Mystic Isle

In 1942, the Burger Boat Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, launched the Mystic Isle as a car/passenger ferry. This vessel marked a significant milestone—it was the first all-steel, all-welded passenger boat of its kind on the Great Lakes. Its purpose? To replace the Erie Island Ferry Company’s vessel, the Erie Isle, on the route connecting Catawba Island, Put-In-Bay, and Middle Bass. With accommodations for 335 passengers and 20 cars, the Mystic Isle served its role well. However, over time, ownership changed hands. In 1950, it was sold to the Fishers Island Ferry District in New York. Later, in 1978, the Blount Marine Corporation of Warren, Rhode Island, acquired the vessel through a trade. The Mystic Isle’s journey took an interesting turn in July 1979 when it was sold to Donald Marshall of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The warm Florida waters became its new home. But fate had more twists in store. By late 1979, the Starboard Navigation Company of Panama purchased the Mystic Isle and converted it into a fishing vessel. However, the vessel’s story took an unexpected and dramatic turn on June 2nd, 1984. The U.S.C.G.C. Diligence seized the Mystic Isle approximately 100 miles northeast of Miami. The reason? It was carrying a load of marijuana—an illicit cargo that forever altered its legacy. And so, the Mystic Isle’s history weaves together maritime innovation, ownership changes, and even a brush with the law, leaving an indelible mark on the waters it once sailed.