You will see a registered National Landmark car ferry docked along the Sturgeon Bay working waterfront soon. The SS Badger will be placed in dry dock for repairs at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding FBS) next month. The 410-foot ship is scheduled to leave Ludington, Michigan, on Tuesday, April 29, for a 12-hour journey to Sturgeon Bay. Undergoing repair of the propeller shaft bearing at the shipyard, the SS Badger is expected to return to Ludington about May 10 and be ready for the sailing season that begins on May 16.
Sara Spore, general manager of Lake Michigan Carferry, said, “It is the priority of Lake Michigan Carferry and our parent company, Interlake Maritime Services, to keep the Badger in its best working condition. Having these repairs done now will reduce interruptions to our summer sailing season.”
The Badger was built by Christy Corporation (located at the same facilities now owned by FBS) in 1953. The ship will take a northern route around the tip of the peninsula and Washington Island into Sturgeon Bay from the west.
