SS Badger Winter Makeover 

I've been researching a summer road trip and was looking at taking a ferry across Lake Michigan. Found the SS Badger and the Express Ferry that gets you across in 2 hours. After watching this video I think my mind is made up to take the SS Badger. Thank you for the video.

. I am back, viewing this video again. That is not something I do with videos very often, but this connects so well, even intimately, with the experiences of myself and my wife. Certainly, the ship still transports me... across time to warm and special moments anticipating her, being aboard her, sharing her with each other. . Given her legacy, given her presence today, I submit one more thing needs to be added to your remarks at 8:41. To be sure, there is the trip. There is the happiness. There also is the joining of past and present. Connections of so many moments of her legacy to the living here and now and a noble bow that points to times to come. . Thank you so much for this video, Mr. O"Donnell.

👍🏼 Great video! Our SS Badger story, short version: Heading east to Massachusetts from the Midwest with the kids, it was a way to keep moving and skip a motel bill! Our youngest found a chair on deck and slept out there, in the weather! Today he is a member of the US Coast Guard, an Aviation Electronics Technician and Flight Mechanic on a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter! Semper Paratus! 😎✌🏼

Wow! I watched ur video of the USS cleveland the other day which was unbelievable! Then YT sent me here. What an amazing story of the Badger and the tug team; the drone and video you took - as you have probably already read the number of comments from last year - fantastic. Relay enjoyed watching. I live 10 miles from Lake Erie so it’s nothing to drive up to the lake and watch the freighters or in the summer, the sunsets and all the pleasure boats. Thanks for taking the time to video and drone shot her.

This video was awesome! Thank you for taking the time to put this together. As a crewmember of the Badger, I really liked how you told of all the stories you received during her time in Sturgeon Bay. Hearing all the stories from passengers over the years or from people I meet in the off season from all over that have stories to tell, it's always been one of my favorite parts of working on her. To share those memories.

i know i am late to the party but what a great video of the beautiful SS Badger. Im so glad to see the new owners take such great care of her. I was there that day and I agree with the comment on Jim Connoly, he is a great photographer. He was there that day taking photos that I now have on my wall. Thanks for documenting this and doing such a wonderful job.

Thank you! First crossed 1978 with dad , brother and 74 LTD wagon from Ludington to Milwaukee

Thank you, this has been truly wonderful. As a “mid century “ creation myself 😎, I am enthralled to realise that this lovely old vessel is held in such esteem, and, sitting watching it from my home in the sub tropics half a world away, I am equally delighted at the visual splendour of the winter backdrop

I must confess, your outstanding video made me tear up, having sailed aboard both the BADGER and her sister ship, SPARTAN numerous times in the mid-60s: Ludington - Milwaukee, a 6-hr crossing. After burying our father in Grand Rapids, Michigan in late May 2014, my brother (a Florida resident), our sister, a Grand Rapids resident, and I (Colorado resident) booked a round-trip on the BADGER: Ludington - Manitowoc, a 4 hour crossing, the three of us previously well-acquainted with the BADGER and SPARTAN. A heartwarming, emotional trip that is tucked in our respective memory banks for safekeeping. Thank you for your wonderful narration and footage of the beautiful BADGER. Long may she sail. As Stevie Wonder said: “Isn’t She Lovely”!

That was my 1,000 dollar vacation. The wife loved it.

Wow....this was amazing and wonderful!! I will show this to my parents in their 90's this weekend. We took the Badger many times when I was young to MI to visit my grandparents. It was the huge thrill for a young girl and somewhat scary to board this huge boat. Thank God The Badger was invested in and brought back to life! It took my own kids on it as we headed to Mackinac Island years later. The thrill was still there and I got to watch their awe and wonder. I still had the same feelings as well. You're right Kevin, the common thread is happiness and memories. Thank you for your work and the work, love and investment of many!! It is revered, respected and appreciated...

Thank you. She looks beautiful! My first crossing was with my grandparents in the 1960s. During the past decade, there have been many crossings since my daughter went to college in Minnesota. Each time is special. On one trip that I missed, my family watched the Perseid Meteor Showers from the bow. We are so incredibly lucky, aren't we?

We've rode the Badger and are usually in Ludington to see her maiden voyage each year. I just told my wife we are going this year again.

The William C Gaynor is such a sharp looking tug. So classic.

