Arnold Transit Company is the longest running ferry

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 boat company serving Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...

 in Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. Also known as "Arnold Line," the company has docks in Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, in addition to the docks on the island. Arnold Line currently features high speed catamaran ferries, slower traditional ferries, and freight boats.

History

Arnold Transit Company was started in 1878 by George Arnold (1846-1921). Coal and steam power boats transported passengers and goods for almost 70 years.

After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Arnold Transit Company, now owned by Otto Lang and Prentiss Brown, started to add modern diesel boats to its fleet.

In 1987, the first of three catamaran ferries was added to the Arnold Line fleet.

On July 27, 2010, after decades of ownership, the Brown family announced the sale of Arnold Transit parent company Union Terminal Piers to James Wynn of Petoskey, Michigan

Petoskey, Michigan

Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....

.

Fleet

• Catamarans (3): Island Express, Mackinac Express, Straits Express.
• Traditional Ferries (5): Algomah II, Chippewa, Huron, Ottawa, Straits of Mackinac II.
• Non-Passenger Freight (3): Beaver, Corsair and Mackinac Islander.