CHARLEVOIX -- It's an alert horn on the Ironton Ferry that's going off just about every five minutes. That's how long it takes the ferry to cross Lake Charlevoix.

"It's not a question of noticing it, you notice it every time it blasts," says Paul Witting who lives on Lake Charlevoix.

For the majority of the past 82 years that the ferry has been in service it only used the horn during foggy conditions or if there was heavy boat traffic.  But about a week ago that all changed.

"We had a complaint from a citizen and the board of commissioners had to act on that complaint and it went from the board to the coast guard so now we are blowing the horn because that's the law," says Ironton Ferry manager, Vance Wood.

"So has the Coast Guard assumed you were blowing the horn all along?" asks 7&4 News.

"Yes, I do believe they assumed that," says Wood.

Wood says according to the Coast Guard, the horn needs to go off every time the ferry leaves the docks for at least four to six seconds.  This happens between 6:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night...and that's where the concern comes in.

"It's a major problem for anyone living in this particular area, within the Ironton Narrows," says Witting.

"It's upsetting to everybody, we're right next to a restaurant, the horn is disrupting his business and he is losing business...This horn is waking people up early in the morning and keeping them from going to sleep late at night," says Wood.

Neighbors say they understand the need for the ferry but it's the time of day it goes off and the amount of times.

"No one is arguing that the horn shouldn't be sounded in restricted visibility....What isn't necessary is to sound it at 6:30 in the morning and 10:30 at night," says Witting.

"It's not our fault, it's not the board of commissioners fault.  We have to go by the law because it wasn't being enforced and now it is.  So we need to change the law," says Wood.

7&4 News did speak with the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland that oversees Coast Guard issues in the Great Lakes region.  They say they are aware of the concerns residents have and they are willing to work out a compromise for a different ferry alert.  In the mean time they say, the horn is necessary to alert boating traffic.

7&4 News also spoke with Charlevoix County Sheriff Don Schneider who is taking also taking action in the situation.  He says he sent 33 letters from residents upset about the ferry horn to the Ninth Coast Guard Distric last week.

He's now waiting on a response from the Coast Guard.