MANAGING AMID RAPIDLY CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES

This weather isn't inviting to travelers, but no matter.
That's not among the reasons for slow-down in ferry
traffic these days.   Here, the Arni J. Richter approaches
 the Island dock.  Washington, moored on the left, soon
will be ready to go from winter layup
 to assume the route's  daily operations.
(Purinton photo)

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

I met the ferry late afternoon yesterday afternoon at 3:30 pm (Tuesday, March 24), and coming off the ferry were two vehicles, a black pickup truck and the Ferry Line's box truck with the UPS/FedEx package freight.  There was but one paying passenger, the pickup driver.

Ferry Captain Tully Ellefson commented: "I don't think we had more than 20 vehicles Monday, all day."

The 8 am ferry departing Northport has typically been
a nearly full boatload, a mix of contractors, summer
property owners, and Island residents returning from
shopping and appointments off-island.  That pattern's
changed dramatically this week.

This morning, Wednesday, Mary Jo and I drove to meet the incoming Arni J. Richter's 8:00 am trip from Northport.  On board were: one bulk fuel semi, a dump truck modified to haul firewood to customers, and a contractor's van.  A total of three drivers and one vehicle passenger accompanied the vehicles.  Also, there was a bundle of morning papers for Mann's Store.  Waiting in line to board on the Island side were five autos and six occupants.

These are clear signs the public is heeding warnings.  On the one hand, a good thing: people are staying home, and we are carrying only essential traffic.  On the other hand, such low traffic volume provides minimal revenues to an operation that requires much higher numbers to sustain itself.

Following an analysis of the traffic vs. revenues experienced Friday through Sunday (March 20-22), and by projecting expenses vs. income for the next two months, Ferry Line management and Board took action to reduce our expenses and exposure (both the economic and the viral variety) through immediate modification of the ferry schedule.  Beginning tomorrow, Thursday, March 26, there will be only four daily round trips.  This change to the schedule will apply until further notice, with exceptions for medical emergencies, of course. We will need to be flexible from here on.

In light of previously published ferry schedules and web information, anyone who anticipates traveling by ferry, beginning tomorrow, should note the new departure times as follows:   
                        
                          Lv. Is.                                        Lv. Northport
                        8:00 am                                         9:00 am
                      10:00 am                                       11:00 am
                        1:00 pm                                        2:30 pm
                        3:30 pm                                        4:30 pm

Our projected ferry activity, coupled with the governmental urgings for the public to isolate, stay home and not travel, an even deeper look considers elimination of weekend trips.  Possibly all weekend trips.  That decision has not yet been made.

Ferry runs are being scheduled now with essential traffic only in mind.  The typical weekend traffic experienced in past springs would include folks coming for one or two days, such as property owners who are not full-time residents, with minimal or no commercial traffic.  Presently, folks who might show at Northport and take the ferry for sightseeing purposes - a good part of tourism revenue - are being discouraged from traveling to the Island.

Several other measures are being taken to protect both the public and Ferry Line workers.

    *  One ferry only will be utilized.  Currently, it is the AJR.  But several crew members are readying the ferry Washington, and going forward that will be the single ferry utilized.  One set of three crewmen will be on hand daily, along with shore administrative staff.  Shore maintenance work will be reduced to the most necessary tasks, or as required.

    * Package freight will continue to be transported daily from Northport, and then transferred from WIFL's vehicle to shelving or freight garage, as before, but with the aid of a conveyor transfer system.  This same set of rollers can also be used to provide a package to a customer, helping to minimize close interactions.

    *   At the Island's west terminal entry, normally used for customer package pickup/drop-off, visitors are asked to enter one at a time and then remain at a sensible distance, behind two chairs displaying the instruction to "Wait Here For Service."

Customers at the Island Ferry Office are requested
to stay a distance from the service counter, 
and to request assistance as needed. 
Janet Hanlin can always be reached at the
customer service desk.

UPS packages slide down conveyor. One way to reduce
package handling in an operation that requires
 repeated handling.

