SS Badger

SS Badger sailing in Manitowoc harbor
History
United States
NameSS Badger
NamesakeUniversity of Wisconsin Badgers
OwnerInterlake Maritime Services
Port of registry Ludington, Michigan
Route US 10, Ludington, MichiganManitowoc, Wisconsin
BuilderChristy Corporation, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Yard numberHull No. 370
LaunchedSeptember 6, 1952
Sponsored byMrs. Walter J. Kohler (wife of Governor of Wisconsin)
In serviceMarch 21, 1953
Identification
Nickname(s)"The Big Badger" (Charles F. Conrad's favorite description)
StatusActive
General characteristics
TypePassenger and automobile car ferry
Tonnage4,244 gross tons[1]
Displacement6,650 tons[1]
Length410 ft 6 in (125.12 m)[1]
Beam59 ft 6 in (18.14 m)[1]
Height106 ft 9 in (32.54 m)[1]
Depth24 ft (7.32 m) molded depth
Decks2 passenger, 2 vehicle
Installed powerSteam, coal-fired
PropulsionTwo four-cylinder compound Skinner Unaflow steam engines, totaling 7,000 shp (5.22 MW); four Foster-Wheeler water-tube type D boilers, 470 psi (3.24 MPa)[2]
Speed
  • 21 kn (39 km/h; 24 mph) max
  • 16 kn (29 km/h; 18 mph) cruise
Capacity620 passengers, 180 automobiles, also tour buses, RVs, motorcycles, and commercial trucks
Crew50–60
SS Badger
Location700 S. William Street, Ludington, Michigan
Coordinates43°56′57″N 86°27′04″W / 43.94917°N 86.45111°W / 43.94917; -86.45111
NRHP reference No.09000679[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 11, 2009
Designated NHLJanuary 20, 2016[5]
Designated MSHSMarch 6, 1997[4]

SS Badger is a passenger and vehicle ferry in the United States that has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953. Currently, the ship shuttles between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a distance of 62 miles (100 km), connecting U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) between those two cities. She is the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes, and was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 2016.

The ship is named after the University of Wisconsin's athletic teams, the Wisconsin Badgers.[6] Badger runs on Michigan time (Eastern Time Zone, whereas Wisconsin is in the Central Time Zone) and riders pay Michigan taxes on their fares. She runs on a seasonal basis from May to October.[7]

  1. ^ a b c d e "About the Car Ferry". SS Badger. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  2. ^ American Society of Mechanical Engineers (September 7, 1996). "SS Badger Engines and Boilers" (PDF). American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  3. ^ National Park Service (March 13, 2009). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  4. ^ State Historic Preservation Office (2009). "SS Badger". Historic Sites Online. Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  5. ^ National Park Service. "Weekly List of Actions, 4/18/16 through 4/22/16". National Park Service. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  6. ^ Wisconsin Historical Society (1998). Manitowoc and the Car Ferries / SS Badger (Historical marker). Manitowoc: Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  7. ^ "History". Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2014.