LUDINGTON, MI – The Lake Michigan carferry Badger came alive Tuesday when her boilers were lit for its 71st sailing season. The vessel’s first official trip is scheduled for May 15, departing from Ludington for Manitowoc, WI.
A flaming corn broom is used to light the Badger’s boilers. [Lake Michigan Carferry]
The Badger is the last coal-fired passenger steamship in the United States, and is the largest car ferry service on the Great Lakes. The 410’ Badger can accommodate 600 passengers and 180 vehicles, including RVs, motorcycles, motor coaches and commercial trucks during her sailing season. Originally designed primarily to transport railroad cars, the ship entered service in 1953.
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