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Fishing vessels operate near the Badger prior to its departure in fall 2024. Photo by Rob Alway.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard has proposed a new rule requiring smaller boats to give wide berth to larger vessels during congested times in the Ludington channel and Pere Marquette Lake.
“Of particular concern, large commercial vessels were forced to take emergent action on several occasions to avoid imminent collision,” a USCG proposal states.
Over the last few years, particularly in late summer and early fall, commercial vessels, including the SS Badger, have had multiple encounters and near-misses with smaller crafts.
On Nov. 14, 2024, the Coast Guard hosted a town hall meeting at the Ludington Municipal Building to discuss safety concerns in the Ludington channel and Pere Marquette Lake.
Leading the meeting was Chief Warrant Officer Nick Gera, commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Manistee, which patrols the Lake Michigan shoreline from Leland to Stony Lake. Accompanying him was Lt. Commander Jessica Anderson, chief of waterways management, stationed in Milwaukee, along with Lt. Joe Molnar of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources law enforcement, based in Cadillac, Ludington Police Department Chief Chris Jones and Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole.
During the meeting, both Chief Gera and Chief Jones emphasized that the violators do not come from one specific group. Jones said he has seen kayakers, sailboaters and fishing vessels each get in the way of commercial vessels coming in and out of the harbor. They also stressed that the Badger has not been the only commercial vessel experiencing issues.
Capt. Ed Wiltse of the Badger recommended, during the meeting, creating a regulated navigation area (RNA) that makes it illegal for vessels to be within a quarter mile in front of a commercial vessel. As a result of the suggestion, the Coast Guard is recommending an RNA that during times of congestion would require smaller vessels to maintain distance from any commercial or recreational vessel greater than 100 feet in length that is transiting into or out of the Ludington channel starting at 1,000 yards (3,300 feet) outside of the pier heads in Lake Michigan into the channel and Pere Marquette Lake. Those restrictions would mean the smaller vessels had to remain a minimum of 440 yards (1,320 feet) from the bow, 100 yards (300 feet) from the stern and 35 yards (105 feet) from the port and starboard sides.
Vessels would still be allowed to navigate the area, and restrictions would be for short periods of time, the proposal says. The term “congestion” would be determined by the Coast Guard. Mariners would be notified via a broadcast. Congestion could occur during peak fishing times, fishing derbies, regattas and other marine events.
“The goal is to prevent loss of life, vessel collisions and groundings, environmental damage, and loss of property resulting from conflicts between varied users of these navigable waterways,” the proposal says.
Normal navigational rules are “not sufficient” in this case due to high volumes of traffic on a relatively narrow waterway, the proposal says.
The Coast Guard is taking public comment on the proposal until June 23. To submit a comment, visit regulations.gov and enter docket number USCG-2024-1102. To receive notifications about the proposal, click the subscribe button near the top right of the screen and enter your email address.
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