Story last updated at 6/23/2010 - 6:22 pm
The long-awaited experimental ferry M/V Susitna, which will eventually provide a transportation link between Anchorage and Port MacKenzie, was christened June 11.
After the ferry's construction is completed in September, it will be delivered from the shipyard where it is being built, Alaska Ship and Drydock in Ketchikan, to the Matanuska Susitna Borough. It will begin service in April 2011, and is expected to take passengers between Tyonek, Kenai, Point Possession, Port MacKenzie and Anchorage.
The ceremony was attended by a number of high-profile dignitaries, including U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who delivered a speech touting the unique features of the vessel to a crowd of hundreds.
"This was truly an experimental hull design, breaking new ground with this vessel. It's the first ship that was ever built to operate as a shallow draft boat and a high speed twin hulled vessel," Murkowski said.
The ferry will be capable of "transforming" from a catamaran-like vessel with a deeper draft into a barge by lifting its barge deck 21 feet within a period of 10 minutes, according to a press release issued by the borough. The ferry will also function as an icebreaker by putting a piece of hull underneath the ice and breaking it from below.
Murkowski was given the privilege of smashing a bottle of champagne across the ferry's lower bow. Cheers rang out from the crowd afterward.
The shipyard's president, Randy Johnson, was also on hand to praise the uniqueness of the ferry.
"Today I stand before you in front of one of the most unique, advanced ships built in our time, a ship that will demonstrate to the world science and technology capabilities that have never existed in another ship before. A ship that will revolutionize the way our military and commercial operators will operate in shallow waters around the globe," Johnson said.
The project is a joint venture between the borough and the Navy. The Navy funded the $70 million construction of the vessel because it wanted an outlet to test these features. In return, data accumulated as the vessel services passengers and cars will be handed over to the Navy.
Rear Adm. Nevin P. Carr Jr., chief of Naval research, explained the Navy's interest in the vessel.
"Our navy needs sea bases and ships capable of rapidly moving units, their equipment and supplies long distances from the sea to the shore. These connector ships need to deal with a wide range of tasks to be effective, carrying cargo and troops efficiently at high speeds, in rough seas, in deep and shallow waters," he said. "They operate close to shore. Sometimes they have to beach to load vehicles and sometimes they have to cut sea ice. The only way to know if a ship can do all those things is to try."
The borough will 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.
