CATAWBA ISLAND - Warm temperatures and good weather are the lifeblood of the Miller Boat Line.
Every 20 minutes in the summer ferries full of vehicles and families looking to explore or grab dinner and a drink fill the Miller ferry as it crashes against rocking waves as it heads to South Bass Island.
Thanks to some late spring-like temperatures, mostly hovering around 60 degrees this week, Friday s start to the Miller Boat Line season is perfect timing as trips to Middle Bass Island will resume for the service beginning March 26.
But a busy spring and summer in 2021 would be a stark contrast to 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into plans for another popular season for the Miller Boat Line and Jet Express.
The Beacon
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BY D’ARCY PATRICK EGAN
The Miller Ferry Line will swing back into action soon, carrying tourists, vehicles and goods to South Bass and Middle Bass islands, where islanders are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new Queen of the Fleet, the M/V Mary Ann Market.
Jake Market, the head of operations for the Miller Ferry Line, said there’s plenty of work yet to do before the M/V Mary Anne Market sets sail for Ohio, but the builder, Fraser Shipyard in Superior, Wisc., is getting closer to its completion. Workers are below deck this week, installing the last of the steel grating, as well as wiring the electrical components, and making sure all systems are go for the sea trials yet to come.