SUPERIOR, Wis. — When you need something that can efficiently move 600 people across miles of open water, in safety and comfort, you don’t shop at the nearby marina. When you’ll need the ability to carry almost 200 tons of cargo, and be prepared to confront the foulest of Lake Erie’s cantankerous moods, you don’t find your vessel at the boat show.
When what you need is a bigger boat, it is best to go build one.
“We toyed around with the concept of lengthening one of the boats in our fleet, but when you build a boat from scratch, you get a much better boat,” said Jake Market, vice president of resources for the Miller Boat Line, which has operated a ferry service between the mainland and the Lake Erie Islands for more than 100 years.
As Miller faced increasing demand to move people, vehicles, and materials to the islands and back, and with four ferries already in service, the decision was made to expand the fleet.
That involved first finding a design team to create the highly-specialized merchant ship, which would be a custom, one-of-a-kind stretch limo on the water. Miller officials chose Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group, with its strong pedigree in creating hybrid craft to ferry freight and folks, to come up with the ferry for the future.
The team at Elliott Bay recently had designed a new river class vehicle ferry for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and had teamed with Blount Boats to create a passenger-only ferry to connect Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan with Soissons Landing on Governors Island, within sight of the Statue of Liberty. Elliott’s design team also hatched the plans for two Alaska class ferries that will stretch 280-feet long, seat 300 passengers, and carry 53 vehicles. This firm seemed like the ideal choice for Miller’s next vessel.
Once the design was modified, adjusted, tweaked and re-tweaked, the next step was locating a shipyard that could build such a craft, since few specialized enterprises like that exist. Miller opted to go with an operation in Wisconsin, Fraser Shipyards, located just across the bay from Duluth, Minn. Fraser, the last major independent shipyard on the American side of the Great Lakes, uses only American-made steel on its projects.
“This is a really well-appointed ferry, with a lot of creature comforts. It is a bit more sophisticated than your standard Great Lakes ferry,” said Matt James, project engineer at Fraser and a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Toledo. “It’s a stout boat, and one built to take what Lake Erie can dish out.”
The new ferry will feature enhanced propulsion and maneuverability, an ADA accessible passenger cabin and restroom on the main deck, and it will be capable of carrying 20 percent more cargo than the largest vessel in Miller’s current fleet.
The huge hull of the new ferry is being built in sections or modules, with each piece constructed indoors here, then moved out to a drydock where the craft will be assembled. Market said the first section of the hull was recently completed, moved outside at Fraser Shipyards, then rolled over for the next steps in the assembly process.
“The work can continue on the plumbing, painting, and other phases, while another section is made inside the facility,” Market said, adding the first section of the boat’s hull is about 26 by 38 and weighs about 35 tons.
Fraser’s James said 3/8-inch steel is used to construct much of the ferry, with some of the 10-by-30 sheets of the metal weighing around 2½ tons each. More than 100 people are working at the shipyard, with about a half dozen ships or vessels currently under construction. Essentially the same crew will work on the new Miller boat from start to finish.
Market said the new ferry project is a bit behind schedule, but a fall delivery date still is likely. The Miller company has its chief engineer on site to monitor the work on the ferry and make any necessary adjustments during the construction process. Miller Boat Line president Billy Market said he is confident Fraser is the best at the business of building Great Lakes ferries.
“We chose Fraser due to their enduring high quality, integrity, value, and with consideration of recommendations from industry professionals, including marine surveyors, lake captains, and engineers,” Billy Market said.
The new vessel, which will be powered by a trio of 803 horsepower Caterpillar diesel engines, will be named for the family matriarch and the company’s late owner, Mary Ann Market, who passed away in 2010.
“The whole family is very excited about it, as a fitting tribute to the legacy my grandmother left us,” Jake Market said. “We are very proud of her, and proud of the boat. It’s a little daunting to take on a project of this size, but we’ll be really happy when it is over and that ferry is part of our fleet.”
Service to the islands currently is suspended for the winter, but likely will resume when the ice is gone. Miller Boat Line has four ferries in service for most of the year, providing multiple runs from Catawba Point on the mainland to Put-in-Bay (South Bass Island) and Middle Bass Island.
“We’ll put this new ferry on the runs to Put-in-Bay, and it will work with our other boats to provide faster, better service,” Jake Market said. “If we’re not making the customer experience better and the operation more efficient and more comfortable — if we’re not moving ahead — we’re not satisfied. I think the investment in this new ferry shows how important that is.”
First Published March 10, 2019, 10:00 a.m.
