A ferry operator explains why service to North and South Manitou Islands keeps getting canceled. The North Manitou dock is in such bad shape that boats can't safely dock there, and neither the ferry company nor the National Park Service seems willing to fix it.
You've had some challenges with being able to fulfill the customer's expectation of being able to go to both North and South Manitou Islands. And why is that?
Really just lack of upkeep of the docks. South Manitou is usually— that's pretty— it's pretty stable. We had the one year, but North Manitou, really, they built a big, beautiful dock but haven't maintained it. And who is they?
I'm sorry. No, no, no. Who is responsible? You know, because people might assume that Manitou Island Transit's responsible. To maintain those docks, but that's not the case.
Well, unfortunately, yeah, if— that's just it. If we could maintain those docks, we would have done our due diligence every year. You know, the general population, you see a problem coming and you fix the problem before it happens. That is not the way the federal government works. They— the problem hits and then they're— it's hurry up, let's fix the problem. But by that time, we've lost our season.
