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[08glide]

has anyone taken the muskegon/milwaukee ferry with their bike? wondering about tying down bikes while on ferry. transportation authorities say they don't provide straps, bring your own. question is, do they have anything (D-rings) to anchor to. how about wheel chocks

[Twolanerider]

Not the one you're asking about so the waters may be different or rougher and the ferry you're asking about may be smaller and ride rougher.  But have had bikes on the Cape May/Lewes Ferry several times across the Deleware Bay.  Also done the Washington Island Ferry out of Detroit and some small river Ferries in Virginia and one in Kentucky.  None offered tiedown options.

The River Ferries never were a worry.  Small, short, you never leave the bike anyway.  The big open water boats freaked me out.  At least for a while.  Never had a problem.  But wet decks and potential sliding tires in even mildly rough water always had me concerned about a bike going over.  Especially on the Cape May/Lewes boat there's always several bikes there; all tucked in together.  Talking to other riders no one reported ever having a problem.  But I understand the feeling of concern. 

[porthole]

Can you go around? What happens if you get to the dock and it's blowing 25 knots and your heading into it?

I have done the Cape May many times, cars, trucks bikes even the toy hauler ($86 last year).
The option with the Cape May, is if the weather is crappy , you can go around. Cape May they load the bikes up front, right at the gate. I would not wan to be on a ferry up front, in crappy weather.

Wet steel decks?

On the CM ferry the deck hands chock the bikes with wood.

[chaos901]

This ferry between Muskegeon, WI and Ludington, MI is enclosed and takes several hours to cross.  I was looking at doing it afew years ago but the schedules did not work out as needed so I can not answer your question.

[Buy early]

From their website:

How are motorcycles secured? Does the Lake Express provide tie-downs or do I need to provide my own?

Lake Express does supply tie-downs to secure your motorcycle during the voyage. If you have your own tie-downs, you may use those.

http://www.lake-express.com/help/faqs.aspx#

I have ridden on this ferry but did so when I picked up a van in MI and drove it home. Very nice boat, very good experience!

[JDLEE]

Took this ferry a couple years ago. It does have tie downs in the floor, but no wheel chocks, just butt up against the wall. They had straps, but I used my own. It's a really cool thiing to do!!!

Have some pics of it somewhere, but can't find them........darn it.

[djkak]

Tied Down.

[djkak]

Ready to go.

[JDLEE]

That's interesting.....we just ran our bikes up against the wall when we loaded and tied down. Maybe it's because there were only about 10 bikes on the ferry that day!

[djkak]

The ferry was packed full of cars and bikes, it was pretty tight.

[tazmun]

We've done the Lake Express a couple three times with our bikes. The first couple times we nosed into the wall, and the last time like the pictures. This ferry has jet drives and it only takes 2-1/2 hours for the 80 mile trip. The Badger ferry
is an OLD coal burning ship and it takes almost 5 hours! 
 Go to the website and look at the ferry, sailing times and rates.

TAZ

[JoeSDE]

Did the coal burning ferry in 2003 on the way to Milwaukee for the 100th. It can get quite dirty downwind from the stacks. Bikes were underneath, but anyone outside could get sooty.   JoeS

[HD Jim]

We had a strap from another bike hit my wife's bike and scratch the saddle bag lid.  Just a word of caution you and everyone else straps their own bike down.  Other than that we have taken the ferry several times and it was good.  It can be packed though.

[porthole]

So you have a twin hull enclosed ferry - boy that makes all the difference!

Sure beats this ferry I took going to Maggie Valley on 2011

Only thing keeping it from washing down the river is that wire rope strung across from bank to bank

[49445CVO]

Live in Muskegon and took it last June. The crew is very biker friendly and works hard to make sure your bike is tied down correctly. They supply the straps and after you are done securing your bike(s). They double check and make sure it's tight. Loading and unloading was easy. I took the Badger a few years prior and it was a huge difference. First of all on the Badger you supply the tie downs and they load you in the ships belly against the wall, you hook the tie downs to a grate and it's do dark you can barely see what your doing. Then the crossing.... It was like 5 hours. Great if you stayed up all night and were hung over but when your starting your trip... You usually want to get going and this is not the case here.