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Captain Bill Hoey of Grosse Ile,
owner and operator of Diamond
Jack's River Tours and the Gaelic
Tugboat Company, was born in
Ferndale Michigan. As a youngster
he spent summers at his uncle's
cottage in northern Canada, which
nurtured his interest in boats. The
great old steamboats that plied the
Great Lakes captured Hoey's
imagination, and led to his
decision to pursue a career in the
maritime industry.
In 1961, Hoey was working for the
Fuller Marine Towing Co., which was
owned by Elmer Dean and Warren
Fuller. In 1964, Capt. Fuller
retired and sold his business to
Hoey. The business grew with the
towing of salt and oil barges and
with ship assistance --- moving the
giant Great Lakes freighters into
and out of small areas. Success
allowed Hoey to purchase more tugs,
and at one point he ran a fleet of
14 tugs. Being of Irish/Protestant
descent, but also having a good
Irish/Catholic friend, Hoey
selected orange, green and white as
his fleet colors. The smokestacks
of Gaelic�s tugs, which
traditionally represent the vessel
owner, are orange.
With the change in the economy in
the late 80's and early 90's, Bill
planned for the future. Harbor
tours worked in other cities and
Detroit was ideal for this type of
activity. In 1991, he purchased a
65 foot former Arnold Line Mackinac
Island ferry, the Diamond Jack,
outfitted it as a sightseeing
vessel, and launched Diamond Jack's
River Tours. The company's two hour
tours present highlights of the
Detroit and Windsor, Ontario,
Canada skylines, along with
historical anecdotes about both
cities. A big bonus of the tours is
when a Great Lakes freighter blows
her whistle as she glides by the
Diamond Jack.
In early 1993, Hoey purchased
another Arnold Line ferry,
christened the Diamond Belle. This
91 foot mini ship is used
exclusively for group charters.
These charters have become so
popular that Bill added yet another
Arnold Line vessel to the fleet,
the Diamond Queen. Several
corporate parties, wedding
receptions, fund-raisers, family
reunions, and senior citizen
outings take place aboard our
vessels. Also, longer cruises to
Port Huron, Toledo, Sans Souci and
Wallaceburg Ontario depart on
scheduled dates throughout the
summer season and are available to
the public.
The tour business has become a
family venture. Bill's daughter
Patricia Hoey-Carrothers is the
Finance Manager. Patty's husband,
Steve, is a captain and the
Operations Coordinator.
Captain Bill Hoey is committed to
sharing his love of the Great Lakes
and its lore by offering the public
a family oriented fun and
affordable way to enjoy summer on
the Detroit River. |