    *  The Northport upper lobby and restrooms are now closed, in part to reduce use by "Sunday drivers" and the general public.  This also reduces need to repeatedly clean those restrooms and associated surfaces.   (Please ask the crew if you need to use a restroom ashore.).  Rest rooms onboard the ferry will continue to be open for use by ferry passengers.

   *   The Island terminal lobby front door is closed, but restrooms will still be accessible from the package freight/customer entry.

    *  There will be no dedicated ticket seller.  As during wintertime operations, one crew member will man the ticketing booth on either side of the run, once the ferry is moored.

    *  New Island office hours will also go into effect:  Monday thru Saturday:  8:00 am to 4:30 pm
                                                                                         Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
                                                                                         Closed Sundays

All of the above changes seem drastic, severe, even.  And they are.  And they are meant to be.  The health and lives of our Crew and Customers may hang in the balance, even though as this is being written there have been no recorded cases of Coronavirus in Door County.  It may be a matter of days, or weeks, but protection now is best, we are convinced.

Secondly, we have grave concerns for the health of all island businesses, the Ferry Line included.  The only way to come out of this, we think, is to look for a more normal set of activities in the second half of the summer.  But, we'll see how it goes.

Employee door to freight garage.

Thanks to everyone for your understanding, and for your willing participation in what appears to be the greatest social disruption in Island history. It's totally different from anything we've previously experienced.

 -  Dick Purinton

Crew members posed Wednesday, March 8, with stainless AJR "wheels" at
Island Ferry Terminal Building: (L to R) Front, Joel Gunnlaugsson; Con McDonald.
Back: Craig Krueger; Pete Nikolai; Hoyt Purinton; Erik Foss; Tully Ellefson;
Janet Hanlin; Bill Jorgenson; Bill Schutz; and Rich Ellefson.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Yesterday a pair of stainless ice propellers were displayed near the Ferry Terminal front entrance.  These are spares that have been in storage since their purchase a little over a year ago.   Rather than continue to store them inside a workshop building, Joel Gunnlaugsson and Con McDonald got busy fabricating a stand on which the two wheels could be publicly displayed.

The propellers were purchased through Kahlengberg Bros. of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, long a provider of propellers, shafts and couplings in the commercial marine market.  Having the spares means, potentially, avoiding a wait of many months to get the right propellers, or propeller, should damage occur for any reason to the Arni J. Richter's current set.  Each propeller measures 66-inches in diameter, with a pitch of 42".  These are robust, "ice class" propellers, meaning the flukes and hub are built to withstand most reasonable ice work without incurring damage.  Yet, one never knows what can happen, and having a damaged propeller, while serious at any time, would result in utmost strain if it meant the Arni J. Richter was out of commission for any length of time in winter.  They were purchased as "insurance" for approximately the cost of a new luxury automobile.

Weighing an estimated #1500 each, they are not easily moved, and the stand that was fabricated in the shop by Joel and Con is equally sturdy, so the propellers become shiny yard art, and not a hazard for curious children.

Pair of Ice Class-C propellers:
bored, keyed for six-inch propeller shafts,
with anti-singing edges. *
Ready to install when/if the occasion arises.

*       *         *

When setting up this group photo, which I believe represents each of the crew who are engaged in  providing ferry service this winter, I was gently reminded there hadn't been a blog since late January.  It's nice to know that some people read them and keep track!  I'll have to improve on my habits, is all I can say.

The 2017 winter has managed to slide past us, almost, but not without giving us the extremes of snowstorms, near-record melting temperatures, icing conditions on trees and power lines, and just these past two days, storm-force winds.

Each scheduled ferry trip was made Tuesday and Wednesday, and according to Captain Bill Jorgenson, yesterday's trip (Wednesday's) went well.  Waves and spray in the door, but otherwise good docking in the westerly gusts at Northport.  Little-to-no ice remains in the upper Bay, except for a few strips of loose ice here and there, and in shallow shoreline indentations.  The Detroit Harbor west channel was starting to fill up with ice moving in from the shore beyond the entrance light, drifting along Willow Point near Rutledges.  It was Bill's observation that this ice might have left Gills Rock's harbor Tuesday, pushed by the then SSW winds toward Washington Island.

