Merrimac Ferry

History
NameColsac I
NamesakeColumbia and Sauk counties
BuilderDubuque, Iowa[1]
Launched1924[1]
In service1933[1]
Out of service1963[1]
General characteristics
PropulsionTwo diesel engines[1]
Capacity15 vehicles[1]
NameColsac II
BuilderMarinette Marine, Marinette, Wisconsin[1]
Cost$77,000[1]
ChristenedApril 6, 1963[1]
In serviceApril 15, 1963[2]
Out of serviceNovember 4, 2002[1]
General characteristics
Tonnage100 tons[2]
Length100 ft (30 m) o/a[2]
Beam33 ft (10 m)[2]
Propulsion1 × diesel engine[2]
Capacity12 vehicles[1]
Crew1[2]
Colsac III, September 2014
Colsac III, September 2014
NameColsac III
BuilderBasic Marine Inc., Escanaba, Michigan[1]
Cost$2.2 million[1]
Yard number116[3]
In serviceMay 6, 2003[1]
IdentificationOfficial number: 1138723[3]
General characteristics
Tonnage153 GT[4]
Length105 ft (32 m) o/a
Propulsion(2x)Cummins Diesel
Capacity
  • 230 passengers[4]
  • 15 vehicles[1]
Merrimac Ferry
LocationWisconsin Highway 113 at the Wisconsin River
Nearest cityMerrimac, Wisconsin
NRHP reference No.74000330
Added to NRHPDecember 31, 1974

The Merrimac Ferry is a cable ferry that crosses the Wisconsin River between Columbia and Sauk Counties in Wisconsin. Its western point is located near the village of Merrimac on State Highway 113 and United States Bicycle Route 30. The eastern point is located in Okee, Wisconsin.

The Merrimac Ferry is both a functional regional crossing and a tourist attraction. There are ice cream stands at queue areas on either side of the river. It is the state's only free ferry, as well as the only ferry left on the Wisconsin State Trunk Highway System.

The ferry is close to the head of Lake Wisconsin, as well as regional recreation areas, including Devil's Lake and Wisconsin Dells. Peak traffic coincides with the tourist season and weekend getaway schedules.

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Merrimac Ferry History". Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "WisDOT requests bids for the sale of the Merrimac Ferry, the Colsac II". Liquidation.com. 2002. Archived from the original on October 12, 2002. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Colton, Tim (2017). "Basic Marine, Inc., Escanaba MI". shipbuildinghistory.com. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Colton, Tim (2009). "Conventional Ferries Built in U.S. Shipyards Since WWII". shipbuildinghistory.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2012.