler's wife, Margaret.

The Mackinac Bridge was completed in November 1957. Following the decline in ferry traffic across the straits, Shepler purchased beach frontage on Mackinac Island, and constructed a dock to provide service between the island and the mainland.[1]

In May 1988, Capt. William H. Shepler died. He was followed in death by his wife Margaret in October 2004. His son, William R., has taken the helm with the help of his three children, Chris, Patty, and Billy.

Fleet

The Shepler's fleet consists of seven ships:

  • The Welcome, 60 feet (18 m), built in 1969, 120-person, twin-engine
  • Felicity, 65 feet (20 m), built in 1972, 150-person, twin-engine
  • The Hope, 83 feet (25 m), built in 1975, 150-person, twin-engine
  • Wyandot, 83 feet (25 m), built in 1979, 265 person, twin-engine
  • Capt. Shepler, 84 feet (26 m), built in 1986, 265-person, twin-engine
  • Sacre Bleu, 95 feet (29 m), built in 1940s (originally the Botany Bay and Put-in-Bay), 25 -person cabin, 300-person deck, twin engine, steel-hulled boat purchased in 1996, updated in the winter of 2013 freight, passenger and ice breaking capabilities. 33-foot (10 m) beam, 99-ton displacement[2]
  • Miss Margy, 85 feet (26 m), built in 2015, 281-person, triple-engine[1]

The vessels currently in use by Shepler’s, with the exception of the Capt. Shepler, Sacre Bleu, and Miss Margy, were named after vessels that sailed the Straits area in the late 17th century.

References

  1. 1 2 "About". Shepler's Ferry.
  2. ↑ "Freight". Shepler's Ferry.
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