Great video! Thanks for going out freezing weather and great job drone and video! I remember my first tour of her engine room! Simply amazing and pride of the Chief and engine room crew,

Thanks again for the wonderful quad copter video. The copter provides a perspective we just can not get from a shoreline camera. I may have crossed lake Michigan in the 1950s or 1960s from Michigan to Manitowoc. It made a much shorter trip than driving around the lake through Gary, Chicago, and Milwaukee back then. Later in life we have been to Vancouver Island taking the huge ocean going ferry over from Nanimo BC to the mainland. It was incredible to board the over 500 ft ferry. It took on many 18 wheelers and even train cars onto tracks in the ship. It is truly wonderful to take the British Columbia and even Washington state ferrys. On of the beat trips is the San Juan island ferry trip.

Loved the video such a great video and you were so right when you said it brings people happiness because I took that boat on that 4 hour ride to Michigan and it was so much fun and everything about that boat is amazing. Thank you for the amazing videos you gained a subscriber today

. Yes! Oh yes! At 12:49 not only is this a noble angle to appreciate and love this beauty, but the white of the ice reflects off her hull and gives her a, dare I say celestial?... glow. . This ship was such a pleasure for me and my wife. Twice we boarded her when it was possible to stay overnight in a cabin. Recognizing she was at base a working ship, still, that very solidness and staunch legacy seemed to give her rich character that married so beautifully to the Great Lake Michigan. It was romance upon romance that we indulged to the utmost. We could not help but fall into the spell.

Arghhhh Agnes, that ice is scratching the new paint!

My boat is docked at Harbor View Marina next to the Badger in Ludington. I will never get tired watching this ship arrive and depart every season. It's been great viewing your channel!!

What a great video! I waved to you from the pilothouse at the mouth of the canal. So cool to see it from your perspective. Thanks!!

So glad we found this channel. My wife and I drove from Cape Cod this fall to spend a month exploring the Great Lakes and had the most unforgettable trip back to Michigan on October 8 and loved every moment of the trip. We commented then on what a treasure the Badger was but sadly noted she was looking a little ….”worn” . Your video thrilled us to no end! She looks strong and proud.

Excellent video, especially the drone shots. I followed the journey on Sarter Marine. I got my love of car ferries, especially the Badger from my father. We have also taken the ChiCheemon at Tobermory (in Thunder Bay for her 5 year inspection), the Merrimac across the Wisconsin River, the Valley View in Kentucky, the Ironton Ferry at Charlevoix and the Madeline Island Ferry. Dad is 93 and used to take ferries from Marinette, Kewaunee and Manitowoc across the lake and back - just for the day. He has a story he tells of a nasty storm where the boat had to head south due to the high waves. Even the crew was getting sick, but he thought it was a great adventure. He took me on the Badger when I was about 8 and it was part of the Chesapeake and Ohio. I got playing cards with the Chessie kitten on the back. Wish I still had them. We took it several times while growing up. I took my 88 y/o grandmother across to visit her nieces in Muskegon. We also took my niece across. I worked in Manitowoc for a year and loved hearing the whistle of the Badger. I live in Green Bay and like getting up to Sturgeon Bay to see the line up of the winter fleet.

I stumbled in here because i'm a fellow boat nerd. I stayed for the history, scenery, chickens, bees, cherries, the wonderful music, spectacular photos and your buttery smooth voice. What a way to spend the day. Im thoroughly enjoying this !!

Great video Kevin , I’m a Georgia boy and I’m happy to say I and some friends of mine took a motorcycle trip from Ga to Milwaukee Wisconsin back in 2009 and we boarded the SS BADGER on our bikes and went down in her belly and what a great ride it was and a memorable trip . Thank you so much for this , it brought back memories 🇺🇸

Rode on the Badger from Luddington to Manitowoc about 19 years ago as a strong cold front swept across Lake Michigan and the waves reached 10'. The deck was swaying so much you walked like a drunk. Temp dropped from 76 to 52 and i was not dressed for the drop. There must have been an MG roundup in WI as the deck was filled with them. I imagined this how they looked as they crossed the Atlantic when they were new. Wish I had taken a picture. The owners had to drive their MG's on board themselves as the porters could not drive manual transmissions.

