Features

Working the Lakes: Undaunted/PM41; 5-year inspection

October 15, 2025

This Great Lakes Boat Blog is a presentation of Filer Credit Union, with offices in Manistee, Ludington and Bear Lake, www.filercu.com and the Mason County Historical Society’s Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, ludingtonmaritimemuseum.org, located at 217 S. Lakeshore Dr., Ludington. By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief STURGEON BAY, Wis. — Late in the evening on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, the articulated tug/barge Undaunted/Pere Marquette…

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The shipwrecks of 1929: Wisconsin sinks on eve of Great Depression

October 14, 2025

Great Lakes History Log is presented by Filer Credit Union with offices in Manistee, Ludington, East Lake, and Bear Lake and the Mason County Historical Society, which operates the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, Historic White Pine Village and the Rose Hawley Archives in downtown Ludington. Part 3: S.S. Wisconsin By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief The last four months of 1929…

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The shipwrecks of 1929: Sinking of Milwaukee was worst car ferry disaster

October 13, 2025

Great Lakes History Log is presented by Filer Credit Union with offices in Manistee, Ludington, East Lake, and Bear Lake and the Mason County Historical Society, which operates the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, Historic White Pine Village and the Rose Hawley Archives in downtown Ludington. Part 2: S.S. Milwaukee By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief The last four months of 1929…

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Working on the Badger: Keepers of the Legacy, Capt. Ed Wiltse, ship’s master

October 11, 2025

Part 6 By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief LUDINGTON — Bernard “Bunny” Robertson, Bjoruin “Lindy” Johnson, Ernest Barth, John Bissell, Bruce Masse, Gregg Anderson, Dean Hobbs, Kevin Fitch. Those are just some of the men who have been the masters of the S.S. Badger, the last of a long line of car ferries based out of Ludington. In 2023, another captain joined…

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Working on the Badger: Keepers of the Legacy, Chief Engineer Diedrich

October 6, 2025

Part 5 Story and photos by Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief LAKE MICHIGAN — When Kevin Diedrich was growing up in Manitowoc, Wis. his grandparents lived near the lakeshore. Kevin and his sister had the chore of mowing their grandparents’ lawn. When they were done they would go down by the shore and watch the carferries come and go. “My sister used…

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