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This tournament is popular in the area, from the southernmost weigh-in locations in the Port of Kewaunee all the way to Washington Island’s weigh in location, B&K Bait and Tackle at Kaps Marina.

According to K/D Salmon Tournament Director Kevin Naze, Will Krueger, of the family owned Kaps Marina, was one of the driving forces behind the effort to get this tournament established in Kewaunee and Door Counties in 1983.

Krueger indicated recently the tournament generates quite an uptick of business on Washington Island during the nine-day event, including rental property and campground reservations, as well as sales at local gas stations, restaurants and other businesses. 

Several generous vendors and sponsors donate prizes for the tournament, including Shipyard Island Marina, who teamed up again with the K/D committee to offer a Yamaha T9.9 kicker motor. This prize is awarded to a random ticket holder, not necessarily someone who weighed in a prize-winning fish.

According to the K/D Salmon Tournament’s Facebook page, more than $50,000 in cash and prizes were awarded this year.

For more information or to read the full story, subscribe to the Observer!

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Washington Island Ferry Line have signed an agreement to construct a new, year-round passenger/vehicle ferry for service across Wisconsin’s Death’s Door Passage.

The new ferry will be named Madonna, measuring 124-ft. length, 40-ft. beam and 10-ft. 8 in. draft. It will have capacity for as many as 28 vehicles and 150 passengers. The new ferry will be the largest in the Ferry Line fleet to-date. It is scheduled for delivery in late May 2020.

“We are pleased to build what is our third ferry for Washington Island,” says Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s Vice President and General Manager Todd Thayse. “All current ferry vessels were built in Sturgeon Bay – two by Peterson Builders and this will be our third here at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. Our past work is indicative of the quality and attention to detail the Ferry Line and all of our customers have come to expect from our seasoned workforce. This contract will add to the steady work relied upon by the hundreds of women and men we employ from across the region.”

“This opportunity to build yet another ferry vessel in a Door County shipyard is something we’re extremely proud of,” says Washington Island Ferry Line President Hoyt Purinton. “Built locally, this ferry – like our other vessels – will operate exclusively in Door County waters between Washington Island and the tip of the Door Peninsula.”

(See full story in May 23 issue)

By Chari Rutledge

Plans are underway for the 2019 Washington Islands Birding Festival to be held May 16-19. The festival is under the auspices of the Washington Island Art and Nature Center, and is also sponsored by the Washington Island Ferry Line and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The festival features guided small group birding on Washington, Plum and Rock Islands. Our Islands are located on the Great Lakes flyway. Data collected on the Island shows that this weekend, in particular, usually promises the largest amount of bird activity. The 2018 festival bore that out with 139 species recorded by the 60 birders attending. The birders also enjoyed dinners and programs that gave them a chance to meet and get to know one another.

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