The wait is now over for those who want to travel across the pond!
“Their team’s been working really hard to get rolling for their 71st season,” said CEO and president Chamber of Commerce of Ludington Brandy Miller.
Last July, the S.S. Badger had to cut their season short because of a failure that left the boat at bay.
“We ended up having a dock failure. Everything is fine with the ship. The counterweight and the port side ended up falling into the lake,” said General Manager of Interlake Maritime Services Sara Spore.
“We ended up having to call the season, which was unfortunate,” she adds.
Sport says it was not easy to tell people that their trips were cancelled, but said travelers were very understanding,
“Everyone that’s reached out is very positive and excited for this new season for me,” says Spore.
And without travelers coming to Ludington to Wisconsin after the cancelled season, small businesses also felt the halt.
“Overall, we fared pretty well in terms of our year over year tourism numbers. We did see quite a little impact,” said Miller.
With the mild winter and lots of hard work, the Badger is now back in business.
“To have her back on the water, we’re really excited,” says Miller.
If you see the boat at bay right now don’t worry, its due to high winds.
But in just a few months, you’ll be able to climb aboard the Badger!
“Right now, we’re only starting on June 17th at the first date, but we plan on opening dates in May as we get closer to the construction wrapping up,” said Spore.
You can already book your spot on the historic ferry.
“Besides it being a floating national historical landmark and being an extension of Highway ten, there’s so many things to do on board. You have bingo, a bar, an arcade, there’s food, you can lounge on the decks, there’s the museum, there’s something for everyone,” said Spore.
“I think for our local community, it’s a point of pride, you know, being able to see the boat in the port every day,” said Miller.
“They really play a vital role in our local tourism economy and deliver visitors right to our front door daily,” she added.
