Preparation for winter on the Bass Islands includes transferring one’s vehicle to the mainland via Miller Boat Line rather than keeping it at home.
When Lake Erie freezes, the most typical way to complete off-island missions is to fly to Port Clinton and then drive to one’s appointment, shopping, or vacation destination. Deciding when to take the island car over to Catawba depends significantly on weather forecasts, and even more importantly upon the subtle but clear hints posted by Captain Billy Market.
As a point of reference, the water temperature recorded at Marblehead, Ohio, was 38°F (3°c) this morning, the boat line is on an “extended schedule” with abrupt cancellations not out of the question, and “word around town” indicates Billy Market’s car will go over this week.
Consequently, “the day” for many Put-in-Bay residents arrived. The first run on the Miller Ferry at 8:30am was jam-packed with vehicles, according to Ticket Booth Manager Connie Drake. PiBDaily chose to follow suit on the 9:30am boat. The video below chronicles this adventure–arrival at the Lime Kiln Dock, boarding, departure, arrival at Catawba, parking the car, and returning to South Bass Island on the 10am run.
Though not all attempt to do this in one hour, the transfer remains a well-known experience for islanders and part of the grand island-life!