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Saugatuck Chain Ferry

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52: 490: 456: 355: 318: 111:. The first ferry operator was 19-year-old Darius Billings. In 1897, Jay Meyers became the operator, a position he served in for the next 21 years. In 1931, L.S. Brittain was the ferry operator. The ferry went out of business in 1940 after being bypassed by an automobile bridge built upriver and also replaced by a rowboat. 118:
after his wife. Around 2005, Peterson sold the ferry to the City of Saugatuck, which continues to operate it. After Peterson sold the ferry, it was managed by the husband-and-wife team of Bruce and Marilyn Starring until their retirement at the end of the 2017 season. Marilyn Starring coordinated
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to obtain a waiver exempting the Saugatuck Chain Ferry from the Coast Guard captain licensing requirement. Upton argued that such a license was not necessary to safely operate a chain ferry, noting that because the ferry "travels only 100 yards, and does so while connected to a chain permanently
99:. It has a crew of two. It is chiefly crewed by college students. The crew members crank the ferry by hand across the river. It operates approximately every 10 to 15 minutes, based on demand, but not in inclement weather. The ferry can carry up to 24 passengers per crossing. 136:
connected to shore the entire time, the risks to passengers is minimal and almost completely mitigated by safety procedures". In January 2019, Upton's waiver was included as part of the Coast Guard bill passed by the
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In 2018, the ferry did not operate on Labor Day weekend, closing prematurely because all of its captains and most of its crew returned to college. At the time, the ferry could only be operated if one of the crew was a
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The Saugatuck Chain Ferry was first operated in 1857. It was opened as a replacement for a bridge that was damaged by flooding and passing
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The crossing, which is about 100 yards (91 m), takes approximately five minutes to make. The ferry operates seasonally, from
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In 1965, local businessman R.J. Peterson restored chain ferry service with a new ferry, named
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and Oval Beach. It is the only operational hand-cranked chain ferry in the
510:"RJ Peterson, Tower Marine owner and active community member, dies at 93" 128: 64: 132: 51: 96: 108: 562:"Upton amendment to bill aims to bring back Saugatuck Chain Ferry" 536:"Longtime manager of Saugatuck Chain Ferry to retire after season" 242:"15 Amazing Lakeside Towns Where You Should Spend the Summer" 180: 123:
inspections while Bruce provided maintenance for the ferry.
211:"Midwest still home to a handful of unique ferry crossings" 377:"Saugatuck Chain Ferry will not operate Labor Day weekend" 436:"Preserving Historic Sites Is Man's Favorite Pastime" 430: 428: 426: 424: 335:"Saugatuck boasts lots of art and dune rides, too" 176:"Saugatuck chain ferry is a summertime tradition" 584: 603:Tourist attractions in Allegan County, Michigan 421: 295:"Varied Attractions Add To Vacation Enjoyment" 472:"Operator of Saugatuck Chain Ferry Is Sought" 270:"In Saugatuck, life's a beach--and much more" 503: 501: 370: 368: 366: 235: 233: 204: 202: 200: 198: 50: 559: 507: 498: 374: 239: 169: 167: 165: 163: 161: 159: 157: 585: 478:. Minden City, Michigan. March 6, 1931 363: 332: 303:. Saint Joseph, Michigan. June 7, 1984 230: 208: 138:United States House of Representatives 560:Barrett, Malachi (January 29, 2019). 533: 508:Boatman, Mitchell (August 11, 2020). 240:Kennedy, Barbara Noe (June 5, 2019). 195: 173: 267: 154: 75:. It connects downtown Saugatuck to 13: 613:1940 disestablishments in Michigan 593:Cable ferries in the United States 14: 629: 375:Dietzer, Erin (August 31, 2018). 488: 454: 353: 316: 618:1965 establishments in Michigan 608:1857 establishments in Michigan 553: 534:Allen, Jake (August 25, 2017). 