Lake Michigan Carferry Service

Lake Michigan Carferry Service is a United States transportation company associated with the operation of the SS Badger, a passenger and vehicle ferry serving Lake Michigan. Its principal route links Ludington, Michigan, with Manitowoc, Wisconsin, connecting the eastern and western portions of U.S. Highway 10. The crossing is approximately 60 to 62 miles and generally takes about four hours. Service is seasonal, normally operating between spring and autumn, and the vessel uses Michigan time for its schedule even though Manitowoc is in Wisconsin's Central Time Zone. The company was established after the collapse of conventional railroad car-ferry service on Lake Michigan. SS Badger was launched in 1952 and entered service in 1953 for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. Built by the Christy Corporation of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, she was one of a pair of large rail car ferries designed to move railroad cars, automobiles, and passengers through the lake's challenging seasonal conditions. The vessel had a reinforced hull for icebreaking and originally operated year-round as part of a broader railroad ferry network based in Ludington. Changes in the North American railroad industry, including the growth of Amtrak and the decline of rail-car-ferry demand, progressively reduced the network. By the 1980s, most of the Ludington-based ferries had been retired or sold. Chessie System, the successor to C&O's railway operations, ended its car-ferry service in 1983 and sold Badger and other vessels to Glen F. Bowden. Bowden created Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Company to continue operating the ferries, but the business environment remained difficult. Badger became the last operating vessel in the system and was laid up in November 1990 when the company faced bankruptcy. On July 9, 1991, Ludington native Charles F. Conrad acquired the ferries and created the modern Lake Michigan Carferry operation. He funded a major overhaul that converted Badger from a railroad-oriented vessel into a passenger-and-automobile ferry. The company restored the ship's commercial role while also presenting it as a heritage attraction and an unusual form of cross-lake transportation. Robert Manglitz, Conrad's son-in-law, became president after Conrad retired in 1993 and subsequently led the company for many years. The SS Badger is the company's central offering and its principal brand asset. It is the last large coal-fired steamship operating in the United States and the last Great Lakes vessel still powered by Skinner Unaflow engines. Its historical importance has been recognized through state historic designations, an American Society of Mechanical Engineers landmark designation for its propulsion system, inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, and National Historic Landmark status. The vessel also transports ordinary automobiles, recreational vehicles, tractor-trailers, commercial cargo, and oversized loads. Its large deck has supported the movement of wind-turbine components and other freight that would otherwise need to travel around the lake. Lake Michigan Carferry's identity combines practical transportation with maritime tourism and industrial heritage. The ferry provides a direct alternative to the long overland route around Lake Michigan while offering passengers a historic shipboard experience. In 2015, Badger was formally designated as part of U.S. Highway 10, reinforcing the company's role as a transportation link rather than solely a sightseeing operator. Environmental compliance became a major issue in the late 2000s because the ship's coal-fired boilers generated ash that had historically been discharged into Lake Michigan. The company entered a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency in 2013. It subsequently installed ash-retention and combustion-control equipment, allowing ash to be removed at port and used in cement production rather than discharged into the lake. This modernization preserved the historic steam propulsion system while addressing the central environmental concern. The company changed ownership in December 2020, when Interlake Steamship Company acquired Badger, the barge Pere Marquette 41, and SS Spartan in a broader asset transaction. Operations continued under the Lake Michigan Carferry identity. The service experienced infrastructure disruption in 2023 when a failed ramp counterweight at the Ludington terminal caused the season to end early. A replacement counterweight system enabled service to resume on May 17, 2024. The brand remains centered on seasonal ferry transportation, commercial vehicle carriage, heritage travel, and the preservation of a historically significant Great Lakes vessel.

