Great Lakes Boat Blog

Working on the Badger: Keepers of the Legacy, Capt. Ed Wiltse, ship’s master

October 11, 2025

Part 6 By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief LUDINGTON — Bernard “Bunny” Robertson, Bjoruin “Lindy” Johnson, Ernest Barth, John Bissell, Bruce Masse, Gregg Anderson, Dean Hobbs, Kevin Fitch. Those are just some of the men who have been the masters of the S.S. Badger, the last of a long line of car ferries based out of Ludington. In 2023, another captain joined…

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97-year-old historic tug visits Ludington

October 10, 2025

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief LUDINGTON — Boat watchers were in for a treat Friday as the historic tug Olive L. Moore and its paired barge, Menominee visited the Port of Ludington to deliver road aggregate to the Rieth-Riley Construction dock. The Olive L. Moore was built as the John F. Cushing in 1928 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. in Manitowoc,…

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Badger Friday sailing cancelled

October 10, 2025

LUDINGTON — The S.S. Badger’s Friday, Oct. 10 sailing has been cancelled due to weather conditions on Lake Michigan. Today’s Lake Michigan weather forecast is calling for south-southwest winds 18 to 24 knots (21 to 28 mph) becoming west in the afternoon with gusts reaching as high as 30 knots (34 mph); waves of 7 to 10 feet, occasionally reaching…

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Working on the Badger: Keepers of the Legacy, Chief Engineer Diedrich

October 6, 2025

Part 5 Story and photos by Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief LAKE MICHIGAN — When Kevin Diedrich was growing up in Manitowoc, Wis. his grandparents lived near the lakeshore. Kevin and his sister had the chore of mowing their grandparents’ lawn. When they were done they would go down by the shore and watch the carferries come and go. “My sister used…

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Working on the Badger: Keepers of the Legacy, Andy, Chase, and V

October 5, 2025

Part 4 Story by Mark Varenhorst, Contributing Writer Photos by Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief LAKE MICHIGAN — On Tuesday, Sept. 29 2025, I boarded the S.S. Badger with my editor and friend Rob Alway. We were both covering that trip from different views and also from different crew members we spoke to along the way. In my earlier article I mentioned…

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