Passenger ferries to Mackinac Island have existed since the late 1870s. In 1878, George Arnold and L.B. Coats formed the first modern passenger ferry business, Arnold Transit Company. With the opening of the Grand Hotel in 1887, business boomed. After World War II, passengers continued to increase and a water taxi business grew into the second ferry line, Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry. Star Line Ferry started in 1978. Today two ferry lines serve the island, Shepler’s and Star Line, and high-speed ferries reach top speeds of 40 mph and cross the straits in 15 minutes. The latest modernization includes Shepler’s jet-drive boat added to the fleet in 2021.