The iconic Mackinac Island ferry service, Shepler’s, recently announced that it would expand its fleet of passenger ferries and that the new boat, Miss Margy, would hopefully be ready for business by Independence Day 2015.
Shepler’s has been chartering passengers from Mackinac City and St. Ignace to Mackinac Island — and taking a scenic tour under the Mackinac Bridge — since 1945.
The new 85-foot boat will cost $3.8 million and will be constructed by metal fabricator Moran Iron Works of Onaway. This may be the first ferryboat constructed in Michigan, according to an Mlive.com article. Miss Margy will have a passenger capacity of 281 and a top speed of 40 mph.
The new boat will be the largest in the company fleet. It will include modern systems, air conditioned and heated cabin areas, and double-paned windows with an anti-condensation system, according to the article.
The aluminum-hulled boat is expected to launch in May 2015 and spend a couple of months getting fitted-out at the Shepler’s facility in Mackinaw City.
“One of our first boats was named Miss Margy, after Margaret Shepler, co-founder of the business and Bill’s mother,” Shepler’s Facebook page explained. “Now we will have the Capt. Shepler and Miss Margy to honor both of the founders of Shepler’s.”
For more information and updates, visit the Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry Facebook page here.