Lake Michigan Carferry Service emerged from the long-standing railroad car-ferry industry centered on Ludington. SS Badger was built by the Christy Corporation at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and launched on September 6, 1952. She entered service on March 21, 1953, for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, which had inherited Ludington ferry operations through its acquisition of the Pere Marquette Railway. Designed with an ice-strengthened hull, the ship carried railroad cars, automobiles, and passengers across Lake Michigan throughout the year. The railroad ferry network contracted after the expansion of Amtrak and the decline of traditional rail passenger and freight arrangements. Routes to Milwaukee and Manitowoc were discontinued, leaving a reduced service between Ludington and Kewaunee. In 1983, Chessie System ended its car-ferry operations and sold Badger, Spartan, and City of Midland 41 to Glen F. Bowden. Bowden formed Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Company in an effort to continue the service. Economic conditions remained unfavorable, however, and Badger became the only active vessel by 1988. She was laid up on November 16, 1990, bringing the long-running Ludington railroad car-ferry era to an end. Charles F. Conrad purchased the three vessels on July 9, 1991. He established Lake Michigan Carferry Service and arranged a substantial overhaul of Badger for passenger and automobile use rather than railroad-car service. Conrad retired as president in 1993, and Robert Manglitz, his son-in-law, subsequently headed the company. The rebuilt operation preserved the Ludington–Manitowoc crossing as a seasonal transportation link and developed the ship's historic character into an important part of the passenger experience. Badger's technical and historical attributes became increasingly central to the company's identity. The ship remains the last large coal-burning steamship in the United States and the last Great Lakes vessel operating with Skinner Unaflow engines. Her propulsion system received an American Society of Mechanical Engineers mechanical-engineering landmark designation in 1996. Michigan and Wisconsin recognized the vessel as a registered historic site in 1997. She was named Ship of the Year by the Steamship Historical Society of America in 2002, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016. The service also developed a commercial freight role. Badger's broad deck can accommodate tractor-trailers and unusually large loads, including wind-turbine components. The company carried more than 1,000 commercial loads in 2012 and extended its autumn schedule that year to support additional turbine movements. In 2015, the ferry received official designation as part of U.S. Highway 10, formalizing its contribution to the highway system. Environmental regulation presented one of the company's most significant operational challenges. The coal-fired boilers historically produced ash that was discharged into Lake Michigan. After criticism from the EPA and environmental organizations, Lake Michigan Carferry entered a consent decree with the Department of Justice and EPA in March 2013. A revised decree was filed later that year. Beginning in 2015, the vessel received onboard ash-containment bins, a conveyor arrangement, and combustion controls intended to reduce ash production. The converted system allowed ash to be unloaded at port and incorporated into cement rather than released into the lake. In December 2020, Interlake Steamship Company acquired Badger and related assets, including Pere Marquette 41 and Spartan. The operation continued under the Lake Michigan Carferry name. A terminal ramp counterweight failure at Ludington ended the 2023 season prematurely, but replacement infrastructure allowed sailings to restart on May 17, 2024. The company continues to operate a seasonal passenger, automobile, and commercial-freight ferry service built around the preservation and use of SS Badger.

• 2024

  Service resumes after terminal repairs

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  A new Ludington terminal counterweight system enabled operations to resume on May 17.

• 2020

  Acquired by Interlake Steamship Company

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Interlake acquired Badger and associated ferry assets in December.

• 2016

  Designated a National Historic Landmark

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  The National Park Service designated SS Badger a National Historic Landmark on January 20.

• 2009

  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  SS Badger received federal historic-place recognition.

• 1996

  Propulsion system recognized as engineering landmark

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  The American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated Badger's propulsion system a mechanical engineering landmark.

• 1991

  Lake Michigan Carferry Service established

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Charles F. Conrad purchased the ferries and began rebuilding Badger for passenger and automobile transportation.

• 1990

  Badger laid up

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Badger was taken out of service after the operating company faced bankruptcy.

• 1983

  Chessie System ends car-ferry operations

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Chessie System sold Badger and related vessels, enabling an independent effort to continue the route.

• 1953

  Badger enters Chesapeake and Ohio service

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  SS Badger began service on March 21, carrying rail cars, passengers, and automobiles across Lake Michigan.

• 1952

  SS Badger launched

  [1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  The future flagship was launched by the Christy Corporation in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, as a reinforced rail car ferry.

A seasonal cross-Lake Michigan transportation service that combines practical vehicle and passenger carriage with historic steamship tourism and Great Lakes maritime heritage.

• Passenger and vehicle ferry · 1952

  SS Badger

  SS Badger is Lake Michigan Carferry Service's flagship and principal operating asset. The vessel carries passengers, automobiles, recreational vehicles, tractor-trailers, and selected oversized commercial loads between Ludington and Manitowoc. Built as a rail car ferry in 1952 and converted for modern passenger and vehicle use after 1991, she is notable for retaining coal-fired steam propulsion and Skinner Unaflow engines. The ship operates seasonally and generally completes the approximately 60-mile crossing in about four hours.

