OHIO — Island living comes with its own set of challenges, like how to travel to and from the mainland.
What You Need To Know
- The Mary Ann Market is the newest ferry in the Miller Boat Line fleet
- The ferry is 140 feet long and can accommodate a maximum of 600 passengers
- It takes about 18 minutes to travel to the Lake Erie islands on a ferry
For folks living on the islands of Lake Erie, there’s no bridge connection from mainland Ohio, so the way to go is by ferry.
To that end, the Miller Boat Line added another vessel to its fleet to make room for more travelers.
“We get customers from all over the world and a lot of them, this is their first or only experience on a ferry or a boat of any kind,” said David Bianchi, captain and chief engineer for Miller Boat Line. “We want that to be a positive experience.”
Bianchi is a lifelong resident of South Bass Island, so he said he understands the importance of this transportation.
“This is the lifeline to the island,” he said.
The new addition, the Mary Ann Market, is the largest ferry of the Miller Boat Line at 140 feet long. At its full capacity of 600 passengers, it takes a crew of five to operate the boat.
“I’ve been running boats my whole life,” Bianchi said. “For a boat this size and height, I think it handles really well.”
Climate-controlled cabins offer more comfortable seating options for passengers and an elevated pilot house allows for more unobstructed views of the lake.
Bianchi said the crew aims to do a round trip every hour, making about 10 trips per day.
“It’s not about how fast the boat goes, it’s about how steady the boat goes,” he said.
The ferry is powered by three 800-horsepower propulsion engines and is fully equipped with radar and technology to enhance maneuverability.
The ferries provide passenger and vehicle service from Catawba to Put-In-Bay throughout most of the year, weather permitting.