Heavy rains that preceded the wind knocked down nearly all evidence of snow and ice, on roads and in fields, but we've been at that juncture several times before this winter, only to have it covered in snow once again.  Maybe, this time we'll start to see the greening of spring and the beginning bloom of flowers.

It was the earliest we'd ever seen a snake out and about in mid-February, when Mary Jo nearly stumbled across a two-foot long, brown, northern water snake.  It was crawling along, more or less on the same path we were as we walked in the woods near our home.  This encounter occurred during one of those foggy, rainy periods, when snowbanks had been reduced to icy mounds, and the ground still had frost.  What inspired this 2-ft. snake to make an excursion at this time of winter when temperature was in the mid-30s?  More to the point, why did it choose to be seen by us, disturbing what we considered a winter's walk?  Mary Jo, who dislikes snakes and who responded by shrieking, has one more reason to believe that she seems to attract such creatures.

Spring break is about to begin for our Island Schools.  Tournament college basketball is already underway.  Indoors, those projects intended for completion during times of adverse winter weather need to move along more rapidly in order to be completed before summer.

-  Dick Purinton

*  Anti-singing edges are trailing blade edges beveled to reduce the "hum" or "singing," vibrations that occur when power load is taken off the propeller.

ICE SEASON BEGINS

Arni J. Richter passing Roen dredge, 8:05 a.m., Dec. 16.  

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Earlier than anticipated, deep cold temperatures halted the Detroit Harbor dredging project today, and it also marks the beginning of the Arni J. Richter as the ferry of choice for the next several months.

Single-digit temperatures around Wisconsin Sunday, plus ice in the Door passage, means we're not far from seeing the bay tighten up with ice.   Before Sunday noon, when bay ice from the western shore filled in the Door passage, the Eyrarbakki was used for most ferry runs.  We may reach 32 degrees by Christmas Day, but otherwise, its been consistently cold, and snowy.

When this photo was taken last week, several
nights' ice had formed in the channel.  It was later
cleared with a ferry stern wake and northerly wind.
Here, the Eyrarbakki is
pictured underway.    The Washington
and Robert Noble (hidden behind the Washington, to the right)
were drained and winterized prior to the previous,
deep cold snap.

Colder temperatures of teens and single-digits, coupled with strong westerly winds, hampered dredging operations during the past week.   The scow shown being loaded in the photo above was receiving the last of the dredged spoils for this season.  Roen crewmen will begin to lay up their equipment later today, mooring the construction and material barges near the island ferry terminal.  The tug Stephen M. Asher will moor at the south side of the Ferry Line property, where shore power can be obtained.

With ever-decreasing production this past week, and already down to one shift, it was a matter of time before the call was made by Roen and Foth to stand down.

When it was still possible to do so last week, the Roen crew dragged the channel to assure uniform depths, and to determine if any large, upturned stones were missed by the excavator operator.  Errant stones lying above project depth could be struck inadvertently by ferry propellers this winter when transiting the channel.   However, none were found.  In the accompanying photo are stones recently dug from the channel depths.   They will be added to the upland pile of stones previously separated from the more easily trucked spoils.

Blocks of stone three-by-four feet in dimension, like the one above, have been encountered all too frequently. 

Exactly when this project might resume is anyone's guess.  This will be determined in part by the WDNR's allowance for dredging after March 15th -  a date when, the claim is made, fish may begin to spawn.  When the heaviest ice disappears is another factor.   If ice remains well into April, and permit approval is not forthcoming from WDNR to continue in April and May, then the project may stall until late summer or fall.  This, in turn, will have impact in delaying repair of island roads.  Road repairs won't be made until the trucking ends.

An update on the dredging project progress will appear in the next issue of the Island Observer.

Note:   In the most recent Island Observer I carelessly wrote that Foth Construction Manager Ken Aukerman patrolled the trucking route and tossed spilled stones from the pavement into the grassy roadside.  That was incorrect.  Aukerman brings them to the dumping site where he hands them over to Tom Jordan, making the point that truckers should pick up after themselves, or be more careful. 

-  Dick Purinton