Michigan legislative action thread
Posted on 04/14/2014 10:11:46 AM PDT by cripplecreek
STRAITS OF MACKINAC, MI - At least one ferry service is predicting delayed trips to Mackinac Island due to ice that still covers a portion of the Great Lakes.
Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry has announced it will be starting its 2014 season later than anticipated after temporarily relocating its ferry starts to St. Ignace, rather than Mackinaw City, as a result of the ice blockages which remain in the Straits of Mackinac.
"The straits have completely frozen over, except for a shipping channel," said Misty Martinchek, Shepler's group sales manager, who said all local ferries have been affected by the ice.
"We're all in the same boat, literally," she said.
Martinchek said the ice has been thawing during the warm days and freezing again at night, and that nobody at Shepler's can remember a ferry season ever being delayed due to ice.
"It has been a pretty tough spring for all of us," she said.
According to Martinchek, the U.S. Coast Guard will attempt to cut the ice surrounding Mackinac Island on Friday.
Despite having nine ice-breakers working each day to alleviate the ice, the U.S. Coast Guard ice-breaking crews remain behind schedule due to the lingering ice, which includes chunks larger than eight feet, which slowed times to ship products near Sault Ste. Marie.
Ice-breaking is expected to continue well into May until ice chunks are no longer a threat to ships, according to Mark Gill, director of vessel traffic service for the Coast Guard in Sault St. Marie.
Shepler ferry operations will begin out of St. Ignace as soon as the ice conditions permit. Daily updates on the conditions and the Shepler ferry schedule will be posted on the Shepler Ferry website and Facebook page beginning on April 21.
How many people people still believe in AGW?
Warmal Colding!
The Polar Bear Strikes Back.
It's April 14th!
The fudge! Wont somebody think of the fudge!?!
Saugatuck article?
Oh, FERRY....not fairy.
Never mind...
When it gets cold like this the fudge won’t budge.
It was 65 degrees when I got up this morning and its down to 50 now. Supposed to get down into the 20s overnight.
I’m always confused between Mackinac and Mackinaw. As I understand it, Mackinac is the island north of the town of Mackinaw. However, when I visited in-laws in Petoskey, they kept pronouncing the island “Mackinaw”.
I don’t think anyone really makes a distinction unless they’re going to one specific place.
hovercraft!!
Listen, who are you gonna believe — Al Gore or your lying eyes...
It is one of those things that makes Michiganderians smile with disdain, especially when someone pronounces it with a hard C.
why is their snow in Austin??
Just be glad we don’t call it Fort Michilimackinac.
Wow, someone I know works on the Lakes, wonder where he is right now?
Too bad they retired the original Mackinaw (WAGB-83)Now THAT was an icebreaker. I’m betting they could use her this spring.
Believe me, we Michiganders and Michigeese are indeed thinking about the FUDGE!
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