Miller Boat orders car/passenger ferry from Fraser Shipyards

Artist's rendering of Miller Boat Line's new car/passenger ferry

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 — Family-owned Miller Boat Line, which operates ferries to Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Island, OH, recently ordered a new 140 ft passenger/vehicle ferry from Fraser Shipyards, Superior, WI, for delivery in fall 2019.

Homeported at Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie, the new ferry will be christened Mary Ann Market in honor of the family matriarch and the company’s late owner (1935-2010).

As we reported back in December, the ferry is designed by the Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), Seattle. It will be 140 foot long and 38.5 foot wide, accommodating up to 26 standard-sized vehicles or 600 passengers and will join Miller’s present fleet of four passenger/vehicle ferries. Miller Ferries operate between the peninsula of Catawba to Put-in-Bay, South Bass Island, and also to Middle Bass Island— two of Ohio’s popular Lake Erie resort islands. 

The M/V Mary Ann Market will feature enhanced propulsion and maneuverability, a main deck ADA accessible passenger cabin and restroom, and a 20% increase in cargo capacity over Miller’s largest vessel.

The ferry will be built in modules and assembly will begin at Fraser Shipyards this fall. 

“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, ” says Miller Boat Line President Billy Market.