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Progress Made On M/V Stikine Construction
Photos By Dave McNary

 

September 12, 2005
Monday


Ketchikan, Alaska - Good progress in underway with the new ferry, the M/V Stikine, reports Dave McNary. McNary who lives on Prince of Wales in Southeast Alaska was in Anacortes, Washington in August and visited the Dakota Creek Shipyard where the new ferry is being built.

McNary has built 26 steel boats up to 135 feet and is familiar with the construction process. He said the construction is taking place on modules while the entire deck and superstructure is being built inside a large building.

Photo: M/V Stikine

First section of the bow - upside down.


All the materials come to Dakota Creek pre-cut and primered from the steel supplier said McNary. The steel supplier gets their data from the boats designer and with that data they are able to feed that data into computerized steel cutting machines that make the parts.


Photo: Stikine construction

The first section of the bow and the second section back from
the bow next to each other. Both sections are being build upside down.

 

Photo: Stikine first & second sections

Second section back from the bow - upside down


The second section back from the bow is built upside down. These sections are built this way and in separate sections because it saves many hours of labor said McNary.



Photo: Stikine 3rd Section

Third section back of the bow - right-side up

McNary said the third section back from the bow is far enough along that its been turned right-side up and has also been moved into place on the railway where its ready to have the other sections joined to it as they progress to the same stage of construction

 

Photo: Stikine section back of bow

Third section back of the bow - right-side up


Photo: Stikine Section 4

Section Four

Section four is far enough along that it was expected to be moved along with section five over onto the railway soon. McNary said when they start joining these sections it will quickly begin to look like something recognizable.

 

Photo: Section 5

Section 5


Section 5 is one section ahead of the stern section. As you can see from the photograph, the bottom is starting its rise here. McNary said he remembers from the construction of the Prince of Wales that section six isn't nearly as large, in length, as the other sections. As of the time of McNary's visit he said they either hadn't started section six or he wasn't able to locate it.


Photo: Stikine sections 4&5

Sections 4 and 5 sitting next to each other where they were
constructed in the yard. Section #5 is on the left.


Photo: Stikine wheelhouse

The sides of the wheelhouse now extend all the way out to
the edge of the vessel ( like wings ).


McNary said the wheelhouse on the Marine Vessel Stikine will look somewhat different from the M/V Prince of Wales due to a major change. The sides of the wheelhouse now extend all the way out to the edge of the vessel ( like wings ). McNary said this will make docking somewhat easier, especially in bad weather, as the skipper will to able to walk out to the edges for a better view.


jpg Stikine inside construction

Entire top-deck with passenger areas and snack-bar with the entire
wheelhouse above that deck is nearly completed.


The tops of all these sections will be the car-deck, from there begins the sides of the vessel. McNary said the entire top-deck with passenger areas and snack-bar with the entire wheelhouse above that deck is nearly completed. This work is all being done inside a very large building at Dakota Creek.

 

Photographs by Dave McNary ©2005

 

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