Boatnerd Discussion Forum

there is a c&o carferry ramp still in tact in port huron from when they carried over heigh cars over to sarnia. c&o had one carfloat and pusher tug and cnr had 2. the new enlarged tunner bored under the st clair river made them obsolite. all 3 tugs were loaded on a saltie {in port robinson i believe and went to france where they push coal barges. i dont think the apron in sarnia is still there.

The reason I mentioned finding a temporary dock was because so many ferries worked Lake Michigan a couple generations back, so I thought there may be a few more appropriate docks relatively near by. But I suppose like all infrastructure it could have declined into disrepair.

when the canadian pacific railway operated the incan superior and the service was terminated the vessel left the great lakes for british columbia thet stopped in windson ont. and loaded the old cpr aprong on the open deck. they also had a railway tank car welded to the rails for fresh water, and they took a pilot all the way to escoumins

you have a point, however im sure muskegon wouldnt be too happy for the competition against lake express plus where would it dock? im sure the GTW apron is long gone. holland michigan never did have a carferry slip so that idea is out of the question. best to wait may 2024 when things will be looking up in ludington, home port of the badger.

[quote=Darryl1 post_id=254987 time=1691081311]
Too bad they can't find a temporary Port along the west shore of Lower Michigan that could work for a few months.
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Probably not much of an option as I would imagine the Badger needs a specialized dock due to its design and operational requirements. If it was a freight vessel, these options may be available. It would be nice if it had the ability to operate out of other ports on Michigan's west coast that have better highway connections such as Muskegon, Holland, etc.

Too bad they can't find a temporary Port along the west shore of Lower Michigan that could work for a few months.

Not a surprising turn of events, but with the current ownership appearing to be committed to fixing this problem correctly I would expect the future of the vessel and its operation out of Ludington to be secure. Now if this would have happened before December 2020, who knows?

[quote=Rob post_id=254892 time=1690560990]
Are there any sources of photographs or videos of the ongoing repairs on the ramp counterweight in Ludington?
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A nice aerial view from a drone was posted on Facebook. I've linked it near the bottom of the August 2 Boatnerd News.

not good news for commercial carriers with large or over weight loads, but it is what it is. heres to a brighter 2024 season. too bad for the employees

LMC just made the announcement that due to extensive repairs required for the apron the rest of the season has been cancelled.

on LMCs webpage they say they will update their information. the one and only update was july 21st. at least give the travelling public an idea what is or isnt happening. dont think this is asking too much.

We took a drive up there on July 30. The entire parking lot is barricaded off, so no close up inspection was available. From what I can see, one complete tower with the counterweight system is completely missing. I suspect it was trucked away and getting repairs done. No other construction equipment was apparent or activity was going on, although, it was a Sunday afternoon. There are people on the ship, as I saw what I think was a cook stick his head out the door on the upper aft deck. Fires are out.

i agree with rob someone in the ludington area mut have photos or videos, please post on boatnerd. to my understanding KING from muskegon are doing the work. the co. in frankfort packed up shop last year. wonger who got their big steam piledriver?

Are there any sources of photographs or videos of the ongoing repairs on the ramp counterweight in Ludington?

[quote=ejawac6n post_id=254780 time=1690190147]
yes the lake express is an alternative if your driving a car or pickup. but not for motorhomes travel trailers etc. and it cost way more that the badger in more ways than one. yes its fast but in any kind of sea it an unpleasat ride.
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My mother and I took it in pleasant weather in early May and found the ride to be not terrible at all. Yes, it's more expensive. It's also a lot faster, more noisy and windy on deck. I can't speak as to how it would be in rough weather. But I would definitely take it again if I needed to. Nothing to be worried about, that much is sure.

the wooden pilings gave way and the counter weight fell into the water. it would of been worst if it fell on the apron. dont forget those pilings had been in the water for 90 years. who knows the remaining one might do the same thing

today 07/25/23 LMC is talking weeks now, not days. likily wont be back up and running until after doubles end on august 6th probably the post side pilings are as rotten as the one that gave way. after 90 years id say its time to replace them

Any word on what caused the failure? I saw a photo that showed the entire counterweight structure had collapsed.

LMC said they would up date the public but still no update in 4 days. perhaps the season is over for 2023?




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yes the lake express is an alternative if your driving a car or pickup. but not for motorhomes travel trailers etc. and it cost way more that the badger in more ways than one. yes its fast but in any kind of sea it an unpleasat ride.