The Lake Michigan Carferry received good news on Wednesday that will allow you to sail from Manitowoc, Wis. to Ludington, Mich. next year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave the LMC the final permit to begin work on the S.S. Badger after a broken lift gate sank the rest of the ship’s 2023 season. The failure of the S.S. Badger’s counterweight structure on its portside failed on July 21st, rendering the apron ramp non-operational. Work is expected to start this week so crews that need to go underwater to make the repairs can do so before ice begins to form. The repairs are expected to take several months, but LMC General Manager Sarah Spore says they should be ready to welcome back guests in 2024. “We’re very excited to receive the much-anticipated federal and state permits to start construction on the lifting mechanism for the apron here in Ludington,” said Spore in the release. “It’s a major step forward in the concerted effort to get the Badger back underway to serve our port communities and carry passengers and transport freight across our marine highway on Lake Michigan.”