TOLEDO, Ohio — You will soon be able to travel to the Lake Erie Islands from Toledo in less than two hours.
J&M Cruise Lines announced Wednesday it is launching a 65-foot-long vessel this year for a mix of public and private trips. Destinations include Put-in-Bay, Cleveland and Detroit.
"It's got a lot more speed to it. We can get up to about 17 knots (20 mph.) It's going to be able to get us a lot farther," J&M Captain Spencer Beallas said.
Tickets will be available through the company's website. Private chartered cruises will be available for weddings, birthdays, fishing charters and other special occasions.
"It's going to be a wide variety of things. You're going to have your late-night cruises or your Put-in-Bay trips which are probably more adult-oriented," Beallas said.
Locals say it will be an exciting new way to explore the region. Currently, just two boat lines handle the island's 750,000 annual visitors.
Ticket prices haven't been set just yet, but the company anticipates the cost to be somewhere between the price of the two existing boat lines. For one person round trip, that means it could be anywhere between $15 and $35.
The Glass City Pearl is sailing to Toledo from Connecticut where it was used as a party boat. The boat will be inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard upon arrival and docked behind One SeaGate.
The Glass City Pearl is adorned with glass windows on all sides and seats 105 passengers but could add more capacity.
The boat still has to get approved by the Coast Guard before it can begin operation. Trips from Toledo are scheduled to start in June.