{{Short description|Ferry service in Michigan, US}} '''Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry''' is one of two ferry companies serving [[Mackinac Island, Michigan]]. The company has docks in [[Mackinaw City, Michigan|Mackinaw City]] and [[St. Ignace, Michigan|St. Ignace]]. Shepler's provides ferry and freight service to Mackinac Island.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.mackinawcity.com/play/mackinac-island-ferries/ |title = Mackinac Island Ferries |publisher = Official Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau }}</ref>
==History== [[File:Shepler ferry dock, Mackinaw City.jpg|thumb|Entrance to the new ferry dock at Mackinaw City (June 2019)]] In 1945, Captain William H. Shepler, a native of Mackinac Island, returned to Michigan after service in World War II. He already had a full captain's license and began to command the large, 600-person capacity ''Algoma'' between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island.<ref>{{cite web |first = Amy |last = Charles |url = https://groupstoday.com/bill-shepler |title = 5 Minutes With ... Bill Shepler |work = Groups Today }}</ref> 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, Michigan|Cheboygan]], a {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} [[cabin cruiser]] with twin gas engines with a capacity of 24 passengers. The vessel was christened the ''Miss Margy'' after Shepler's wife, Margaret.<ref>{{cite book |first1 = Jean R. |last1 = Beach |first2 = Don |last2 = Steele |name-list-style = amp |year = 2014 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XW4ZBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT26 |title = Undefeated: The True Story of How the Family-Owned Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry Service Survived and Advanced Through Three Generations |location = Bloomington, Indiana |publisher = Authorhouse |page = 26 |isbn = 9781496947321 }}</ref>
The [[Mackinac Bridge]] 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, Shepler 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.<ref name="about">{{cite web |url = http://sheplersferry.com/about/ |title = About |publisher = Shepler's Ferry }}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Beach|Steele|2014|p=31|ps=.}}</ref>
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.<ref name="about"/>
In May 1988, Capt. William H. Shepler died, and his wife Margaret died 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 (now Mackinac Island Ferry Company) and Arnold Transit Co.; the latter ceased operations in late 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2016/11/03/mackinac-island-arnold-ferry/93260488/ |title = Mackinac Island's Longest-Running Ferry Arnold Transit to Stop Service |first = JC |last = Reindl |work = [[Detroit Free Press]] |date = November 3, 2016 }}</ref> As of 2019, "Bill" remained the CEO of Shepler's, and Chris Shepler was president of the company.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.bbb.org/us/mi/mackinaw-city/profile/charter-boat/sheplers-mackinac-island-ferry-0372-17002680 |title = Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry |publisher = Better Business Bureau }}</ref>
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".<ref>{{cite news |first = Richard |last = Lamb |date = July 15, 2015 |url = https://piadvance.com/2015/07/built-in-onaway-miss-margy-christened-for-sheplers/ |title = Built in Onaway, ''Miss Margy'' Christened for Sheplers |work = Presque Isle County Advance }}</ref> By 2015, the company was running two ferries from St. Ignace, and two from Mackinaw City and had a total of six boats.<ref>{{cite news |first = John |last = Russell |date = July 10, 2015 |url = https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/07/10/mackinac-island-ferry-margy/30000473/ |title = Mackinac Fleet Adds a New ''Margy'' |work = [[The Detroit News]] }}</ref> The newly expanded dock at Mackinaw City was unveiled in April 2019 at the start of the season.<ref>{{cite news |date = April 10, 2019 |url = https://www.mynorth.com/2019/04/sheplers-ferry-begins-mackinac-island-service/ |title = Shepler's Ferry Beginning Service to Mackinac Island on Easter + New Dock Expansion |work = MyNorth.com }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.michigan.org/property/shepler-s-lighthouse-cruises |title = Shepler's Lighthouse Cruises |work = Pure Michigan |publisher = Michigan Economic Development Council }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.sheplersferry.com/cruises/ |title = Cruises |publisher = Shepler's Ferry }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |first = Nick |last = Blenkey |date = June 10, 2019 |url = https://www.marinelog.com/news/moran-to-build-hamiltonjet-powered-ferry-for-mackinac-island/ |title = Video: Moran to Build HamiltonJet Powered Ferry for Mackinac Island |work = Marine Log }}</ref>
In early 2022, the company was purchased by Hoffman Family of Companies.<ref>{{cite news |first = Phoebe |last = Wall Howard |date = March 18, 2022 |url = https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2022/03/18/sheplers-ferry-mackinac-island-sold-hoffman-family-companies/7077585001/ |title = Shepler's Ferry on Mackinac Island sells to billionaire after 77 years |work = Detroit Free Press }}</ref>
==Fleet==
[[File:The Wyandot Docked.jpg|thumb|M/V Wyandot Docked in Mackinaw City, MI]] The Shepler's fleet consists of seven passenger vessels:
* ''The Welcome'', {{convert|60|ft|m}} x {{convert|18|ft|m}}, 97-person Twin-Engine vessel built in 1969 by Camcraft in Lafitte, LA * ''Felicity'', {{convert|65|ft|m}} x {{convert|19|ft|m}}, 150-person Twin-Engine vessel built in 1972 by Camcraft in Lafitte, LA * ''The Hope'', {{convert|83|ft|m}} x {{convert|19|ft|m}}, 150-person Twin-Engine vessel built in 1975 by Camcraft in Lafitte, LA. ''The Hope'' was renovated in 2009 by Moran Iron Works in Onaway, MI, adding an additional {{convert|17|ft|m}} to her aft deck to accommodate new Twin MTU 2000 Series V16 engines. * ''Wyandot'', {{convert|83|ft|m}} x {{convert|21|ft|m}}, 265-person Twin-Engine vessel built in 1979 by Burgeron Shipyards in Crown Point, LA * ''Capt. Shepler'', {{convert|84|ft|m}} x {{convert|21|ft|m}}, 265-person Twin-Engine vessel built in 1986 by Camcraft in Lafitte, LA * ''Miss Margy'', {{convert|85|ft|m}} x {{convert|23|ft|m}}, 281-person Triple-Engine vessel built in 2015 by Moran Iron Works in Onaway, MI<ref name="about"/> * ''William Richard'', {{convert|84|ft|m}} x {{convert|20|ft|m}}, 210-person Quad Jet-Engine vessel built in 2020 by Moran Iron Works in Onaway, MI <ref name="about"/>
The vessels currently in use by Shepler's, with the exception of the ''Capt. Shepler'', ''William Richard'', and ''Miss Margy'', were named after vessels that sailed the Straits of Mackinac in the late 17th century.
==References== {{reflist}}
[[Category:Ferry companies of Michigan]] [[Category:Mackinac Island]] [[Category:Transportation in Mackinac County, Michigan]]