This unique home is located just south of the harbor entrance to Put-in-Bay. The private residence was created from the bow of the lake freighter Benson Ford, which was built by Henry Ford for his personal use and named after his grandson.

The Bass Island chain consists of three main islands (North, Middle, and South Bass Islands) and several smaller islands. North and Middle Bass Islands each boast small communities of their own that you might like to visit during an island cruising vacation. The smaller islands provide beautiful scenery and nature-watching opportunities.

Middle Bass Island, in particular, used to be a major tourist destination of its own, with many fun-seekers visiting the Lonz winery. Unfortunately, the winery made national news when an outdoor deck collapsed on July 4th, 2000, killing one guest and injuring 75 others. The winery never reopened after the accident and tourism has greatly diminished on the island. The winery property has been taken over by the state and plans have been drawn up to convert the 123-acre grounds into an extension of the existing state park. Unfortunately, in the current economic climate, the plans have been put on hold for the time being. The island may be visited by boat via the state park marina. If you don’t want to get there on your own, the Sonny-S ferry provides passenger transport to the island from the Boardwalk dock at Put-in-Bay.

The waters around the western islands are considered one of the finest fishing grounds in the country and Lake Erie is officially known as the “Walleye Capital of the World”. The islands are also on the flight path of many species of migratory birds and the expansive shoreline provides ample bird-watching opportunities from the water.