Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry is one of two ferry companies serving

Mackinac Island, Michigan Mackinac Island ( ) is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a permanent population of 583. The population numbers in the tens of thousands from May 1st to October 31st due to an influx o ...

. The company has docks in

Mackinaw City Mackinaw City ( ) is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 846 at the 2010 census, the population increases during summertime, including an influx of tourists and seasonal workers who serve ...

and

St. Ignace St. Ignace is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Mackinac County. The city had a population of 2,452 at the 2010 census. St. Ignace Township is located just to the north of the city, but the two are administered auto ...

. Shepler's provides ferry and freight service to Mackinac Island.

History

In 1945, Captain William H. Shepler, a native of Mackinac returned to Michigan after service in World War II. He already had a full captain's license and began to captain the massive (600-person capacity) ''Algoma'', between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. He also operated a small snack bar for passengers waiting for the ferry. Capt. Shepler decided to offer a more distinctive service with smaller craft to and from Mackinac Island. In the winter of 1950, he built his own Bay Craft kit boat in Cheboygan, a 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 The Mackinac Bridge ( ) is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge (familiarly known as "Big Mac" and "Mighty Mac") is the worl ...

was completed in November 1957. During its construction, crowds came to watch the progress, increasing the need for tour boats. During the winter of 1953, he built a second kit boat, a high-speed cruiser, the ''Billy Dick'', named after the captain's son William Richard. The fleet expanded over the years. 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. In May 1988, Capt. William H. Shepler died and his wife Margaret passed away in October 2004. His son, William R., took over the operation with the help of his three children. At that time there were two competitors: Star Line and Arnold's; the latter ceased operations in late 2016. As of 2019, "Bill" remained the CEO of Shepler's and Chris Shepler was President of the company. In 2015, the company added a new 85-foot long vessel with a triple engine and 281-person capacity; the new ''Miss Margy'' was built in Onaway in Northern Michigan. The vessel has a top speed of about 40 mph. A news report at the time stated that "Sheplers employs 210 with 50 full time and transports 350,000 visitors to Mackinac Island each year". By 2015, the company was running two ferries from St. Ignace, and two from Mackinaw City and had a total of six boats. The newly expanded dock at Mackinaw City was unveiled in April 2019 at the start of the season. In addition to the ferry service in 2019, the company was offering Lighthouse Cruises through the Straits of Mackinac and on Lake Michigan as well as other sightseeing options. An announcement in June 2019 stated that Shepler's had ordered a $4 million, 210-passenger ferry with four jet drives; this vessel was expected to begin operation the following summer.

Fleet

The Shepler's fleet consists of seven ships: * ''The Welcome'', , built in 1969, 120-person, twin-engine * ''Felicity'', , built in 1972, 150-person, twin-engine * ''The Hope'', , built in 1975, 150-person, twin-engine * ''Wyandot'', , built in 1979, 265 person, twin-engine * ''Capt. Shepler'', , built in 1986, 265-person, twin-engine * ''The Senator'', , built in 1940s (originally the ''Botany Bay'', ''Put-in-Bay'', and ''Sacre Blue''), 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. beam, 99-ton displacement * ''Miss Margy'', , built in 2015, 281-person, triple-engine The vessels currently in use by Shepler's, with the exception of the ''Capt. Shepler'', ''The Senator'', and ''Miss Margy'', were named after vessels that sailed the Straits area in the late 17th century.

References

{{reflist Ferry companies of Michigan Mackinac Island Transportation in Mackinac County, Michigan