Living in Michigan I have seen the Badger many, many times. I have had only one opportunity to use it and that happened by chance. A few years back we planned a trip to Chicago. The plan didn't work out. The construction and traffic was just too much to we kept going and ended up in Beloit WI. Turns out that they were having a festival called "River Fest" so we hung around. Two of bands that were playing were Grand Funk Railroad and Steppenwolf. We had a blast. Since we wanted to visit the "big city" we went to Milwaukee instead and we had a great time there too. Not wanting to go back thru Chicago we decided to drive up to Manitowoc so we could take the Badger back to Michigan. We had pretty rough seas on the trip, but it was better than driving back thru Chicago. The best part was when we boarded I hear a voice shout out "Hey Bernie", turns out a guy I knew from Windsor Ontario was working on the ship. What are the odds. Sure added to the story of what was an very fun trip.

Great Video...we love taking the Badger, been traveling on her for over 35 yrs. Way back when her WI dock was Kewaunee! Great memories of taking our kids over to WI to visit Grandma & Grandpa. She looks great with her new paint job, can't wait to see her this summer for a trip to WI!

Thanks for sharing the SS Badger! Had the privilege to do a crossing several years ago. Did the "Loo-dington" (GPS speak) to Manitowoc trip. I dialed Green Bay into my GPS just for grins that morning and she asked, "The shortest route involves a ferry. Do you want to take it?" Cracked me up because I was parked in the Badger parking lot.

She's a very beautiful ship. I m sorry to say I ve not heard of her, but now I'm so glad I know her history and how loved she is. Thank you for sharing your video with those who have wonderful memories of her.

pretty Cool-great drone work-Thanks

Great footage, great story. Thank you!

Wonderful film! I travelled on the Badger for my 6th birthday in ‘71. We lived in Ludington and I nagged and nagged because my grandfather was a Chief Engineer on the C&O ferries and we could do the crossing for free. My mother, aunts and uncles were so used to growing up on the ferries that, at the time, it wasn’t a big deal for them. But the incredible sight of the Badger sailing into the sunset every evening just fascinated me to no end. So much so that I ended up sailing on cruise ships for 4 years as a musician. And now, I live in a small coastal town in Northern Norway where the Hurtigruten (coastal voyager), about the same size as the Badger, docks daily at 6am (northbound) and 11am (southbound). And they always remind me of the Badger.

She is a beautiful lady, may she grace the waves for many more years!

I know her and appreciate her. Thank you for this video!!

Well done -- so articulate -- excellent video -- superlative combination. Thank you.

Thank you so much for doing this video! We eagerly looked for updates while she was away from home, and we are glad we found your channel (great stuff). We went and looked at her this afternoon.

Great video. Thanks for showing Surgeon Bay life that few people ever witness.

Must see posting a very Spectacular Winter scenery truly reveals the beauty of Minnesota the narrator monologue description is second to none the story about walking down the Memory Lane is earning a high mark Job well done FULL MARK 10/10 keep it up until next time BRAVO

Great video and thank you.

I am going to ADD to my comments ..Sir .I really love your Droan flying, and photography, in this video to...... Just Superb. It adds that " this is really cool" ..".Thanks for watching ."...into the final. ! ......I hope one day to be close to what you are in story telling and presents on camera .... Ability...!.

What a wonderful ship to ride on!!

This was great. I live in Scottville the next town over I got to watch her leave I had to work early when she came home but got to go look at her the first weekend she was home.

She looks beautiful!

Damn dude. That gave me chills!!!

Wow! What a production! My family plans to travel aboard her (again) this summer so I’m excited to see how beautiful she looks! May she continue to reign supreme on the Greatest Lake for many years to come.

Looking good with that new paint!

Took my first round trip at the end of August. I instantly fell in love with her! It was such an enjoyable, relaxing experience. It went by too quickly though. Luckily I only live about 3 hours away from Manitowoc. I think an annual round trip on the Badger will be my new summer tradition!

Well done! Been on a Badger crossing once, a memory for a lifetime.

Thanks Kevin this one heck of video.

Thank you for the reminder of crossing the great lake back in the early century. A great trip.

That was amazing to watch. You done good!! Thanks 😊.

Thank you sooo much. I am 80 now and travelled on her much in childhood from frankfort and back. Lived in calif all life. Hope to die near lake michican.

Nice job on the Badger’s makeover. The video production was great. Thanks for sharing.

Kevin, all I can say is Wow ! So nicely documented. Touching, Dramatic, Thought Provoking, Informative. I truly enjoyed this one my friend. Thanks for all your efforts.

