Lake Express
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Lake Express is a high-speed auto and passenger ferry that is in service on a route across Lake Michigan. Lake Express links the cities of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon, Michigan from late spring to the fall of each year.
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[edit] Background
The ship travels at a top speed of 40 miles per hour (34 knots) and makes the 68 nautical mile trip three times daily from each side of the lake during the peak of its operational schedule. Lake Express is able to cross the lake in two and a half hours. It was constructed by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, and began service on June 1, 2004. It was one of the first high-speed catamaran-style auto/passenger ferries built in the United States. It was also the first high-speed car ferry to see service on the Great Lakes, beating out the Spirit of Ontario I, which was beset by a series of last-minute delays, by one month.
On August 21, 2005, the ferry rescued a man whose boat had capsized in the middle of Lake Michigan. [1]
[edit] Dimensions
| Specifications [2] | |
|---|---|
| Overall Length | 192 feet (59 m) |
| Overall Width | 57 feet (17 m) |
| Hull Depth | 8 feet (2 m) |
| Number of Passengers | 248 |
| Number of Vehicles | 46 passenger vehicles / 12 motorcycles |
| Weight | 148 Tons |
| Main Engines | 4 Diesel Engines |
| Horsepower | 12,000 HP |
| Water Jets | 4 Kamewa |
| Speed | 40 Miles Per Hour/34 Knots |
[edit] See also
- S.S. Badger, another ferry on a nearby route
- Sen. John Kerry on the Lake Express, during his presidential campaign
[edit] References
- ^ "Ferry rescues boater from lake", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 21, 2005
- ^ "Vessel Specifications", Lake Express Official Web Site, Accessed April 27, 2006
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Press Release from Austal USA announcing Lake Express completion
- Coverage of the ferry by the Muskegon Chronicle
