Thanks for sharing this. I will never forget my Lake Express trip I took on October 9, 2018: I was on the 6am voyage, so after the lights of the Milwaukee skyline disappeared from the horizon, the stars were abundant in the night sky. Halfway across the lake, the sun started coming up, and it felt like we were sailing right into it!
Thank you for the trip! Many years ago I took a carferry from Milwaukee across the lake with a friend and later alone. It took hours to cross just one way. That boat really moves if it now takes only 2-1/2 hours! You had a beautiful day for the trip
Videos like these are so extremely helpful! Going on my first ferry ride and in very nervous. THANK YOU! I am far less scared because I know what to expect
I stumbled on this and almost immediately recognized the voice of the narrator, which I hadn't heard in several years: YOUTUUBA! Nice to hear your smiling voice. I loved your high-quality, cross--country Amtrak videos, and this is every bit as good. Thank you. PS Those Amtrak videos got me through the early days of the covid lockdown without me jumping out of a third-story window. I'm very grateful.
I'm from Ludington, so we very much love our 68 year old carferry (SS Badger). One of my favorite things to do on a summer evening is go down to the channel and watch the Badger return. So to a "local" like me, the Lake Express is the competition. Regardless, I have wondered what it looked like and what the experience was like. Thank you for sharing!
Several trips on the Badger and now due to problems with the loading dock in Ludington, we will be taking the Lake Empress in 1 month. After your video, I’m kinda excited. She looks like a heck of a boat. Not the Badger but a new experience. Excellent video! I’m excited for the voyage
As a Great Lakes seafarer and Captain, the Lake Express is technically referred to as the MV Lake Express, with MV meaning "Motor Vessel". PV could also be applied as she is a passenger vessel as well.
I remember a Bob-Lo ride I had many tears ago. I remember feeling way under dressed because that boat was open like this one. I noticed in your video many people on the sunny side of the deck and no one in the shade.
Nice video Thanx. The white cutter just aft of the sub is a former Coast Guard ship built in the mid 1920’s used to intercept the rum runner trades during prohibition. She was later used as a sub chaser during WW 2 and is probably one of the older/oldest boats on the lake.
We took this ferry twice, a tad expensive but definitely superior to driving through/around/ Chicago. The crew were professional and the trip pleasant. We also rode the Badger which was interesting but the time it took to retrieve the auto in Ludington was excessive. A keen view on the westbound leg is the way the skyline of Milwaukee creeps into view.
I have heard The Great Lakes being called "inland seas", but the clip of the ship being in the "middle of nowhere" kind of proves the point! Idle curiosity: are reservations required for the trip? Perhaps not for passengers, but definitely for cars? A most excellent video, thanks for posting!
You can watch his Chanel he’s got a couple videos about it now on “Chill Adventures”. I’ve surfed it with him. During the flat days when this boat comes into Muskegon you can surf the waves from the boat near shore. It doesn’t last long but it is good waves and super fun 🤙
Sure if you have the time to drive to Ludington then twice the time to cross the lake, I took that trip over on the Badger when I was a kid , boy was it exciting. What I remember most was the color of the water in the early 70’s . Such a beautiful aqua looking color, is it still that way ?
Very nice experience I guess.. Are passengers allowed to stay on the top deck (open air) during transit? It would be so nice to have that experience. Did you get motion sickness, does it rock too much? 2.5 hrs seem like a long time to me.
Adarsh Gupta, it takes that amount of time because Lake Michigan is huge. The other car ferry, the Badger, takes 6 hours to cross. I don't think this boat rocks very much. And yes, passengers are allowed on the the top deck any time they want, but even in Summer it gets quite cold out on the lake at the high speed.
David Prins , every time I have taken the Badger, it has been over 5 hours, often almost 6 hours. Enough time for me to stroll the deck, get a meal, watch a movie in the theater, stroll again, get another snack, watch a whole other movie, then back on deck to watch the shore come into view and the ship dock. That can't all take place in only 4 hours.
If you prefer lolling around the deck while at speed...forget it. Your toupe will be long gone and you'll have to deal with terminal wind burn. Try the SS Badger instead.
At cruise speed...it is most unpleasant to stand on the open upper deck. The wind will nearly blow you over. (As you can hear.) Stay away, if you have a Toupe.
RL T, indeed the Lake Express is not comfortable on the open deck during cruise, even on a balmy day. And unlike the SS Badger, which hardly seems to be moving when on the open lake, the Lake Express had a fairly noticeable roll and heave motion on the very calm day I sailed on her. I tried to do a video of this, but it did not come out well. I sat indoors and observed other passengers having trouble walking due to the motion. I wonder what it would be like when the like is rough.....
Here's what I don't understand, if you pull your car into the ferry, do you have to back them out, or is there another door for the cars to go out on the other side of the ferry?
Lake Express has hatches on both ends. Appears they use the stern in Milwaukee and the bow in Muskegon. The Badger requires vehicles to be turned around as it can only load/unload from the stern.
Stefano Trando, sometimes people have to make long phone calls. But I doubt there is cellular reception in the middle of the lake, so maybe she was listening to a bunch of voice messages she needed to catch up on. Maybe she was listening to an audio book. None of us know the situation, and thus should not judge. It is unfortunate that you were quick to do so.
@@steftrando , how do you know she was texting? Maybe she was composing a long email that she needed to send as soon as the ship got in range of a cellular antenna.
Why wasn't this thing built in Wisconsin or at least at a Great Lakes shipyard? Because in order to get taxpayers money to build it they had to get a certain US senator to ram it through his committee. What state was the senator from? Alabama where it just so happens that this ferry was built. Crooked politicians.
Since when do you get to decide where a ship gets built? And who made you the authority on what is inappropriate when it comes to a business deciding who they will hire to do work for them? Get real...that is not how the things work in the real world, and it is not a crime to do differently from what you personally wish.
What gives me a right is that I am a taxpayer and have the right to criticize the way taxpayer money is spent anytime I want. Apparently you under the impression we are a socialist country without a constitution which guarantees our right to criticize our government.
@@kevinduveneck1504 , you insult me. This ferry is a apparently a commercial operation, so whether you pay taxes or not has nothing to do with it. This is a free country, where a person or business can choose to buy whatever they want, wherever they want....any town, any state, any country. You citing your taxpayer status seems to in no way qualify you to dictate where a business chooses to do business. If you have facts about this business that would indicate that they need to be beholden to taxpayers, then please share that information instead of complaining. Without such information, you come across as no more than a sour crank.
youtuuba What part of bribing a senator don’t you get? The owners of this private company needed to get the approval of a senator from Alabama in order to receive federal funds, and you don’t think that had anything to do with it being built in Alabama? Once a private company starts asking for government funding it becomes the taxpayers business!
@@boataxe4605 , you have an incredibly naive outlook. There is hardly any aspect of business that does not have such considerations. And did they actually bribe the senator (illegal) or perhaps make a campaign contribution or something like that? I tried to Google what you are saying and did not see what you are referring to.
Thanks for sharing this. I will never forget my Lake Express trip I took on October 9, 2018: I was on the 6am voyage, so after the lights of the Milwaukee skyline disappeared from the horizon, the stars were abundant in the night sky. Halfway across the lake, the sun started coming up, and it felt like we were sailing right into it!
Thank you for the trip! Many years ago I took a carferry from Milwaukee across the lake with a friend and later alone. It took hours to cross just one way. That boat really moves if it now takes only 2-1/2 hours! You had a beautiful day for the trip
Videos like these are so extremely helpful! Going on my first ferry ride and in very nervous. THANK YOU! I am far less scared because I know what to expect
Overall it’s a decent ride across.
I stumbled on this and almost immediately recognized the voice of the narrator, which I hadn't heard in several years: YOUTUUBA! Nice to hear your smiling voice. I loved your high-quality, cross--country Amtrak videos, and this is every bit as good. Thank you.
PS Those Amtrak videos got me through the early days of the covid lockdown without me jumping out of a third-story window. I'm very grateful.
I'm from Ludington, so we very much love our 68 year old carferry (SS Badger). One of my favorite things to do on a summer evening is go down to the channel and watch the Badger return. So to a "local" like me, the Lake Express is the competition. Regardless, I have wondered what it looked like and what the experience was like. Thank you for sharing!
Several trips on the Badger and now due to problems with the loading dock in Ludington, we will be taking the Lake Empress in 1 month. After your video, I’m kinda excited. She looks like a heck of a boat. Not the Badger but a new experience. Excellent video! I’m excited for the voyage
As a Great Lakes seafarer and Captain, the Lake Express is technically referred to as the MV Lake Express, with MV meaning "Motor Vessel". PV could also be applied as she is a passenger vessel as well.
I remember a Bob-Lo ride I had many tears ago. I remember feeling way under dressed because that boat was open like this one. I noticed in your video many people on the sunny side of the deck and no one in the shade.
Nice video Thanx. The white cutter just aft of the sub is a former Coast Guard ship built in the mid 1920’s used to intercept the rum runner trades during prohibition. She was later used as a sub chaser during WW 2 and is probably one of the older/oldest boats on the lake.
Very cool video
Ahhh, lake Michigan, into the the great wide-open !!!
We took this ferry twice, a tad expensive but definitely superior to driving through/around/ Chicago. The crew were professional and the trip pleasant. We also rode the Badger which was interesting but the time it took to retrieve the auto in Ludington was excessive. A keen view on the westbound leg is the way the skyline of Milwaukee creeps into view.
I have heard The Great Lakes being called "inland seas", but the clip of the ship being in the "middle of nowhere" kind of proves the point! Idle curiosity: are reservations required for the trip? Perhaps not for passengers, but definitely for cars? A most excellent video, thanks for posting!
You can watch his Chanel he’s got a couple videos about it now on “Chill Adventures”. I’ve surfed it with him. During the flat days when this boat comes into Muskegon you can surf the waves from the boat near shore. It doesn’t last long but it is good waves and super fun 🤙
I prefer the SS Badger trip, Manitowoc-Ludington
Me to
Is that still going? I did that in 1985 or so. Loved it.
@@torqued666 It is still going, in fact in the early 90s they rennovated it, still simple and old but has much more stuff on it
Sure if you have the time to drive to Ludington then twice the time to cross the lake, I took that trip over on the Badger when I was a kid , boy was it exciting. What I remember most was the color of the water in the early 70’s . Such a beautiful aqua looking color, is it still that way ?
trying to figure out where the Muskegon dock is on Muskegon Lake. I know the area around Heritage Landing but have never seen it.
Very nice experience I guess.. Are passengers allowed to stay on the top deck (open air) during transit? It would be so nice to have that experience. Did you get motion sickness, does it rock too much? 2.5 hrs seem like a long time to me.
Adarsh Gupta, it takes that amount of time because Lake Michigan is huge. The other car ferry, the Badger, takes 6 hours to cross.
I don't think this boat rocks very much. And yes, passengers are allowed on the the top deck any time they want, but even in Summer it gets quite cold out on the lake at the high speed.
@@youtuuba Badger is a four hour crossing.
David Prins , every time I have taken the Badger, it has been over 5 hours, often almost 6 hours. Enough time for me to stroll the deck, get a meal, watch a movie in the theater, stroll again, get another snack, watch a whole other movie, then back on deck to watch the shore come into view and the ship dock. That can't all take place in only 4 hours.
If you prefer lolling around the deck while at speed...forget it. Your toupe will be long gone and you'll have to deal with terminal wind burn. Try the SS Badger instead.
Richard L. T. Ddddsd
Toupee
I rode it a few times . Once it clears the harbor you better be hanging onto something it sets you back pretty good lol
@@alphonsozorro7952 So you wear the Turbo 5000 Beaver Pelt?
@@alphonsozorro7952 Do you have a Turbo 3000?
I wish someone would take me on the Lake Express... but i'm getting old... lol
I’ve taken the trip dozens of times and there were times it was the rock and roll express
how long does it take to get across?
Very Nice Video
I agree that the Badger is nice, but Milwaukee is a BIT closer to me than Manitowoc
I jumped thru this video. Was anything shown about a snack bar or restaurant?
Very bold of you to admit that you did not watch all of the video, and yet want others to write and tell you what the content was.
there wasn't sadly and I also wanted to know how long it took
2nd post: Is the the dock that the C & O Car Ferries used to use?
No
17:04: You had good weather except for the wind.
Someone has to teach Wisconsin how to make a good pizza... lol we ordered what turned out to be terrible. haha
iirc ss stands for steam ship. hence no name on this one like that.
Hence lol.
And the 1971 Bucks
At cruise speed...it is most unpleasant to stand on the open upper deck. The wind will nearly blow you over. (As you can hear.) Stay away, if you have a Toupe.
RL T, indeed the Lake Express is not comfortable on the open deck during cruise, even on a balmy day. And unlike the SS Badger, which hardly seems to be moving when on the open lake, the Lake Express had a fairly noticeable roll and heave motion on the very calm day I sailed on her. I tried to do a video of this, but it did not come out well. I sat indoors and observed other passengers having trouble walking due to the motion. I wonder what it would be like when the like is rough.....
@J Because we don't like being bald :)
Toupee
@@alphonsozorro7952 Do you have one of the pink and green models?
$95 regular rate, one way.
For 80 miles in 2 & 1/2 hours
@@alphonsozorro7952 bro that is at least a 3.5 hour drive
@@alphonsozorro7952 and how much gas n tolls?
@@caitlincarpenter5849 over 300 bucks
Thats a small ferry.
@23:10 Now That's Deep water
Drunks and skunks
How fast does it go
About 45mph (40 or so knots)
Alexa Croft The SS United States could still go faster!! 😂
@@flowerlullaby It takes 2& 1/2 hours to cover 80 miles.
Here's what I don't understand, if you pull your car into the ferry, do you have to back them out, or is there another door for the cars to go out on the other side of the ferry?
Brian C, I thought I showed this in the video....didn't I show myself pulling my car out forwards at the end of the journey?.
Lake Express has hatches on both ends. Appears they use the stern in Milwaukee and the bow in Muskegon.
The Badger requires vehicles to be turned around as it can only load/unload from the stern.
@@davidwayneprins The can make a u-turn within the boat from the upper ramp. Large vehicles are backed in.
Milwaukee is good for drinks and skunks!!!! Ha ha ha
no, you probably don’t live their.
An advantage of ships is flush toilets pl es and trains lack hem
16:00 that lady in green was on her phone the whole entire time. What is wrong with some people.
Stefano Trando, sometimes people have to make long phone calls. But I doubt there is cellular reception in the middle of the lake, so maybe she was listening to a bunch of voice messages she needed to catch up on. Maybe she was listening to an audio book. None of us know the situation, and thus should not judge. It is unfortunate that you were quick to do so.
@@youtuuba she was texting and scrolling not calling.
@@steftrando , how do you know she was texting? Maybe she was composing a long email that she needed to send as soon as the ship got in range of a cellular antenna.
Why wasn't this thing built in Wisconsin or at least at a Great Lakes shipyard? Because in order to get taxpayers money to build it they had to get a certain US senator to ram it through his committee. What state was the senator from? Alabama where it just so happens that this ferry was built. Crooked politicians.
Since when do you get to decide where a ship gets built? And who made you the authority on what is inappropriate when it comes to a business deciding who they will hire to do work for them? Get real...that is not how the things work in the real world, and it is not a crime to do differently from what you personally wish.
What gives me a right is that I am a taxpayer and have the right to criticize the way taxpayer money is spent anytime I want. Apparently you under the impression we are a socialist country without a constitution which guarantees our right to criticize our government.
@@kevinduveneck1504 , you insult me. This ferry is a apparently a commercial operation, so whether you pay taxes or not has nothing to do with it. This is a free country, where a person or business can choose to buy whatever they want, wherever they want....any town, any state, any country. You citing your taxpayer status seems to in no way qualify you to dictate where a business chooses to do business.
If you have facts about this business that would indicate that they need to be beholden to taxpayers, then please share that information instead of complaining. Without such information, you come across as no more than a sour crank.
youtuuba What part of bribing a senator don’t you get? The owners of this private company needed to get the approval of a senator from Alabama in order to receive federal funds, and you don’t think that had anything to do with it being built in Alabama? Once a private company starts asking for government funding it becomes the taxpayers business!
@@boataxe4605 , you have an incredibly naive outlook. There is hardly any aspect of business that does not have such considerations. And did they actually bribe the senator (illegal) or perhaps make a campaign contribution or something like that? I tried to Google what you are saying and did not see what you are referring to.
First