LUDINGTON, Mich. — The S.S. Badger's ramp system was damaged in June. Initially, they cancelled all cross-lake trips for a few weeks. Now, the Badger's season has come to an early end.
In a video statement released Saturday, President of Interlake Maritime Services Mark W. Barker said the ship will come back "better and stronger" in 2024.
Barker explained that the decision to suspend services for the ship's 70th season was difficult, but unavoidable, "given the nature and the impact of the significant failure rendering our ramp system inoperable in the Badger's home port."
Barker went on to explain how exactly the ramp system works, saying the Badger was initially built to handle the weight of railroad cars. Therefore, the two towers on the ramp system are equipped with weights to counter the weight of the loads the ship was meant to carry.
"In order to raise and lower the ramp to accommodate the change in water levels and the change in vessel draft to allow the Badger to pull away from the dock, a system of counterweights, which are those large weights that suspend from the towers on either side of the ramp, are used," Barker said.
The damage to the ramp system was caused by the failure of one of those towers, which fell into the water on July 21. Barker said they still do not know exactly why the failure occurred, but said it was not the fault of the crew or any kind of collision.
"In fact, the quick actions of the crew helped to mitigate any further issues. The quick actions of the Badger team made sure that the area was clear and thankfully no one was injured and the Badger did not sustain any damage," said Barker.
The Badger was moored at the dock at the time of the ramp failure and the heavy ramp was down and resting on the stern of the ship.
Barker said contractors have estimated the repairs could take months since the tower and counterweight weighs several hundred tons. It will need to be "methodically" cut apart underwater and removed before instillation of a new system can even begin.
While the Badger's season has come to an unfortunate early end, Barker assured that their team is "fully committed," and "already underway making the necessary repairs to ramping systems so the Badger can come back better and stronger in 2024."
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and on your phone.