Shoreline cruise S.S.Badger

[moneysavr]

Hi
I have posted information on a shore line cruise May 20th http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=140665 trips and local market place,
For divers that have dove the Milwaukee,she too was a rail Carrier now car carrier that runs lake Michigan and once a year they do a short run prior to return to regular season,
Just a thing to do idea.
dive safe,
Brad

 

[moneysavr]

Wow fun was had by all,great weather,meet other Scuba Board members,Dive1dennis,swimjim and his gang!
And to top it off Jim and I had the Privilege to tour the engine room of this behemoth with the Chief Engineer Ken as our tour guide as this area of the ship is mostly off limits to passengers and the Chief was a diver too and spoke highly of the Michigan preserves,what a way to top off a great day! Just a few shots.
Boiler tenders,

The Chief Engineer at the engine controls as we come into port,
Dive Safe,
Brad

 

[Dean810]

That boiler room must have been cool!

 

[ciret]

Nice Brad,

I wish I could have made it to meet all the SB folks and the boat looks pretty awesome. A couple of weeks ago I came across the pond on the Lake Express, totally different experiance. Lake was flat as can be and we were cruisin' about 35 knots. Amazing. I went up on deck a couple of times and the wind is so strong at that speed you can barely walk into it. Totally different trip than the Badger, I'd like to try the Badger some time.

 

[Dive1Dennis]

I should have hung with you guys. I know I guy that toured the engines a few years ago, I always wanted to see that. I'm jealous as hell.:frustrate She was a nice day out on the lake, nice of the rain to hold off till we got in.

 

[SwimJim]

Yeah the Badger was alot of fun. My wife reported Brad and I to the lost and found as she didn't know we were touring the bowels of the ship. I think the ladies had a ball too. If anyone from Lake Michigan Carferry is reading this I'd like to express a personal thank you for a wonderful cruise. Chief Engineer Ken really made my day. I've never been on a car ferry above water before and seeing the engines and the crews running them gave me a whole new respect for them. Thanks

Jim

 

[moneysavr]

That boiler room must have been cool!

Dean,
It was Hot! not too bad,to see how that stuff runs was neat and the engine room was neat & clean,and to see how the ships realy do not change over the years about the same layout as the Pere Marquette's,Milwaukee,Wisconsin.she even has the rail tracks still on her deck just paved over,and the chief told us they never take enough load so they need to take on max ballast to trim her.
The staff on the Badger First class! Thanks!!!!
anyone looking to get back and forth to Wisconsin/ Michigan give them a try,as the Chief said with fuel prices the truckers love them to move their trucks with loads.

 

[stevenq99]

Dam! Wish I had seen this earlier. looks like fun! I have always wanted to take the ferry. Did you get in a dive before?

 

[moneysavr]

Dam! Wish I had seen this earlier. looks like fun! I have always wanted to take the ferry. Did you get in a dive before?

Our local pal Dennis was unable to join us on a dive so we took a pass,the dive would of had to been the Rouse Simmons aka, The Christmas tree ship and at 165'fsw its a deep dive, vis near shore was nill/mud.
And I had to look at a property we are about to buy in Door county close to major dive sites! so my a.m. was cut short,
They run the cruise at the start of the season on both sides of the lake ,a cute fact is that the Chief gave us on the Michigan side they drank thru the whole cruise a 1/2dozen or so barrels of beer last year,On the Wisconsin side they were thru 6 before they left the dock! so us cheese heads like our suds!
I hope next year to let more folks know of it as its a great meet and greet,food was great deserts,shrimp ect, and the beer was cold!

 

[SwimJim]

Our local pal Dennis was unable to join us on a dive so we took a pass,the dive would of had to been the Rouse Simmons aka, The Christmas tree ship and at 165'fsw its a deep dive, vis near shore was nill/mud.
And I had to look at a property we are about to buy in Door county close to major dive sites! so my a.m. was cut short,
They run the cruise at the start of the season on both sides of the lake ,a cute fact is that the Chief gave us on the Michigan side they drank thru the whole cruise a 1/2dozen or so barrels of beer last year,On the Wisconsin side they were thru 6 before they left the dock! so us cheese heads like our suds!
I hope next year to let more folks know of it as its a great meet and greet,food was great deserts,shrimp ect, and the beer was cold!

I'll second that idea for a scubaboard meet and greet. That would be pretty awesome. Pick a wreck to dive in the morning and then party on the Badger! I could see a bonfire and a quarter barrel on the shore of lake Michigan some where that evening. That would be kick*****!

Jim