Badger not sailing again today, repairs underway

LUDINGTON — The S.S. Badger continues to be docked for a third day in a row. It last sailed on Tuesday but experienced a mechanical issue Wednesday, preventing it from sailing.

“We continue to experience a problem with the Badger’s boiler tubes that prevents us from sailing again today,” said Terri Brown, director of marketing and media relations. ” This type of problem is not uncommon in boiler systems, but making the necessary repairs is a search and repair process that has taken longer than we anticipated. We are optimistic that we will be sailing tomorrow, however. We are in communication with our customers to keep them informed about our sailing status.”

Smoke was coming from the ship’s stacks Thursday afternoon.

It is usual practice of the company to refund passengers who are unable to reschedule their trip. On Wednesday, Lake Michigan Carferry Service announced it would offer a 50 percent discount for those passengers who rescheduled for the next sailing.

The 2013 sailing season ends on October 13.