North Manitou Island is home to a million-dollar, unappreciated dock.
That’s because ferry service to the island, which is owned by the National Park Service, has been suspended even after an expensive dock extension was constructed earlier this summer to accommodate the ferry boat Mishe-Mokwa.
Jimmy Munoz, captain of the Mishe-Mokwa, said the 100-foot extension is dangerous under a variety of weather conditions for loading and unloading passengers. Consequently, the Manitou Island Transit (MIT) company has provided only one day of ferry service to North Manitou.
The question of whether the extension allows for safe docking has two answers, depending upon the source. It comes down to science vs. experience.
“The National Park Service is of the opinion there is safe docking at North Manitou Island,” said Scott Tucker, superintendent of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. “MIT is attempting not to make runs to the island, which is not consistent with the terms of our contract.”
Regardless of dock safety or hazard, the end result creates another frustrating season for park visitors who lorn for an opportunity to escape the trappings of society in a wilderness setting. Ferry service to North Manitou has been curtailed or completely shut off for three of the most recent five seasons, all due to dock problems.
MIT and the NPS are again at loggerheads, and have a history of not compromising. MIT successfully sued the federal government for lost revenue for the 2020 season when the North Manitou dock was clogged with sand and high water levels surged above the South Manitou dock. MIT is now seeking compensation for 2023 when dredgers didn’t arrive at North Manitou until August, again cutting off ferry service.
Longterm solutions are planned for both islands as the larger part of a $32 million federal grant. Both docks are to be rebuilt and relocated to places that historically provided protection from Lake Michigan wave action. A construction bid is expected to be selected this fall, with construction to start in 2025.
Meanwhile, differences in the temporary docking fix for North Manitou have hit fever pitch, putting into question the long term relationship between fourth-generation owned MIT and the Park Service. The Grosvenor family of Leland has been providing mail service and water transportation to the Manitous since 1917.
The dock extension was suppose to be in place in May prior to the advent of ferry service. It wasn’t ready for use until June 18.
Munoz said one attempted docking was enough for him. The previous dock, which remains clogged with sand, was built in a T-shape, providing protection from land-bound waves. The extended dock offers no wave protection, Munoz said. Making matters worse, some waves reflect back from shore, creating double trouble for the Mishe Mokwa, he continued.
“I’ve seen it unlandable with winds less than 5 knots. There can be just a swell out there from the day before that gets you. There is no protection at all. Look at Leland. There are a lot of million dollar homes on Lake Michigan, but none of them have docks. You know why? Because they won’t work,” Munoz said.
The dock fix was designed to allow North Manitou Island access this year and next, after which work was expected to wind down on a new permanent dock built north of the present one. The new dock, which would extend 250 feet into Lake Michigan, would again be built with a T-frame but with an open water design. The cross on the T of the present dock is solid to the lake bottom.
While the open layout may slow shoaling and save the cost of dredging that can hit $500,000, Munoz does not believe it will provide sufficient protection.
“They are going to waste millions and millions of dollars on this, and nobody can stop them … it is what it is. They do what they want to do. But we are not going to put ourselves in a place that could harm somebody. That’s what they are asking us to do. They won’t accept any liability for people hurt or for damage to our boat, and I’m telling them it’s not safe,” Munoz said.
Munoz is married to the former Megan Grosvenor. Their son, Jack Munoz, recently received a captain’s license and sometimes skippers the Mishe Mokwa on daily runs to South Manitou. The Munoz’ business partners with MIT are Michael and Sara Grosvenor. Their son, George Tracy Grosvenor, is a senior at the University of Michigan and also spends summers working on the ferry service.
Even with a fifth-generation business legacy on the line, neither side seems ready to budge.
Said Lakeshore superintendent Tucker, “Ultimately it’s MIT’s decision. Unfortunately, that decision is impacting visitor access to one of the most amazing places in the park. We hired an engineering firm that specializes with the Great Lakes, and they built a dock to the specifications of the Mishe Mokwa.”
Munoz said he withdrew from dock design talks because he was being ignored. Tucker countered, “We actually set aside money for our contractor to meet with MIT, and they refused to do so … MIT did not make a single comment.”
Another immediate effect of the dock stalemate is a loss of revenue for MIT and the Park Service, which collects fees based upon transport numbers. Some would-be North Manitou campers instead visit more tamed South Manitou Island, but not all. In 2023, with ferry travel to the north island curtailed, some 9,000 island transports were recorded. During a normal season some 10,000 visitors travel to both islands, with about 60% headed to South Manitou.
While Munoz is co-owner of a smaller boat licensed to drop campers at the Manitous, the bulk of island visitation relies on cheaper Mishe-Mokwa fare for transportation. No other companies have applied for a license to offer island boat travel, Tucker said.
Jesse Bunker, a Suttons Bay grad who lives in Butte, Montana, was biding his time Monday morning in the Leland Harbor with his brother and their partners. The group, which was waiting to board the Mishe-Mokwa, searching for silence that two islands in the middle of Lake Michigan can provide.
South Manitou was their only option. That was OK with them. They needed to go.
“It’s the stillness. The tranquility. It’s nice to read a book and slow down. To read a book without distractions,” Bunker said.
It’s been really still on North Manitou this summer, with no reason to believe that will change.