Excellent video Kevin!!! Great perspective. Enjoy watching your videos. Thanks!!

Awesome video! If I were to make a suggestion I’d say turn the volume on the background music down a little. I have been a boatnerd for years and a passenger on the Badger several times. Good to see her looking shipshape again! Thanks, Kevin!

Wonderful video. I‘ll always remember our trip from Ludington on the Badger and it‘s wonderful seeing this fine ship continuing to be cared for. Definitely a part of Lake Michigan‘s living history.

Another great video. I love that you caught the Badger both before and after. Keep up the amazing work!

Great 👍 shots and background on the Badger. I took it as a teenager back in the 70's.

What a nice Job you did on this video. 👍👍

Great video and presentation! My brother has been a main welder/fabricator for this ship for a decade now, he's kept me informed about many upcoming projects planned. It's great to see the new owners taking such pride in their new acquisition... inside and out!

She is a Michigan treasure.

I'm going to be starting my first job as 2nd Assistant Engineer on this wonderful ship. Been trying for ever to get an engineering job on her. I remember the first time I saw her as a child in Ludington, MI, I do believe that us when I wanted to be a sailor. And then I got to take a tour of the engine room when I was studying at Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Now I seemed to have come full circle. :)

Awesome video.. thank you! 👍

Great work!

Saw it dry docked in Dec. Look great, thanks...

When I was a kid in Michigan you could buy "Car Ferry" school notebooks with an image of a (there were two) car Ferry on the cover.

Mr. Kevin O'Donnell ...I just knew You would come thru with this Wonderful Video after you did the Arrival of The badger !...I am Just In awe of what you do, and how you do it, ..and the effort, you put forth for us to see your story! ...Thank You Again, and I am Proud to be a Subscriber of yours ..what a talent you have .....

I really love the colours of the footage and images.

Thanks Kevin For the video of the Badger. I came across Lake Mich. on the Viking from Frankford to Kewanne. Ted

Mr. O'Donnell - In 1953, I was a young passenger (18) on my way to a National Puppetry Festival at the University of Minnesota. I wonder now if we departed from Ludington (it sounds familiar) and arrived at Manitowok, Wisconsin? While I never did take time to explore the ship, herself, I do recall the rather soothing vibrations of the engines as She took us across the lake as I wrote some notes about my journey. At the time, She was in pristine condition (even new paint smells) and despite being my first time on a boat that large, I felt rather grand and unquestionably safe. At my age, most memories are clouded by time, but Badger is still a familiar name. Thanks so much for your video story. I do wish I could remember more. Be well. F.

Took a ride from ludington into Manitowoc 2 oldest and Pontiac. Ended up being free ride. Broke down had to be towed into port. Good people enjoyed it, my daughter did too, son not as much. I'd ride her again.

Excellent example of using drone footage to help tell a story. Well done!

What an incredible video! Your videography skills are impressive, sir. Great job! It was captivating, exciting, breathtaking, suspenseful...all of the things. Thank you for taking the time to make such a wonderful video.

Amazing video!!!!!!!

Wonderful video on the SS Badger, just lovely! Thank you for documenting this historic event for all of us to enjoy. The SS Badger is a special vessel in so many ways and deserves the attention you give her. I am excited she is repainted, passed her Coast Guard certification and especially elated that she has retained her original paint scheme, I couldn't imagine her in any other colors. I plan to stroll her decks this summer (2022) and finally enjoy one of her many crossings of Lake Michigan. My plans to sail on her last year had to be cancelled due to an unfortunate event but now that she is all spiffed up it sweetens the wait. Also I wanted to mention the drone video and images, they are spectacular, the views from above when she is going through the railroad lift bridge are especially captivating. Being an industrial photographer my self with a focus on railroading I really appreciate the photo information, ISO, lens mm etc. It helps me understand how you got the results you did. Thank You and stay warm, greetings from Rochester NY.

Very nice video Kevin. Thank you, Boe

Thanks for this excellent video. You said it rightly - she brings joy to those who take passage aboard her. I took my first last June and I was utterly smitten (though, I confess, I did not properly dress -- Lake Michigan in June is still quite cold, and add 20 knots speed and you can get quite chilled, if you're wearing a t-shirt and shorts LOL -- thankful for the Gift Shop and a chance to buy a sweatshirt for some needed warmth). I think she is beautiful, her lines are lovely. The voyage from Ludington to Manotowoc was relaxing and I look forward to doing some more crossings.

