Green Marine welcomes a new ferry operator: Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry

The Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry has moved into its third generation of successful family ownership by continuing to provide top-notch service with the recent new recent additions to its fleet.

Miss Margy, named after co-founder Margaret Shepler, was the company’s first “Made in Michigan” motorized vessel and proudly built by Moran Iron Works in Onaway. In 2020, a second vessel built in the state was launched as the William Richard in tribute to the family’s patriarch and CEO, William (Bill) Richard Shepler.

The company originated in 1945 when Captain William H. Shepler returned to his birthplace of Mackinaw and was struck by the area’s natural beauty and tourism potential. He began the service to and from Mackinac Island.

Mackinac Island’s pristine waters and extensive wildlife have been preserved in good part by the community having banned vehicles from the island since 1898. The Shepler family prides itself on promoting the island’s cleanliness while providing service every spring through autumn to this gem destination within Michigan.