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August 12, 2024
WASHINGTON ISLAND – Madonna is celebrating “her” fourth birthday.
But, don’t let the name fool you, the Washington Island Ferry Line isn’t referring to the “Queen of Pop.”
Hoyt Purinton, president of the ferry line, said the name instead references the ferry’s icebreaker ship.
Purinton said the Madonna – which was constructed by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding – was delivered in mid-July 2020 “and has been in service ever since.”
“It (runs) year-round,” he said. “It does the bulk of our trips.”
The vessel, he said, is used to haul passengers back and forth between the island and the tip of Door County’s peninsula.
Thankfully, Purinton said since the Madonna line joined the fleet, it’s experienced fairly mild winters, “which is the sweet spot for that boat.”
“We’ve had very few days where it has been dockside because of the weather,” he said.
To be considered an ice breaker, Purinton said a boat must be built with a strengthened hull that can break through thick ice.
Since the icebreaker is a larger boat – the biggest of the fleet, coming in at 124 feet – Purinton said it took a little while for the crew to become accustomed to it.
“More mass, (different) stopping times, reaction times – that kind of thing,” he said.
But, overall, Purinton said, “we’re pleased” with the boat.
“Hull painting is in excellent condition, driveline is in excellent condition,” he said.
According to the Washington Island Ferry’s website (wisferry.com), the Madonna’s capacity is 149 passengers and 28 standard cars.
The ferry’s other four lines include Arni J. Richter (2003, also an icebreaker), Eyrarbakki (1970), Robert Noble (1979) and Washington (1989).
A historical name
Despite sharing a name with an iconic pop star, Purinton said the Madonna’s name has more historical roots – dating back to 1871.
“The Madonna was named after a sailing vessel that served Washington Island for several years,” he said. “It was a sailing schooner that sailed primarily out of Detroit Harbor and Washington Island.”
Purinton said the schooner used to bring goods to and from Washington Island during the 1870s.
“Not year-round back then, but it was the workhorse of its day,” he said.
Fast forward to today, and Purinton said the sailing schooner is represented in several different places around the island.
“One of the key ones is a model hanging from the vaulted ceiling in Trinity Lutheran Church on Washington Island,” he said. “It’s a Scandinavian tradition to have a ship’s model hanging in the church. It’s something many islanders have seen over time.”
Purinton said the Washington Island Ferry – a privately owned family business – chose to give the four-year-old icebreaker the name for a few different reasons.
“The name by itself – divine intervention – is never bad, particularly when you work on the water,” he laughed. “There’s a connotation of quiet strength, and that’s exactly (what the Madonna) has – as solid as can be.”
A big help
Adding the Madonna to the ferry line, Purinton said, has helped greatly with the vitality of the island.
“Equally, on a day (during) what we would consider peak week of tourism in Door County, and then pick a Tuesday or Wednesday in January or February – if the Madonna was not available for a day or a week, it would certainly be noticeable from an operations standpoint and from our perspective as well, too,” he said. “Our demand is still quite strong.”
Receiving delivery of the ferry in the middle of 2020 – when “we saw a COVID-19 freedom bounce, just wild and crazy” – was something of a blessing, Purinton said.
“Have we not had that boat, (it would have been difficult),” he said. “We already had significant lines we added. We’ve retreated some, rather thankfully, from the crushing demand of 2020-21.”
Purinton said the ferry line’s shoulder seasons – May, June, September and October – have also grown significantly in the last three to four years.
As of right now, Purinton said the ferry line will make up to 25 round trips per day during the high peak season and two round trips per day during the winter.
And, with the Arni J. Richter being the only other icebreaker in the fleet, Purinton said being able to use the Madonna to haul passengers to and from the island has been a big help in keeping up with demand in the winter.
The ferry’s history
In 1940, Purinton’s grandfather, Arni Richter, and great-grandfather, Carl Richter, purchased an existing ferry line – which islanders and tourists alike have come to know as the Washington Island Ferry Line.
When Arni and Carl purchased the business, Purinton said it came with two wooden vessels.
Five years later, in 1945, he said they built their first steel vessel – the Griffin – “the only boat (of ours) to be built outside of Door County.”
From then on, Purinton said all boats for the ferry line have been built in Door County by various builders, such as Peterson Builders and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding.
“We can’t make a massive purchase like that yearly, but it’s important to us that the builder is local,” he said. “Also, how lucky we are to have this institutional knowledge – both in the builder and many marine services in Door County. That is a unique situation, and has no doubt has made the services we provide much stronger.”
To have those builders and businesses construct the vessels Washington Island Ferry Line uses, Purinton said, is something the ferry team does “not take for granted.”
“(It’s) the Northeast Wisconsin work ethic – getting stuff done,” he said. “The marine side is a small market – you’re one degree of separation from knowing somebody on the East Coast, West Coast and even overseas. Hearing those stories from other places – the expertise and work ethics (we have) are certainly appreciated.”
