Update: SS Badger — MARAD Approves $600,000 Study to Convert Coal-Burning Steamship to Zero-Emissions

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded nearly $12 million in grants to eight marine highway projects across the nation under the United States Marine Highway Program (USMHP).  One of these grants, $600,000 awarded to Lake Michigan … Continue reading

Riverboat Delta Queen & SS Badger — How Much Leeway Should Historic Ships be Given?

Is the classic 1927-built stern-wheel steamboat Delta Queen a national treasure or a not safe enough to operate?  The ship does not meet current safety standards as established by the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations.  A series of rolling two … Continue reading

SS Badger, Last Great Lakes Coal-Fired Passenger-Car Ferry, Designated National Historic Landmark

The Department of the Interior recently announced that the SS Badger; the last coal-fired, passenger car ferry operating on the Great Lakes; has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. From the news release: The designation recognizes the Badger’s exceptional … Continue reading

Update: SS Badger – Days May Be Numbered as Special Provision Removed from Funding Bill

We recently posted about the SS Badger, a 410-foot long coal-fired passenger and vehicle ferry operating in Lake Michigan and the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes. Her supporters call her a national treasure, while to her … Continue reading