Madeline Island has a new ferry. The MV La Pointe was formally dedicated at a Saturday morning ceremony on the La Pointe Town Dock.
The renamed vessel formerly operated in Texas as the BL DeBerry. In May of 2018 it was taken to the Fincantieri Shipyard in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., where it was refurbished and received a new pilot house, updated engines, generators, electronics, and mechanical systems, including hydraulic ramps.
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The 102-foot-long ferry is double-ended — with an engine, propeller and rudder on each end — allowing it to operate in either direction without needing to turn around. The boat is 44 feet wide and can carry up to 149 passengers, as well as 22 vehicles.
The Madeline Island Ferry Line now operates a fleet of five vessels, including the MV La Pointe, the Bayfield, the Madeline, the Island Queen and the Nichevo, shuttling people and vehicles between Bayfield and Madeline Island in Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands.
