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Ironton Ferry: Shortcut, Long History
Ironton Ferry: Shortcut Long History
Cross Lake Charlevoix aboard a historic cable ferry.
By Marty Richardson
Lakeland Boating readers are most likely familiar with the port of Charlevoix, a charming harbor of refuge between Michigan’s Petoskey and Northport harbors on Lake Michigan. But unless you venture east of Charlevoix’s Round Lake, you may not be familiar with beautiful Lake Charlevoix and its unique ferry system carrying vehicles across the Narrows, a slender neck of the lake at the junction of its main and south arms.
Why a ferry?
Operated by Charlevoix County Transit, the ferry connects Ironton, a tiny town five miles south of Charlevoix, to the road leading to Boyne City. The 610-foot-long, three-minute ferry crossing can shave 25 minutes off a car trip from the east side of the Narrows to Charlevoix or 15 minutes from the Ironton to Boyne City run.
Typically starting service in April of each year, and concluding its seasonal run the day before Thanksgiving, the ferry takes winters off for ice season. Built in 1926 by a boiler company aptly located in Ferrysburg, Michigan, the current ferry was commissioned the Charlevoix, though the locals commonly refer to her as the Ironton Ferry. She’s still going strong after 97 years of service. Operating from 6:30 a.m. for the early morning commute until 10:30 p.m for night owls, current fares are $4 per car and $1 per bicycle, while pedestrians cross for free.
Not just a shortcut
Saving some drive time might not be the real reason to load your car or bicycle onto the ferry for the short and sweet ride across the Narrows. More than just practical, the ferry is a floating museum rich in history, a designated Michigan Historic Place and has been an Up North tradition since the mid-1870s.
Pioneers told stories of hiring Native Americans to take them, one at a time, across the Narrows in a canoe. The local postmaster, Robert Bedwin, carried people across in his rowboat at a reported price of 5 cents per trip in the early 1870s. Around 1883, Arden Sheldon built and operated the first wooden ferry; the passengers and captain pulled the ferry across with a rope, which guided the craft. Later, horses were connected to a tow rope for crossing, and by 1899 a gasoline engine pulled the ferry on a cable from one side to the other. Around the turn of the century, the run was made by a ferry named Eveline Fares in 1884 included 10 cents for up to six sheep and a whopping $1 for a threshing machine. In today’s dollars, ferriage for that threshing machine would cost about $31, so today’s car fares of $4 seem an exceptional bargain.
An additional historic note: The on/off ramps used by the ferry harken back to 1958. When the Mackinac Bridge opened and cross-strait vehicle ferries were no longer needed, the ferry landing ramps were relocated for the Ironton Ferry’s use. They are scheduled to be fitted with modern electronics in the near future in a blend of old and new technology. Speaking of new technology, discounted ferry passes are now available on smartphones for $3 per trip.
How does it work?
The ferry is 50 feet long, 30 feet wide and weighs 43 gross tons, with propulsion provided by an electric motor powered by a diesel generator. With no steering mechanism, wheel or rudder, the ferry is guided by two steel cables attached to the shore on each side of the Narrows, rolling through sheaves or rotating grooved wheels on each side of the ferry. The cables sink to about 22 feet of the 40-foot depth at the middle of the channel, allowing plenty of clearance for even large boats traversing the no-wake Narrows. Propellers on either end of the craft move the boat toward the opposite shore. The craft does not turn around but reverses course for the next trip.
While prominent signs warn mariners to maintain a minimum of 150-foot distance from the ferry, a vessel will snag its propeller on the cable about once a year. If the cable is damaged by this encroaching vessel, that captain may receive a bill of approximately $4,000, which makes for an expensive outing.
An Ironton Ferry captain since 2005, Robert (Captain Bob) Goodenough tells me that the ferry’s average speed is about 3 mph. “If propellers on both ends are engaged, one pushing and one pulling, we can shave about 30 seconds off her normal three-minute, 610-foot trip across the Narrows,” he says. Breaking speed records is definitely not her forte.
At four cars per trip, it takes a lot of crossings to transport some 65,000 vehicles per year. Another ferry captain, Gordon (Captain Gordie) Russell, tells me of exceptions to the four-car capacity rule: “During a Miata road rally, we were able to fit six on for the trip!” Captain Gordie has been with the ferry for about six years, and like all Ironton Ferry captains, is licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The ferry is well found with annual maintenance, and spring 2023 saw several steel hull plates replaced before a new paint job was completed while she was on the hard. This old girl just won’t quit! Be sure to mark your calendar for 2026, when the Ironton Ferry Charlevoix will celebrate her 100th birthday.
Did you know?
The most famous skipper of the Ironton Ferry was Captain Sam Alexander, the captain from 1890 to 1941, who lived nearby. Ripley’s Believe It or Not honored him in 1938, noting “He had traveled 15,000 miles without being more than 1,000 feet from his home” on the banks at the Ironton side of the Narrows.
Hungry after that big ferry trip?
The Landing Restaurant is a popular bistro on the Western shore of the ferry run, serving Lake Charlevoix mariners for over 50 years in various iterations. With on-site slips, boaters are welcomed at Landing’s docks in calm Ironton Cove. Open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, come for lunch or dinner, but be forewarned that slips are highly sought during holidays and weekends. One of my favorite dishes here is the fresh Oh Buoy Lake Perch Basket, and I have been known to partake in a tower of “Heck Yeah!” — a tasty rum and tropical fruit juice concoction served in a tall, frosty dispenser with a spigot. ★
SEE FOR YOURSELF
For those of you who’d like to keep an eye on the ferry, visit the Paul Witting Memorial Cam (Ferry Cam) for real-time footage of the ferry: visit our website.
