Thursday, August 14, 2008

S.S. Badger to resume service Friday

By Sharif Durhams
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The S.S. Badger should resume its twice-daily crossings of Lake Michigan Friday after a damaged part took the ferry out of commission last week.

Crews discovered Saturday that the vessel, which carries cars and passengers from Manitowoc to Ludington, Mich., had a damaged stern bearing and took it out of service. Company officials sent passengers around the lake by school bus.

The 410-foot boat can carry 620 passengers and 180 vehicles and is one of two ferries across the lake.

Companies in port cities on both sides of the lake were being squeezed economically by the S.S. Badger’s absence during the height of the tourism season, according to Lake Michigan Carferry, the company that portages the 55-year-old vessel.

There wasn’t room to repair the boat in the dry dock, so the company flew in a team of divers from California to make the repairs.


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