The Steamship Grandpa Built: Family holiday
gathering includes stop to see SS Badger in dry dock
Sturgeon Bay, WI – A recent family gathering for the holidays included a tour of the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding dry dock in Sturgeon Bay for the extended family of the late Ray Christianson, who once ran the yard.
Susan Shannon, great-niece of Christianson, served as the Christy Corporation’s president when the SS Badger was constructed, and she wanted her family members to see the historical steamship up close while it’s in dry dock this fall for maintenance work. She gained clearance from Fincantieri staff just before Thanksgiving.
“For our little extended family, it was pretty meaningful,” Shannon said. “We didn’t actually get on the ship. We just walked beside her and got a sense of the scale and felt nostalgic.”
She said it was a “feel-good moment” for her, her cousins and younger family members.
Shannon also said it was great that Carl Christianson, grandson of Ray, could talk to family members about the ferry and the work that went on at the shipyard and dry dock back when they had separate owners.
“Seeing the Badger, to me, was kind of like a busman’s holiday,” said Christianson, who had enjoyed a career in the marine business. “We walked the grounds alongside the Badger; it was a nice tour. It was short, but it was wonderful to see the floating dry dock and the amount of work that they have down there. It’s pretty impressive.”
Obituary: Captain Roger G. Desgagnés, 1926-2021
On a windy Saturday afternoon, December 11, 2021, Roger cast off for one last voyage at the age of 95. Originally from Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, he was the youngest and the last survivor of the late Captain Joseph Desgagnés and Amélia (Bella) Audet.Roger has been a shipowner (Roden D, Champlain, Jean-Talon (ex Franquelin) and an emeritus master on numerous vessel,s navigating mainly on the St. Lawrence River the Gulf and the Great Lakes. His last job was as shore master for Logistec Navigation.
Via Toronto Marine Historical Society
Lay-up reports needed
As the end of the shipping season approaches, please send reports of vessel lay-ups to news@boatnerd.net. This will help us compile our annual lay-up list. Include vessel name, date, port and name of lay-up dock. Click here to view the Lay-Up List: https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-layup-2021-2022/
