Three Vessels Named Erie Isle

From 1930 to 1946 the Erie Isle, pictured above, ferried cars and passengers back and forth to the Lake Erie islands. This ship had originally been known as the Fredericka. In 1933 the Erie Isle docked at the foot of Hancock Street at the Schacht Fish Company dock. The boat left Sandusky at 2:30 in the afternoon, and left Put in Bay at 7:00 in the morning. From 1938 to 1941, a Canadian ship, also known as the Erie Isle, took passengers from Sandusky to Canada.  This vessel had originally been named the Waubic.

       

An advertisement in the August 19, 1939 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal invited people to a lake excursion to Kingsville aboard the Erie Isle, departing from Sandusky on August 21.     

                      

Yet another ship named Erie Isle was in operation for the Erie Isles Ferry Company from 1951 to 1973, taking passengers to Put in Bay. Below is a postcard which shows several crew and passengers about the boat.

An interesting article by Gordon Wendt about the long tradition of passenger boat service to Put in Bay is found in the Sandusky Register of March 8, 1992, now on microfilm.