Lake Michigan ferries
- Thread starter Ragman
- Start date
I did, me plus the truck it was like 165 bucks. Financial I don't think it was worth it. But totally worth it for the experience. Took the s s badger from wi to mi. 4 hour trip they have tv room, bingo, and a cafeteria. Plus of course the open sea views. You got a do it once, if your pick up isclose enough and at the right time do it
I once picked up a load in Manitowoc, WI that went to the power plant in Luddington, MI, the very same cities that the SS Badger runs between. I absolutely would have taken that ferry across for that, but I didn't pick up the load until about 2 hours after it had departed Manitowoc.
I've never used one. My Garmin made the suggestion once, I cleaned up near the ferry and it would have been shorter. But, the last ferry of the day had cleared, it would have been expensive (though I wonder how it compares with driving all the way down Lower Michigan, around the tip of the lake and then home) and I didn't want to wait til morning for the next boat.
Well, driving through Chicago from Manitowoc to Ludington is a stress-filled, harrowing 6½ to 7 hours. The boat trip across the lake is a leisurely 4 hours, plus you probably need to be there an hour before the boat leaves and it's probably an hour by the time they get you off the boat on the other end. So it's about a wash.
Then again, they may get you on and off the boat a lot quicker. I've taken a ferry several times in Seattle and they get you on and off really fast.
That was my thought. My truck owner had an opportunity for a load to Green Bay, he mentioned using the ferry.
I may consider it if we ever get the load again.
The ferry fleet is now down to one ship, the Badger. Multiple ships used to transport between Ludington, MI and the cities of Milwaukee, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc in Wisconsin. Originally the boats transported railroad cars of various lengths and cargo, including coal. No more railroad cars, rail tracks don't even go to the docks anymore. The Badger is out of service now until next spring. The types of freight hauled is awesome. Check the site www.ssbadger.com and look up schedules and rates and commercial trucks for info and videos. Yes, you will have a relaxing ride across the Lake which will avoid stress of driving. But you can also get REAL seasick. I was raised in Ludington, rode the Badger and sister ship Spartan many times. Enjoyed it. But also got sicker there than on any cruise in the Navy.
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For a fun experience, like Tom Sawyer, there's the Dorena-Hickman Ferry that across the Mississippi River between, oddly enough, Dorena, MO and Hickman, KY. Missouri and Kentucky are the only two border states in the US that aren't directly connected by a road (because you need to know important stuff like that). It crosses the Mississippi about 75 miles south of the two Cairo, IL bridges at Wycliff, KY, and about 75 miles north of the I-155 bridge west of Dyersburg, TN.
It crosses the river 7 days a week during the daylight hours. About $16 for a car, straight trucks is $32. If you ever go back across the other way, and you still have your crossing ticket, the return trip is half off. No expiration date on the return. I've been across that thing so many times I can't even count.
It's an on-demand ferry, very laid back, where if the ferry isn't at the landing when you get there, there's a telephone pole with a button on it that you push, like at a crosswalk, that will summon the ferry. The trip across is about 15 or 20 minutes. The ferry has several high class amenities, like a railing so you don't fall overboard, a port-a-potty so you don't have to pee overboard, and a soft drink vending machine.
It'll hold a tractor-trailer and a Mini Cooper.
The Call Button
It crosses the river 7 days a week during the daylight hours. About $16 for a car, straight trucks is $32. If you ever go back across the other way, and you still have your crossing ticket, the return trip is half off. No expiration date on the return. I've been across that thing so many times I can't even count.
It's an on-demand ferry, very laid back, where if the ferry isn't at the landing when you get there, there's a telephone pole with a button on it that you push, like at a crosswalk, that will summon the ferry. The trip across is about 15 or 20 minutes. The ferry has several high class amenities, like a railing so you don't fall overboard, a port-a-potty so you don't have to pee overboard, and a soft drink vending machine.
It'll hold a tractor-trailer and a Mini Cooper.
The Call Button
I took my van on it, empty from Ludington to Manitowoc. I believe oneway fare was $85 back then. I delivered early in the morning, on a Friday close to Ludington. I had a wedding to attend on Saturday in Minneapolis. I was tired and the ferry seemed like a good idea. I was under the impression that I would drive my van onto the ferry and then crawl into bed for a 4 hour nap. I was wrong! An attendant parked my van and I tried to sleep in a hard plastic chair in the TV room. Couldn't sleep in there so I went out on a side deck and curled up in a corner. It was cool with a heavy mist and I went back inside. Just out of Manitowoc the sun came out and I laid in a lounge chair on the front deck.
Once on shore I drove a short distance from Manitowoc, pulled over and slept for a few hours.
Once on shore I drove a short distance from Manitowoc, pulled over and slept for a few hours.
butterfly610
Veteran Expediter
We never took the ferry, but lived in Ludington for quite some time. Always loved hearing the boat horn every time it would pull in. We used to see a lot of the oversize loads with the wind turbines loading onto them.
I have been to Saugatuck MI, someone else will have to add a fairy joke here.
I thought once about the ferry from Marine City, MI but I didn't know if the cargo vans are allowed, so I didn't try. Other than that, I used the Transatlantic once, one year ago, and I can say that it was an amazing experience.
tknight
Veteran Expediter
Here's a picture of the boat ride I did to governors island in the middle of NY Harbor, that my friends was a very expensive ride, sure beat swimming though!
