SS Badger

Badger was constructed as a rail car ferry in 1952 by the Christy Corporation of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, After 1972 with the advent of Amtrak, service was gradually curtailed; all but the three newest vessels were retired, and sailings to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, were discontinued, leaving only the route between Ludington and Kewaunee, Wisconsin. On July 1, 1983, the Chessie System ended its car ferry service when it sold the steamers Badger, Spartan, and City of Midland 41 to Glen F. Bowden of Ludington. He organized the Michigan–Wisconsin Transportation Company (MWT) to continue the operation. The railroad car ferry concept on Lake Michigan was facing serious economic troubles during the 1980s and by November 1988, Badger was the only vessel running. She was the last of the 14 ferries based in Ludington remaining in service. == Lake Michigan Carferry Service ==

After sitting idle for a year, the three ferries were purchased by entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Ludington native Charles F. Conrad of Holland, Michigan, on July 9, 1991. He undertook a major overhaul and refit of Badger exclusively for carrying passengers and automobiles. The only operating ferry of her kind in the world, the ship is an icon of car ferry heritage on the Great Lakes. Conrad retired as president of Lake Michigan Carferry Service in 1993. He died on February 9, 1995. Since 1993, the company has been headed by his son-in-law, Robert Manglitz. Badger is the last large coal-burning steamship in the United States and is the last vessel in service on the Great Lakes to be powered by Skinner Unaflow engines (manufactured by the Skinner Company of Erie, Pennsylvania). Typically, Badger completes a trip across Lake Michigan in about four hours, covering . SS Badger rarely misses a sailing due to weather. SS Badger is also unusual in that she is a registered historical site in two states. The Michigan Historical Commission and the Wisconsin Historical Commission each named Badger as a registered historical site in 1997. In 2002, Badger was named Ship of the Year by the Steamship Historical Society of America. The ship was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 2009. It was the first time since 1993 (when it struck a rock at Ludington) that Badger was laid up for unscheduled repairs and the first time since 2005 that the company cancelled a sailing because of mechanical failure. Badger large deck space allows her to transport tractor trailers and larger commercial loads. In 2012, she carried more than 1,000 commercial loads. The ship carries wind turbine components from Wisconsin, some long and . Badger fall season was extended two weeks into early November to carry additional wind turbine loads. In 2015, the ferry was officially designated as part of US 10, thus linking the two disconnected segments of the highway. In December 2020, Badger was sold to Interlake Steamship Company. The deal also includes the barge Pere Marquette 41 and SS Spartan. It was a part of a larger sale of assets. Interlake is based in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. On July 21, 2023, a ramp counterweight in the ferry's Ludington terminal failed. While Badger herself was unharmed, the extensive damage and lack of an alternate loading ramp forced an early end to the ferry's 2023 season. Service resumed on May 17, 2024, after a new counterweight system was installed at the Ludington dock. On September 17, 2025, the Badger experienced an engine malfunction and had a collision with the Spartan while backing into the dock, damaging the sea gate located on the stern. Overnight, the sea gate was removed, the ship received a maintenance review and the Badger continued operations the following day. Over the winter months, the sea gate of the Spartan was used to replace the damaged sea gate of the Badger. == Environmental impact ==

SS Badger came under fire from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and environmental groups in late 2008 because of her daily practice of dumping untreated coal ash from its boilers directly into the waters of Lake Michigan. Burning of coal a day produces of ash. In an effort to continue to minimize the environmental impact to the lake, the Lake Michigan Carferry had explored a number of alternatives, including storing the ash on board and unloading upon arrival in Ludington. Another option once considered was the use of compressed natural gas, which would allow the historical boiler system to be maintained and make SS Badger the first "green" ship on the Great Lakes. Lake Michigan Carferry signed a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice and the EPA in March 2013 to end ash discharge within two years, using a new ash-retention system. The revised consent decree was filed in September 2013. In January 2015, work began on a conveyor system that will store ash in four containment bins on board. A new combustion-control system will allow the ship to be more efficient by burning less coal and generating less ash. Badger was retrofitted so that she will no longer discharge ash into the lake, and has been certified to return to service. The ash is now off-loaded and used to make cement. == See also ==