• Transportation service · 1991

  Ludington–Manitowoc ferry service

  The company's core service connects Ludington, Michigan, with Manitowoc, Wisconsin, across Lake Michigan. It provides a direct alternative to driving around the lake and links the eastern and western sections of U.S. Highway 10. The service is normally offered from May through October and accommodates both leisure passengers and commercial traffic.

• 2008

  Environmental controversy over coal-ash discharge

  The company faced criticism from the EPA and environmental groups over the historical practice of discharging untreated coal ash from Badger's boilers into Lake Michigan. The issue led to federal enforcement measures and later installation of onboard ash-retention and combustion-control equipment.

  Source

Read more

• 2020

  Sell the ferry assets to Interlake Steamship CompanyM&A

  Background

  Lake Michigan Carferry's operating assets were included in a broader transaction.

  Action taken

  Interlake Steamship Company acquired SS Badger, Pere Marquette 41, and SS Spartan.

  Aftermath

  Operations continued under the Lake Michigan Carferry identity with Interlake as owner.

  Source

• 2015

  Expand commercial cargo useStrategy

  Background

  Badger's large deck offered capacity for tractor-trailers, wind-turbine components, and other loads that could benefit from a direct lake crossing.

  Action taken

  The company promoted and scheduled additional commercial movements, including oversized wind-energy components.

  Aftermath

  The ferry's role broadened beyond passenger and automobile travel to include project and commercial freight.

  Source

• 2013

  Adopt a plan to end coal-ash dischargeOther

  Background

  Federal regulators and environmental groups challenged the discharge of coal ash generated by the vessel's historic boilers.

  Action taken

  Lake Michigan Carferry entered a consent decree requiring ash-retention and related operational changes.

  Aftermath

  The vessel was retrofitted so ash could be removed at port and used in cement production instead of discharged into the lake.

  Source

• 1991

  Convert Badger from rail-ferry use to passenger and automobile serviceStrategy

  Background

  The railroad car-ferry business had contracted sharply, and Badger had been laid up after the previous operator encountered financial distress.

  Action taken

  Charles F. Conrad acquired the ferries and financed a major refit focused on passengers and automobiles.

  Aftermath

  The refit created the modern Lake Michigan Carferry operation and preserved a cross-lake service centered on Badger.

  Source

• 2025

  SS Badger experiences engine malfunction and dock collision[1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  An engine malfunction occurred while the vessel was backing into the dock, resulting in a collision with SS Spartan and damage to Badger's stern sea gate. The gate was removed overnight, and the vessel resumed operations the next day.

• 2024

  SS Badger service resumes after terminal reconstruction[1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Service resumed on May 17 after installation of a new counterweight system at the Ludington dock.

• 2023

  Ludington terminal ramp failure ends 2023 season early[1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A failed ramp counterweight damaged the Ludington terminal infrastructure. Because no alternate loading ramp was available, the remaining 2023 sailings were cancelled.

• 2020

  Interlake Steamship Company acquires Lake Michigan Carferry assets[1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Interlake Steamship Company purchased SS Badger, the barge Pere Marquette 41, and SS Spartan in a broader asset transaction.

• 2015

  SS Badger receives ash-retention and combustion upgrades[1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Other

  The vessel was fitted with equipment intended to retain boiler ash onboard and reduce ash generation. Removed ash could then be unloaded and used in cement production.

• 2015

  SS Badger becomes part of U.S. Highway 10[1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The ferry was officially designated as part of U.S. Highway 10, recognizing its role in connecting the highway's otherwise disconnected segments across Lake Michigan.

• 2013

  Lake Michigan Carferry agrees to end coal-ash discharge[1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Other

  The company entered a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice and EPA requiring it to stop discharging coal ash into Lake Michigan and adopt an onboard retention system.

• 2008

  SS Badger suffers stern bearing failure[1]SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A stern bearing failure halted sailings for nearly a week. The vessel proceeded under its own power to Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay for repairs, and regular service resumed on August 15.

1. 1SS Badgeren.wikipedia.org
2. 2SS Badger official websitessbadger.com
3. 3Interlake Acquires Two Great Lakes Vesselsmarinelink.com