Burger Boat Delivers New Ferry to EUPTA in Michigan

Manitowoc, Wis. shipbuilder Burger Boat Company announced it has delivered a new car/passenger ferry vessel to the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA), located in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

The 92-foot U.S.-made steel ferry, Neebish Island III, will operate year-round on the St. Mary’s River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between Barbeau, Mich., and Neebish Island. The vesselwas designed by Seacraft Design, LLC of Sturgeon Bay, Wis. to operate in the harsh winter environment and through the solid ice conditions it will encounter on its route.

The ferry was delivered to EUPTA on October 30, 2022, and entered into service on November 9, 2022

EUPTA operates three local vehicle and passenger ferries to the nearby islands of Sugar, Neebish and Drummond.

Neebish Island III
LOA: 92'
Beam: 33'
Draft: 6' 2"
Flag: United States
Displacement: 170 long ton
Hailing Port: Neebish Island, Mich.
Construction: Steel
Hull Configuration: Full Displacement
Classification: USCG 46 CFR, Subchapter T
Speed: 10.0 knots max
Main Engines: (2) Caterpillar C18, 600 HP each
Fuel Capacity: 1,500 gallons (5,678 l)
Shafts: 5” Diameter Aquamet 22
Propellers: Kahlenberg 4-Blade Stainless Steel
Steering: Jastram Controlling Independent Rudders, One Each Forward and Aft