Beautiful. I absolutely love your videos. You are the best photographer on the lakes. Kudos from the South Shore of Lake Erie.

I’ve seen a couple other folks posting about boats doing final runs and then headed “home” to y’all or toledo or …. In our yout’, winters would have brought complete hard ice by end of December on the lakes. Hard to believe it’s that open mid-January

Epic

What a cool video!!! Every aspect was great - the stills, the ground video, the drone shots, and the narration. (Good selection for the music too.). Love that story about the people's recollections. Thanks!

Hello from Arizona. We stay in Sturgeon Bay every summer and after seeing this video the wife and I will surely take a trip on her this coming summer......excellent video. Stay warm.

Well Done Sir!!

I also wrote a romance novel based in traverse city. The opening chapter was on the badger where lovers first met. Life is amazing, isnt it! Lynda Frost Schroeder the music on this video was so great and funny. Thanks to all ever involved.my father, the builder and captain of the paddle princes sidewheller on the platte river brought it over on the Badger. Big dolns then. Great times!!!

We crossed Lake Michigan in 2010 on Badger. Music overpowered the radio chatter.

I hope to take my son's on her soon I went on her when I was little it was beyond words❤

Family took the Badger back in 1963. Will be back on it in 2022.

Thank you for doing a wonderful job on these great boats. Though I haven ridden aboard the Baddger, I hope to some day. I've only seen her on UTube Videos.

I didn't know about the SS Badger until 2012 when obama was trying to shut down the last coal burning ship in America for no good reason. My wife of 34 years was struggling with GBM brain cancer so we planned to sail to Wisconsin in our support of the Badger. Our plans didn't work out and Sept.19, 2013 she passed away. Sadly grieving I then took the Badger and found my place on the bench next to the aft pilot house. My thought is everyone is moving forward in Life but I'm looking at our wake thinking of the elusive past. I always stay at the motel where I can see the Badger docked. I found if I stayed one more day I would catch the final voyage of the season which is a big deal. Thankfully obama was unable to shut her down and so I stay for 5 days enjoying Wisconsin ever since and the final voyage of the season. I Love the Badger and crew and can't wait to go this spring with her all painted up. So from the farm near Battle Creek, Mi. I say Thank You for the videos of a very special ship.

Love your videos Kevin. Several times you have mentioned "connections" that give you info about Sturgeon Bay. Any chance you've heard anything about the Roger Blough situation? Seems to be hard to find out if and when a decision will be made.

Wow Kevin, you have an amazing voice! ASMR. Loved your video and info about the Badger. I took it across and back in one day in 2016 in high waves and got sea sick both ways. All the contents of the gift shop were falling off the walls and people were barfing over the sides and in popcorn buckets the crew handed out. All the Dramamine was sold so the crew gave me lots of ginger ale and a copper bracelet that didn't help. One lady nicknamed it the Barfarama. I hope they add stabilizers to her and get her sister up and running someday. Next trip I take on her, I'm getting a cabin and taking Dramamine. Lol. Hope to meet you sometime...I'm in Green Bay. James.

Really professional video in every aspect - videography, storytelling, editing, use of music. Well done.

Thanks Kevin, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hEaXsGxIFdA.html the video attached is our 2019 summer vacation that started in Ludington and ends at our lake house in Elk Rapids. My Daughter Ellen a film student from Canton High School filmed our longest trip to the Lake Via the SS Badger. 4-8 minutes in are some Great shots of being onboard, enjoying the History of the Badger. She was in pretty good shape before her makeover! Can’t wait till we enjoy her again. Dave

7:20 I grew up with Carl Vanderheyden he is really talented

hello Kevin, I havent seen the badger yet, but now i think i will make it a point, amazing video. Question: After being renovated, why does it need tugs to move it? cant it use its engines? are they Diesel?, single screw? how many HP? cruise speed, 15 MPH?

@kevin O'Donnell, was anyone on-board the badger to help steer he as she got out of drydock?

Hi Kevin- Great Video! Thanks so much for making it! Was wondering if you have any insight on how much it would cost to restore the SS Spartan and get her back running? I know it would just be a wild guess but I’m hoping someone knowledgeable like yourself might have a ballpark idea. Thanks!

I wish you hadn't put that music over the ship's radio.