CLEVELAND - Lake Erie passenger ferries would carry tourists and a limited number of trucks between Cleveland and Port Stanley, Ont., possibly as early as next year, under a plan being discussed by port officials on the two sides of the U.S.-Canada border.
The service would likely start as a two-year trial and would be geared primarily toward taking people and cars across the lake, the Plain Dealer reported.
"Port Stanley told us right off the bat they don't want a lot of trucks," said William Friedman, president of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority. "They see their future as more tourism, less industrial type of activities."
Cleveland-to-Port-Stanley ferry service has been talked about for years.
This time, Friedman's agency and authorities in Canada have asked vessel management company HMS Global Maritime, of New Albany, Ind., to study the viability of the plan.
Similar ferry service between Toronto and Rochester, N.Y., was plagued by mechanical and marketing problems and failed in 2006.
HMS Global Maritime also is exploring the types of boats that could be used for the trip across Lake Erie, an important consideration given that Port Stanley's harbour isn't dredged and is not as deep as Cleveland's.
"You certainly don't want it to hit bottom as that cruise ship in Italy," Friedman said, in a reference to the Costa Concordia, which ran aground and capsized Jan. 13.
A ferry ride between Cleveland and Port Stanley would take about 3 1/2 hours. Prices and other details have not been determined.
