Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
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Post by Mill Bay on Oct 27, 2008 19:05:27 GMT -8
Knik Arm ferry From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe proposed Knik Arm ferry or Cook Inlet ferry would be a year-round passenger and auto ferry across Knik Arm between Anchorage and Point MacKenzie in Alaska. The project is expected to cost $44 million, a fraction of the cost of the more controversial proposed Knik Arm Bridge that would connect the same two communities. A special ice-breaking ferry boat has been designed to serve the route, with capacity for 20 to 28 automobiles and 115 to 150 passengers. It is being built by Alaska Ship and Drydock, Inc., in Ketchikan, with construction slated to be completed in late 2007. Design and construction costs are being subsidized by the United States Navy which hopes to study the technology for its potential in landing craft.
Ferry service could begin as soon as the summer of 2008. Transit time across Knik Arm is expected to be about 12 minutes in each direction, with a similar amount of time required for loading and unloading. The subsidized round-trip fare is expected to be in the range of $5 to $8. ReferencesAnchorage Daily News; Apr 15, 2006 (page A1); "Ferry to Valley may sail by 2008." Knik Arm ferry will be first of its kindThu, January 31, 2008 Posted in Alaska News Senator Ted Stevens got $20,000,000 appropriated for it, the Navy wants to study it, and the Matanuska Susitna Borough expects to reap economic benefits from its use. Some call it a Super Ferry, but its actually the first E-craft, and it is coming soon to a port in Southcentral Alaska. Ellen Lockyer, APRN - Palmer kska.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/ferry.png
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Oct 30, 2008 10:43:59 GMT -8
"It is being built by Alaska Ship and Drydock, Inc., in Ketchikan, with construction slated to be completed in late 2007."
I was in Ketchikan last month and they are still working on it! They have just begun to put the hull segments together. I spoke with one of the yard birds and he said they will be lucky if it is completed before the end of 2009. The design drawings look interesting though. They also still need to install the drydock that will be used to launch it.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Sept 15, 2009 1:29:13 GMT -8
It is being built by Alaska Ship and Drydock, Inc., in Ketchikan, with construction slated to be completed in late 2007... Ferry service could begin as soon as the summer of 2008. Found the official site for the M/V Susitna here. www.matsugov.us/ferryLooks like they are now expecting her to go into service sometime in 2010. Also got a shot of her last week. The heavy amount of rust doesn't look too promising...
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Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
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Post by Mill Bay on Sept 15, 2009 8:45:16 GMT -8
It is being built by Alaska Ship and Drydock, Inc., in Ketchikan, with construction slated to be completed in late 2007... Ferry service could begin as soon as the summer of 2008. Found the official site for the M/V Susitna here. www.matsugov.us/ferryLooks like they are now expecting her to go into service sometime in 2010. Also got a shot of her last week. The heavy amount of rust doesn't look too promising... Well it looks like no one on this board noticed that it isn't in service yet. I wonder what the eventual customers are thinking about it by now. It's odd because I was just thinking about this one the other day and wondering what had happened to the project.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Sept 15, 2009 18:38:28 GMT -8
Of course the day I post that previous photo, they drop the curtains and reveal what appears to be some primer. The website says that she is 80% done, but it looks to me like there is still a long ways to go. I'll try to get some more shots if the opportunity arises. ~LeC
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 15, 2009 19:29:10 GMT -8
I saw this vessel while I was in Ketchikan a few weeks ago. I asked a crew member aboard the Taku (which I was on) what they were building and he said that it was a military project with some secrecy surrounding it. Hence the curtains. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I was recalling this thread and wondering if this might be the vessel in question. Now I know. It looks to me that they are six months away from completion.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Oct 30, 2009 1:25:35 GMT -8
Well, since we left Ketchikan this morning, this will be my last update here for quite some time. First, I snapped this photo maybe 2 - 3 weeks ago. They finally put more paint on the hull. She is looking better, but it doesn't look like any more "work" is being done. The yard seems to be focusing on finishing the project that you can see in the background of that photo. I was told it is a fuel dock for a marina in BC. I was also told that if it is not completed, in place and in operation by mid-December, the Shipyard faces penalties. But back to the topic at hand. The next two photos I took earlier this week. I was walking out to my car and happened to pass by the workshop where they are finishing up the wheelhouse for the Susitna. Hopefully she'll be finished and on the water soon! ~LeC
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Post by plansea on Dec 15, 2009 22:44:56 GMT -8
The soon to be completed Ecraft "Susitna", I have never seen a vessel like this!
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Post by darkfred on Feb 28, 2010 13:48:30 GMT -8
Vessel is going to be interesting operate to say the least.
