The Mackinac Island City Council has approved that only one of two ferry companies will operate trips to and from the popular island from August 19 to October 31.

The council voted Wednesday to have Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry Co. suspend all of its services during the peak season and Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry operate all trips during the period because Star Line’s fleet is experiencing significant mechanical and operational issues. Shepler’s is expected to operate additional trips to ease the influx of people to the island, and Star Line tickets already purchased will be honored by Shepler’s.

The two companies responsible for transporting passengers to and from the island have both been owned by the Hoffman Family of Companies since this summer, and both announced suspensions and changes to their services last week.

Chris Shepler, CEO of Shepler’s Ferry and president of Star Line, told the City Council at a special meeting Wednesday that it has been difficult to make announcements about changes to fleet services because they depend on which boats are ready to operate and what conditions are on the water. The City Council’s vote gives the fleet a path forward.

The Hoffman Group purchased Star Line in June and is led by Florida-based billionaire David Hoffman.

The company has invested about $4 million in repairs for Star Line, and that amount is expected to rise as the company gets new engines, shafts, bearings and more to have a full fleet ready for the 2025 season, Jenny Gezella, president of Hoffmann Marine, said in an interview after the vote.

Most of the Star Line’s boats were unable to operate continuously due to breakdowns and necessary repairs, causing regular delays and disruptions in operations, Gezella said. Only three out of 10 boats were operational, and none of them were high-speed vessels.

“It is impossible to keep these boats in service for the remainder of this season while maintaining our high standards of customer service,” she said in a statement. “We expect repairs to be completed by next spring, and we are confident we can return most boats to service in time for the 2025 season.”

She added to the Free Press that Hoffman is a family-owned business and, despite the difficulties, has no intention of selling its acquisition.

“We are 100% invested in Mackinac Island Ferry Co. and its future. … We plan to stay in it for the long term,” she said.

In addition to the temporary suspension of services, the ferry companies and the Council also agreed on the following conditions:

• All tickets already purchased through Star Line remain valid until they expire.

• All tickets can now be purchased through the Shepler’s website or in person, and Star Line web traffic will be redirected to Shepler’s.

• All Star Line pre-booked parking spaces will be available, but there will be no valet parking.

• Shuttles are available between the Star Line parking lot and Shepler’s Ferry.

• Nothing prevents the use of functioning Star Line boats

Concerns were not only raised by the many visitors who visit the island, but also by the approximately 500 residents and businesses located there. The island is car-free and due to its remoteness, daily food and other needs were questionable. The agreement reached included:

• Smaller freight shipments would continue to be transported at the same price for residents and residents’ grocery shopping would continue to be free.

• The previous price structure continues to apply for the transport of private horses.

The Council expressed some concerns about future hotel ticket discounts and asked for further information on this issue.

What went wrong?

Hoffman Marine knew before buying Star Line that there were some older boats and that there were concerns about the old, historic main dock on the island. However, some major concerns arose immediately before and after the acquisition, Gezella said.

A few days before the purchase, a boat ran aground and had 19 cracks in the hull. Contaminated water also spilled onto a cordoned-off area on land, she said. Gezella said it was incorrectly stated that there was a lawsuit from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy related to a waste problem, but there is only an investigation into the spill and cleanup is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Another example of mechanical problems was that a boat overheated and two engines broke down, she said.

A PowerPoint presentation Shepler’s sent to the City Council on Monday also highlighted concerns about the significant need for repairs at the main dock, employee departures and overwork of other employees.

The work on the dock is not expected to completely block its use, and Gezella pointed to existing concerns among staff that have nothing to do with sales and seasonal staffing of the sailings.

No jobs will be eliminated at Star Line. Star Line employees have been encouraged to apply for jobs at Shepler’s, and Shepler’s is hiring employees to accommodate the increased guest volume, Shepler said in the press release.

Hoffman Marine and the ferry operators are currently working on plans for the period after October 31. Gezella said they are committed to maintaining winter service on the island.

She also said that her team is determined to make sure everything works out overall.

“I know this is a bit of a setback and I know it scares people, but we are 100 percent confident that we can do this and that next season everything will go smoothly and we won’t have any glitches or changes of plan,” Gazella said.

This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Mackinac Island suspends Star Line ferry service, keeps Shepler’s