LUDINGTON, Mich. — Maritime officials released new details Saturday about the damage to the S.S. Badger and the commitment to a long-term fix.
Lake Michigan Carferry and its parent company, Interlake Maritime Services, announced on August 1 that operation of the S.S. Badger will not resume for the remainder of the season due to unexpected damage to its ramp system.
The counterweight structure on the port side of the Badger’s ramp system failed on July 21, and the operating company says the necessary repairs are extensive.
READ MORE: Disappointment as S.S. Badger car ferry forced to cancel remainder of season
In a video posted to YouTube Saturday, Interlake Maritime Services President Mark W. Barker goes into detail about the mechanical failure that led to the service shutdown.
“In order to raise and lower the ramp to accommodate the change in water levels and the change in vessel draft to allow the Badger to pull away from the dock, a system of counterweights— which are those large weights that suspend from the towers on either side of the ramp— are used. It was one of those towers that unexpectedly failed and toppled into the water,” Barker explained.
Right now, engineers are still working to determine the exact cause of the failure, but Barker says it was neither due to human error nor a collision.
“In fact, the quick actions of the crew helped to mitigate any further issues,” he added. “The quick actions of the Badger team made sure that the area was clear and, thankfully, no one was injured, and the Badger did not sustain any damage.”
He says the tower, counterweight and concrete of the structure weighs several hundred tons and will need to be cut apart methodically underwater and removed before crews can install a new system.
Contractors believe this will take several months, which led to the decision to suspend operations for the remainder of the season.
“No one is more disappointed than all of us at the Lake Michigan Carferry to end our 70th season so unexpectedly,” Barker said. “This was a very difficult but unavoidable decision given the nature and the impact of this significant failure rendering our ramp system inoperable in the Badger’s home port.”
The S.S. Badger car ferry runs between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
“To our port communities, I understand the role we play and understand the impact that this has. We also appreciate the support and partnership we have with you. We’ll be back next year,” Barker said. “We are so sorry for this disruption that this is causing to the cities of Manitowoc and Ludington.”
In his statement, Barker also apologizes to all the customers, calling them “the best customers in the world.”
Reservation teams are systematically issuing full refunds for passengers with reservations. Customers will be contacted individually in order of their reservation date.
“I want to assure everyone that we are fully committed and we are already underway making the necessary repairs to the ramping system so the Badger can come back better and stronger in 2024. The repairs are extensive, complicated, and will take months to complete but we are already making good progress removing the structure that fell and prepping the site for the new, long-term fix,” Barker said.
Watch the full statement below:
