The Aha, an all-steel yacht built in 1894 by inventor Ephraim Shay, has returned home to Harbor Springs after an extensive restoration project by the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society. The Society has been working in partnership with students at the Industrial Arts Institute in Onaway, Michigan since December 2019 to repair the dilapidated vessel. Plans were finalized with the City of Harbor Springs and the vessel was installed in Shay Park (located at Main and Judd Streets downtown). The new educational exhibit has interpretive signage about Ephraim Shay’s impact on Harbor Springs and the history of the Aha.

Learn more about the Aha and its restoration at the links below:

• CLICK HERE – “Restoration of the AHA Part I – Introduction”–  video by Sunrise Cable
• CLICK HERE – “Restoration of AHA Part II – Who is Ephraim Shay” – video by Sunrise Cable
• CLICK HERE – MLive Article