Harbor Springs, Michigan Could Be Home To 130 Year Old Ship

Dave BensonPublished: March 8, 2021

Somewhat similar to a London ship; here, a worker inspects the hull section of The Cutty Sark on October 11, 2007 in Greenwich, England. The Cutty Sark was built in November 1869 with the ambition for her to be the fastest ship in the annual race to bring home the first of the new season's tea from China. Fifteen million people have visited her since she was placed in a dry dock in 1954. The original 5 year conservation project has been extended because of the damage caused by a fire on March 21, 2007. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Harbor Springs could soon be home to a new tourist attraction, according to a report in The Detroit News.

A ship that dates back to the 1890's is being restored, and the goal is to move it to a city park in Harbor Springs.

The News reports that the project is a joint effort between the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society and the Industrial Arts Institute in Onaway. The two organizations are working together on "the Aha", according to the Petoskey News-Review.

Once the work is done, the vessel is expected to be taken to Shay Park in downtown Harbor Springs, which just happens to be named for the builder of the boat.

The Aha has a interesting history, dating back to 1891, when it was built by Ephraim Shay. According to The News story, "It was being towed to storage in the 1930s when the ship began to take on water and was beached at a creek within a state park. Nothing was really done about The Aha until 2003, when the boat was gift deeded. It's been sitting in storage since then, until work began in 2019.

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Filed Under: Harbor Springs, Michigan

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