527: 464: 268:Enna, Renee (August 26, 2001). 209:Bergin, Mary (August 4, 2015). 396: 326: 287: 261: 1: 333:Clarke, Jay (July 21, 2002). 174:Blake, Neil (July 27, 2019). 147: 55:Saugatuck Chain Ferry in 2009 441:The Holland Evening Sentinel 86: 7: 486:– via Newspapers.com 452:– via Newspapers.com 351:– via Newspapers.com 10: 634: 102: 343:. Raleigh, North Carolina 121:United States Coast Guard 65:hand-cranked chain ferry 16:Hand-cranked chain ferry 340:The News & Observer 56: 61:Saugatuck Chain Ferry 54: 514:The Holland Sentinel 382:The Holland Sentinel 300:The Herald-Palladium 598:Ferries of Michigan 77:Mount Baldhead Park 73:Saugatuck, Michigan 37:42.6584°N 86.2058°W 33: /  476:Minden City Herald 81:Great Lakes region 57: 408:City of Saugatuck 67:that crosses the 42:42.6584; -86.2058 625: 577: 576: 574: 572: 557: 551: 550: 548: 546: 540:Holland Sentinel 531: 525: 524: 522: 520: 505: 496: 495: 493: 492: 485: 483: 468: 462: 461: 459: 458: 451: 449: 432: 419: 418: 416: 414: 400: 394: 393: 391: 389: 372: 361: 360: 358: 357: 350: 348: 330: 324: 323: 321: 320: 310: 308: 291: 285: 284: 282: 280: 265: 259: 258: 256: 254: 237: 228: 227: 225: 223: 206: 193: 192: 190: 188: 171: 48: 47: 45: 44: 43: 38: 34: 31: 30: 29: 26: 633: 632: 628: 627: 626: 624: 623: 622: 583: 582: 581: 580: 570: 568: 558: 554: 544: 542: 532: 528: 518: 516: 506: 499: 487: 481: 479: 470: 469: 465: 453: 447: 445: 444:. July 27, 1965 434: 433: 422: 412: 410: 402: 401: 397: 387: 385: 373: 364: 352: 346: 344: 331: 327: 315: 306: 304: 293: 292: 288: 278: 276: 274:Chicago Tribune 266: 262: 252: 250: 238: 231: 221: 219: 216:Chicago Tribune 207: 196: 186: 184: 172: 155: 150: 105: 89: 69:Kalamazoo River 41: 39: 35: 32: 27: 24: 22: 20: 19: 17: 12: 11: 5: 631: 621: 620: 615: 610: 605: 600: 595: 579: 578: 552: 526: 497: 463: 420: 395: 362: 325: 313:Newspapers.com 286: 260: 247:Fodor’s Travel 229: 194: 152: 151: 149: 146: 119:personnel and 104: 101: 88: 85: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 630: 619: 616: 614: 611: 609: 606: 604: 601: 599: 596: 594: 591: 590: 588: 567: 563: 556: 541: 537: 530: 515: 511: 504: 502: 491: 477: 473: 467: 457: 443: 442: 437: 431: 429: 427: 425: 409: 405: 404:"Chain Ferry" 399: 384: 383: 378: 371: 369: 367: 356: 342: 341: 336: 329: 319: 314: 302: 301: 296: 290: 275: 271: 264: 249: 248: 243: 236: 234: 218: 217: 212: 205: 203: 201: 199: 183: 182: 177: 170: 168: 166: 164: 162: 160: 158: 153: 145: 143: 139: 134: 130: 124: 122: 117: 112: 110: 100: 98: 94: 84: 82: 78: 74: 70: 66: 62: 53: 49: 46: 569:. Retrieved 565: 555: 543:. Retrieved 539: 529: 517:. Retrieved 513: 480:. Retrieved 475: 466: 446:. Retrieved 439: 411:. Retrieved 398: 386:. Retrieved 380: 345:. Retrieved 338: 328: 311:– via 305:. Retrieved 298: 289: 277:. Retrieved 273: 263: 251:. Retrieved 245: 220:. Retrieved 214: 185:. Retrieved 179: 125: 115: 113: 106: 93:Memorial Day 90: 60: 58: 18: 40: / 587:Categories 148:References 133:Fred Upton 28:86°12′21″W 25:42°39′30″N 571:March 27, 545:March 27, 519:March 27, 482:March 27, 448:March 27, 413:March 27, 388:March 27, 347:March 27, 307:March 27, 279:March 27, 253:March 27, 222:March 27, 187:March 27, 109:schooners 97:Labor Day 87:Operation 129:captain 103:History 142:Senate 566:MLive 181:MLive 116:Diane 63:is a 573:2021 547:2021 521:2021 484:2021 450:2021 415:2021 390:2021 349:2021 309:2021 281:2021 255:2021 224:2021 189:2021 140:and 59:The 95:to 71:in 589:: 564:. 538:. 512:. 500:^ 474:. 438:. 423:^ 406:. 379:. 365:^ 337:. 297:. 272:. 244:. 232:^ 213:. 197:^ 178:. 156:^ 144:. 575:. 549:. 523:. 494:. 460:. 417:. 392:. 359:. 322:. 283:. 257:. 226:. 191:.

Index

42°39′30″N 86°12′21″W / 42.6584°N 86.2058°W / 42.6584; -86.2058
White hand-cranked ferry docked at the shore
hand-cranked chain ferry
Kalamazoo River
Saugatuck, Michigan
Mount Baldhead Park
Great Lakes region
Memorial Day
Labor Day
schooners
United States Coast Guard
captain
Fred Upton
United States House of Representatives
Senate







"Saugatuck chain ferry is a summertime tradition"
MLive




"Midwest still home to a handful of unique ferry crossings"
Chicago Tribune

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