The Pointer Returns

July 22, 2016

Tour Boat Relaunches in Harbor Springs

Constructed in Chassell, Mich., in 1934, the low-slung wooden water vessel known as The Pointer has been a longtime icon of Harbor Springs. It first served as a water taxi to tony Harbor Point, then later retired to the backyard bay waters outside Stafford’s Pier restaurant on Bay Street. A couple years ago, The Pointer was taken out of commission, but the city and its visitors missed the sight of the classic yacht so much, Stafford’s brought The Pointer back.

VINTAGE VESSEL

Why was The Pointer taken out of commission? “The City of Harbor Springs had a longstanding tradition of no general tour boats in the Harbor,” Stafford’s Vice President and COO David Marvin said. “The boat also needed some updates to comply with Coast Guard regulations. So we didn’t put it in the water for a couple of years.”

Stafford’s made good use of The Pointer’s time out of water. It worked with Irish Boat Shop to upgrade the tour boat, and The Pier applied for an exemption with the city. The exemption was granted, and The Pointer was returned to its place outside The Pier.

“Our boat now passes the same safety standards as Shepler’s ferry boats!” Marvin said. “We like to say that the Coast Guard came out and tried to break it and tried to sink it, and it passed!” “This is a good thing,” he added. “The Coast Guard said it was one of the first times they’d certified an 80-year-old wooden launch that had never been certified before.”

FORTUITOUS FIND

The Pointer is a rich part of Harbor Springs history. It was originally part of a taxi-boat service for the Harbor Point Association, taking guests from the Village of Harbor Springs to Harbor Point, which is closed to cars.

“The Pier restaurant actually used to be the boathouse that housed The Pointer boat,” Marvin added, “and the dining room we call The Pointer Room was named after the boat.”

There were three Pointer boats in all, with one always in operation until 1962, when it fell out of favor. For a time thereafter, the Pointer boats were just a memory.

“In the late ’80s, my dad, Dudley Marvin, got a call from realtor Tom Graham, who was working with the piece of property and had found a boat in storage called The Pointer. It was one of the original Pointer boats, and is in fact the same one we have now. Dudley Marvin and Stafford Smith bought the boat, which was in terrible shape, and set about restoring it,” Marvin said.

MODERN MARINE

Steve Van Dam of Van Dam Boats was commissioned to bring The Pointer back to its former glory. He used old photos to guide the restoration of its original look, while upgrading its mechanics to reflect more modern water craft requirements.

The completed boat, 34 feet long and constructed of oak and cypress wood with Kelly green interior seating, relaunched in 1990.

“We basically used it as a fun marketing tool,” Marvin said. “Dudley would take people for rides on occasion, but otherwise it was just docked by the restaurant, looking great.”

Requests for rides kept increasing, though; the novel-looking boat was a huge draw to tourists and locals alike. So The Pier started offering brief, complimentary tours of Little Traverse Bay. Which brought The Pointer right back to where it started.

BAY TOURS

“Now that The Pointer is back in the water, and we’ve gotten approval from the city and the Coast Guard, we’re able to offer history tours,” Marvin said. “The tours are about an hour and fifteen minutes, can include food and beverages or not, and are really one of the best ways to view the bluff, as well as all of the yachts in the harbor and the historic architecture along the shoreline.”

The Pointer can only carry twelve people at a time (by Coast Guard regulations), so pricing is based on that limitation. The tours are $25 per person, or you can rent the entire boat for $295.

Food and beverages can be purchased separately through The Pier, and a complete menu is available online if guests want to enjoy a catered meal onboard. The Pointer is a unique and quiet way to tour the harbor, which Marvin feels is one of Harbor Springs’ best features.

“We’re fortunate in that we have one of the deepest natural harbors in the world,” he said, “and this is really the way to see it.”

For more information and to reserve a spot on The Pointer, visit pointerboat.com or call 231-881-8048.