Traverse, Northern Michigan’s – July 2019

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine | JUL ’19 15

NEAT FLEET

BOATS WE LOVE ON

MACKINAC ISLAND

Mackinac Island’s transportation

repertoire is anything but average.

Beyond the horse carriages and tandem

bicycles, the island is home to one of

the most intriguing collections of boats

on the Great Lakes.

TEXT BY CHRIS LOUD | PHOTO BY BOB BERG

UGLY ANNE

The name might be a bit misleading. This red-hulled beauty
was built in the mid 1970s in North Berwick, Maine, and
designed for overnight offshore lobster fishing in the North
Atlantic. Later she was rigged for dragging fish and shrimp nets.
Ugly Anne now offers cruises and private charters in northern
Lake Huron, but she is still a tough little ship. A Detroit Diesel
with about 600 horsepower allows the 17 tons of oak ribs and
mahogany planking to glide through the finicky waters of the
Mackinac Straits. MACKINAWTOUR.COM

ISLE ROYALE QUEEN III

Ever feel like your boat is just not big enough to hold
all your friends? Well, take note. In 1960, the 57-foot Isle
Royale Queen II went into service carrying passengers and
cargo across Lake Superior to Isle Royale National Park. In
the late 1980s, owner Donald Kipela Sr. hired naval architect
Timothy Graul to lengthen the ship. Over the course of the
reconstruction, 24 feet was added to the stern cabin area. Plus, it
was repowered with twin 3306 turbo Caterpillar Diesel engines
at 235 horsepower each. The boat was renamed the Isle Royale
Queen III. In 2010, the ship was refurbished, adding an upper
deck. The ship now offers popular Sip n’ Sail cruises around
Mackinac Island along with bridge tours and craft beer cruises.
PUREMICHIGANBOATCRUISES.COM

MARION LEIGH

This Chris-Craft Constellation was built in 1955 in Algonac,

Michigan. The owner is Dan Musser, president of Mackinac

Island’s world-renowned Grand Hotel. His 53-foot private

motor yacht is built with Philippine mahogany, weighs in at

28 tons and is powered by twin Caterpillar 3126 diesel engines.

The vessel has two state rooms, a pointer room with two

bunk beds, two heads, one full shower, a galley, a salon, an

enclosed pilot house and is accented with a limited-edition

seafoam green hull.

402

In 1970, the 65-foot Offshore was the 402nd boat built by

Huckins Yacht Corporation and thus named 402. The company

is most famous for inventing the first planing hull. As a result,

in 1943 the U.S. Navy commissioned Huckins to build two

squadrons of PT boats, 18 total, for service during World

War II. 402 is now owned by the Ware family, known for

their dedication to the preservation of historic icons including

Mission Point Resort and Silver Birches. Cindy Purcell, third

generation boat builder and granddaughter of Huckins’ founder

Frank Pembroke Huckins, says, “My husband Buddy and I

love knowing that hull 402 is fully alive and will be for many

years to come in the Great Lakes.”

Chris Loud is the co-founder of The Boardman Review and writes from Traverse

City. Follow him @cfloud on Instagram, and check out TheBoardmanReview.com.

curiosities | up north