Vessel is high speed craft rated. 25 knots plus in catamaran mode.
Lots of nice top of the line equipment onboard.
I will just say that the proof of concept will be seen after a few years of operation.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Mar 24, 2010 5:34:58 GMT -8
Vessel is going to be interesting operate to say the least. Vessel is high speed craft rated. 25 knots plus in catamaran mode. Lots of nice top of the line equipment onboard. I will just say that the proof of concept will be seen after a few years of operation. My only concern is that it is trying to do too much at once. Like you said, we won't know until she is operational. The Navy gets the first crack at running it and you know they are going to run her hard at and above the design specs! ASD may have missed the original launch date of "late 2007," but hopefully we'll see her out on the water soon. The Susitna Ferry website ( www.matsugov.us/ferry/) says she is 80% complete. (I just looked at my post dated 15 Sept. It also said she was 80% complete. Maybe they haven't updated their site in awhile...) There is a shot of her on the Alaska Ship and Drydock website. They have put the racing stripes on. www.akship.net/pages/ecraft.html
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Apr 17, 2010 0:13:37 GMT -8
This just in... From the MarineLog www.marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMIX/2010apr00161.html (Photo at link) Alaska yard launches multi-functional ferryAlaska Ship & Drydock, Ketchikan, Alaska, has launched what could well be the world's most unusual ferry. For a start, the Susitna is being funded by the Office of Naval Research'sSea Warfare and Weapons Department. To be operated on Cook Inlet services by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, which will own it, Susitna will have three distinct modes of operation: a catamaran mode for high speeds; a small-water-area-twin-hull (SWATH) mode for stability in high sea states; and a shallow-draft landing-craft mode that provides substantial buoyancy for maneuvering in shallow water. In addition, the Susitna will be the world's first ice-breaking twin-hulled vessel. The ship is designed with a center "barge" that can be hydraulically raised and lowered, while the buoyancy of its catamaran hulls can be adjusted while under way. ONR also is interested in the vessel's transformational hull form as a technology demonstrator to support Navy sea basing and expeditionary warfare concepts. Earlier this week the ship was moved from its building pad to its outfitting berth. The Sustina will next go through final outfitting, dock trials, builder's sea trials, and owner's sea trials. It is expected to enter service this fall. Vessel Characteristics: Length 195 ft Beam 60 ft Displacement: 940 tons full load Draft, SWATH mode12 ft Draft, shallow-draft landing-craft mode 4 ft Capacity 100 passengers and 20 vehicles. Speed: 20 knots Power Plant: 4 x MTU 12V 4000 diesel engines
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Post by Mike C on Apr 27, 2010 21:03:25 GMT -8
Why does this vessel look suspiciously like our SeaBus (crosses Vancouver's harbour)...? Double-ended catamaran-hulled passenger ferry.
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Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
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Post by Mill Bay on Apr 27, 2010 21:46:41 GMT -8
Why does this vessel look suspiciously like our SeaBus (crosses Vancouver's harbour)...? Double-ended catamaran-hulled passenger ferry. Except this one carries cars, too! That's one up on the Seabus.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on May 3, 2010 9:50:41 GMT -8
Interesting article I stumbled upon in today's Juneau Empire. juneauempire.com/stories/050310/sta_632081313.shtmlThe part I find the most interesting is where they mention lending it to AMHS. What will AMHS do with it? I finally got a closer look at her, and she's... different. I haven't heard anything about sea trials, but it sounds like there is still quite a bit of work to be done! Little movement on Anchorage ferry landingBy Sean Manget | Juneau Empire ANCHORAGE — Workers constructing the long-awaited Susitna, the ferry that will eventually taxi passengers and cars across Cook Inlet, passed a milestone recently, when the boat floated on water for the first time. Despite that, uncertainty remains as to where and when the boat will land in Anchorage. And the issue likely won’t be settled anytime soon, said Stuart Greydanus, director of operations and facilities security officer with the Port of Anchorage. “It’s been talked about basically twice,” Greydanus said, referring to a new prospect for a temporary landing while a permanent one is hashed out. “I would say we’re not close at all right now.” The Matanuska-Susitna Borough still has its eye on a spot in Ship Creek as the ferry’s permanent docking location, said Marc Van Dongen, director of Port MacKenzie in the Mat-Su Borough. However, as is, the Ship Creek spot can’t properly facilitate the ferry, and officials on both sides of the Inlet are looking for places the ferry might dock while negotiations continue regarding safety concerns raised by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard rejected a permit the borough submitted in 2009 to build a dock in Ship Creek because the spot was too close to routes