Suspension of S.S. Badger car ferry service leaves Manitowoc dock deserted

Photos by Retiring Guy

Detroit Free Press,  7/22/2023

A ferry carrying traffic across Lake Michigan suspended trips indefinitely on Friday after a mechanical failure of its ramping system. 

Lake Michigan Carferry, which owns and operates the S.S. Badger from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, said it has “engaged a quick-response team of Great Lakes partners to repair the issue as quickly and safely as possible. They are at work now assessing the situation.” 

Designated a National Historic Landmark, the S.S. Badger was built in 1953 by Christy Corp. in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for C&O Railway Co. 

It once carried rail cars between Ludington and Manitowoc and can now accommodate 600 passengers and 180 vehicles, including RVs, motorcycles, motor coaches and commercial trucks.