HOUGHTON COUNTY, Mich. (WLUC) – The Keweenaw Peninsula is known for its water and boating opportunities.
However, one area business is working to add something it says no one else is doing.
“Somebody described it as, you know, that little air hockey game, that little puck flies around,” Copper Country Boat Tours Owner Dominic Snell said. “You gotta control that thing.”
An appropriate analogy for the latest addition Snell is bringing to his CCBT fleet. He is working to offer tours aboard a 1994 Hoverguard 800 as part of his business. Called the ‘Firefly’, Snell says the hovercraft can fit himself and three passengers.
“On the ice, you can go up to 60 miles per hour,” Snell said. “Today, we were going about 40 mph; you probably don’t want to go much faster than that. On the water, they say 35 to 40 mph.”
Snell says the idea for hovercraft rides came to him while thinking about what he could offer customers in the wintertime. Several friends took a hovercraft tour and told him about it, inspiring him to search for several years. However, despite now having it, he is unsure if he can start giving rides this winter.
“I’m waiting for the DNR,” Snell said. “They’ve got to do a dry-dock inspection, and they said they might not get to me until spring, so it’s unfortunate.”
But Monday afternoon, Visit Keweenaw Managing Director Jesse Wiederhold experienced an early ride aboard the hovercraft.
“Lots of nice, fast runs here; some fun, G-force turns, so it was very thrilling,” Wiederhold said. “Almost like being on a roller coaster.”
Currently, the ‘Firefly’ is only available in the winter months. Snell says he is already looking forward to offering as many hovercraft tours as possible next winter.
Snell also notes that the business has entered into a partnership with Keweenaw Waters Resort. You can now find the business at the resort, located along Canal Road in Houghton. However, the CCBT’s website states that the ‘Firefly’ is not currently included in the partnership.
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