utilized by boats coming out of nearby Cook Inlet Tug and Barge Co., raising the risk of a collision. The most likely interim landing in Anchorage would be a floating dock at the Port of Anchorage used by the Coast Guard and the municipal fire department, Greydanus said. The borough would have to construct a replacement dock there that would be capable of serving its existing purpose while also facilitating the ferry. The replacement would function year-round, where the current one can only be used in the summer. The replacement dock has already been designed, but necessary permitting has not been completed. The replacement dock could be installed during the summer of 2011 at the earliest, Van Dongen said. Though there is no concrete cost estimate for the replacement dock, Van Dongen anticipates a range of $5 million to $6 million. Officials also have considered docking the ferry at the Port of Anchorage’s main terminal, but Van Dongen’s personal favorite solution is to lend the ferry to the Alaska Marine Highway System while the Anchorage landing is deliberated. The ferry is scheduled for completion in September, at which point Ketchikan-based Alaska Ship and Drydock, the firm building the vessel, will deliver the craft to the borough. Borough Manager John Duffy said he expects the ferry to begin full service in April, allowing the craft to take advantage of the more lucrative summer season. When it does begin full service, the ferry will travel to Tyonek, Kenai, Point Possession, Port MacKenzie and Anchorage. The idea of ferry service between the Mat-Su Borough and Anchorage has been bandied about since former Anchorage Mayor Rick Mystrom and former Mat-Su Borough Manager Mike Scott discussed the prospect as far back as 1999. Though passengers will pay a fare to ride the craft, the financial model for sustaining the ferry will require car service, Duffy said. And even with those funding sources, Van Dongen believes a subsidy may still be required to keep the ferry afloat. He said ferries in other states often see 60 percent of their operations and maintenance costs subsidized by the state. The Navy is paying the $70 million cost of the craft’s construction, but the borough will still foot the bill for operations and maintenance for 20 years. The cost of engineering, designing and outfitting the craft is $8 million, 13 percent of which the borough is paying, with the rest coming from the Federal Transit Authority. The Navy is interested in the project because it wants to test the new technologies being installed on the boat, and the borough agreed to provide the Navy with data collected as the ferry operates in exchange for the funding to construct it. Between now and September, the craft will be fitted with a propulsion system and several other features, said Doug Ward, director of shipyard development for Alaska Ship and Drydock. Software needed to control the ferry from the bridge will be installed, along with the ferry’s hydraulics. The finished product will be a state-of-the-art vessel, with several experimental features under its belt. The ferry will function as an icebreaker, slipping pieces of its hull beneath sea ice and lifting it into the air to break through. The ferry will also be capable of transforming from a fast-moving deepwater vessel into a landing craft with a shallower draft. The ship is set to be christened June 11. “We’ll have a lot of champagne,” Ward said.
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Post by darkfred on May 5, 2010 14:31:17 GMT -8
Lots of spin doctoring in that article.
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Post by plansea on Jun 11, 2010 22:15:55 GMT -8
I had the honour of being in Ketchikan today at the christening ceremonies for the M/V Susitna and the keel laying for the Ken Eichner-2 I will be posting, sorting and labeling my pictures over the next few days, but if you want a preview head to: www.pbase.com/portwelland/christening
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Post by plansea on Jun 12, 2010 6:05:02 GMT -8
Sen. Murkowski christens new Mat-Su ferry By RINDI WHITE rwhite@adn.com The ferry M/V Susitna was christened Friday morning in Ketchikan before a crowd of dignitaries, Navy officials, state legislators and people who worked on the vessel. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski broke a bottle of champagne over the bow. She told the audience, which included her father, former Gov. Frank Murkowski, that the ship brought good attention to her hometown of Ketchikan and to the state. The ferry is a nearly 1,000-ton catamaran-style vessel, 198 feet long and 55 feet tall. Its twin hulls are designed to break through 2 feet of ice, and it can carry up to 134 people and 20 or more vehicles. The $70 million vessel was built as an experimental craft for study by the Office of Naval Research, which paid for most of its construction. It has a moveable barge deck that can be raised 21 feet in 10 minutes. With the deck raised, the ferry can operate as a twin-hulled ship at 20 knots. Lowered, equipment can be off-loaded onto beaches without the need for a dock, a feature with military appeal. "Of course, amphibious operations are not new to the Navy, but amphibious operations ... are continuously evolving. And the key to this idea is a connector ship with designed features like Susitna's, with an advanced hull that raises and lowers, enabling it to transform for different modes of operation," Rear Admiral Nevin P. Carr Jr., chief of Naval Research, said at the christening. Alaska Ship & Drydock Inc. built the ship. At peak production, the company employed 200 workers, 90 of whom were solely working on the Susitna. