Lake Express is a high-speed auto

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

 and passenger ferry

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 that is in service on a route across Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

. Lake Express links the cities of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

 and Muskegon, Michigan

Muskegon, Michigan

Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...

 from late spring to the fall of each year.

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

Austal USA

Austal USA is the American branch of operations for Australia-based shipbuilder Austal. The facility is based in Mobile, Alabama and employs more than 1000 workers with expansions currently underway.-History:...

 in Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

, and began service on June 1, 2004. It was one of the first high-speed catamaran

Catamaran

A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...

-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

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

, 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.

Dimensions

Specifications
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

External links

• Official site
• Press Release from Austal USA
  Austal USA
  Austal USA is the American branch of operations for Australia-based shipbuilder Austal. The facility is based in Mobile, Alabama and employs more than 1000 workers with expansions currently underway.-History:...
  
   announcing Lake Express completion
• Coverage of the ferry by the Muskegon Chronicle
  Muskegon Chronicle
  The Muskegon Chronicle is a daily newspaper in Muskegon, Michigan owned by Booth newspapers. It started publication in the early-to-mid-19th century. In May 2007, the paper celebrated 150 years. Click the Muskegon Chronicle on Mlive.com link below and look for 150 years in right column under...