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough will own the ship when it's completed, but the Office of Naval Research will get data for five years from about 1,000 sensors on board the vessel, information that the office will use to determine what kinds of landing craft are useful for its purposes, according to the Mat-Su Borough. The christening took place while the ship was in drydock, where it awaits finishing touches. It will begin sea trials in August and will winter over in Ketchikan. The borough plans to use the ferry ultimately to provide commuter service between Anchorage and Mat-Su. The community of Tyonek is also interested in regular ferry service to Anchorage. However, ferry landings in upper Cook Inlet have not yet been built. A landing on the Mat-Su side of Knik Arm is expected to be built in late 2011. Mat-Su and Anchorage officials are still discussing where the ferry should land in Anchorage. While in Southeast, Mat-Su Borough Manager John Duffy spoke with representatives of Coffman Cove about using the ship for ferry service until it comes to Mat-Su. The borough has also offered the vessel for use in the interim in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill cleanup effort and for temporary use by the Alaska Marine Highway System. Read more: www.thenewstribune.com/2010/06/11/v-lite/1223355/sen-murkowski-christens-new-mat.html#ixzz0qeCE1SvVCopyright 2010 Tacoma News, Inc. 1950 South State Street, Tacoma, WA 98405 P.O. Box 11000, Tacoma, WA 98411
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Post by plansea on Jun 12, 2010 6:22:37 GMT -8
by Channel 2 News staff Friday, June 11, 2010
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A christening ceremony was held Friday for the Mat-Su Borough's new ferry, the M/V Susitna. Sen. Lisa Murkowski followed tradition by breaking a bottle of champagne across the ship's bow for good luck.
The ferry, which was built in Ketchikan, will serve the Mat-Su Borough, Anchorage, Tyonek and Kenai. It's expected to perform sea trials in August and will stay the winter in Ketchikan.
The vessel was paid for by the Navy, but the ferry has been given to the borough. In exchange, the borough will hand over the ferry's operations and maintenance data to the Office of Naval Research. Copyright 2000 - 2010 WorldNow and KTUU. CHANNEL 2 NEWS 907-762-9202 FAX 907-561-0874
Mailing Address: KTUU-TV 701 East Tudor Road, Suite #220 Anchorage, Alaska 99503-7488
Phone: 907-762-9202 FAX: 907-561-0874
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Post by plansea on Jun 12, 2010 6:47:36 GMT -8
Souvenir from the June 11, 2010 M/V Susitna christening celebrations at the Ted Ferry Civic Center, Ketchikan, AK
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Post by umi_ryuzuki on Jun 22, 2010 10:33:47 GMT -8
Great Pictures Plansea! The Susitna is like a low tech "Thunderbird 2". ;D The belly can lift its load, or drop it as required. It would be neat, if it could change out the barge in the center. Drop one barge for loading and unloading, and take another barge back the other direction. Is that within this boat's capabilities?
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Post by Northern Exploration on Jun 22, 2010 11:58:13 GMT -8
Great Pictures Plansea! The Susitna is like a low tech "Thunderbird 2". ;D The belly can lift its load, or drop it as required. That is funny. Who is Lady P (or whatever her name was)? The Senator or Former Governor? I suppose the Alaska version would have Lady Penelope ride in a limo style pickup.
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Post by dofd on Jun 22, 2010 23:03:52 GMT -8
WOW, she came to life! She is incredible! Good job !
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Post by fargowolf on Jun 23, 2010 6:35:37 GMT -8
Great Pictures Plansea! The Susitna is like a low tech "Thunderbird 2". ;D The belly can lift its load, or drop it as required. That is funny. Who is Lady P (or whatever her name was)? The Senator or Former Governor? I suppose the Alaska version would have Lady Penelope ride in a limo style pickup. That was Lady Penelope. She provided (afaik) funding for International Rescue (Thunderbirds) Back on topic... Love the pics. She's going to be a neat ferry once she comes into service.
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Post by darkfred on Sept 13, 2010 12:08:20 GMT -8
The Suisitna finally is doing seatrials. First trail was at beginning of sept. Lots of problems. Vessel is way overweight. Cannot make desired speed. Was supposed to make more then 20.5 knts. Only made 18.6knts with no load. More then likely will fail incline experiment. More then likely will not be able to carry anywhere near 20 cars. Probably 10. On a positive note there is a lot of nice equipment on the engineering side. On a negative note the integrated bridge equip is crap. Way to go on a 75 mil paper weight.
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Post by fargowolf on Sept 13, 2010 16:34:38 GMT -8
Incline experiment?
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