Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc. recently expanded its Seattle facility by erecting a 130’ x 50’ sectional enclosure on its waterfront property. This new addition creates enough space for Kvichak, an all-
aluminum boat builder, to accommodate a maximum vessel size of 120 by 40 ft. for repairs or retrofits.
“We decided to expand our existing facility into our backyard,” explained Kvichak’s Keith Whittemore. “The added space enables us to create additional flexibility in our production schedule for repairs, retrofits and the outfitting of new construction.”
The enclosure is fully lighted, powered and heated. The 130 ft. length is made up of three sections – one 50 ft. and two 40 ft. lengths. Each section is mounted on wheels and tracks for ease of opening and closing to suit various vessel sizes. Weather collars are installed where the sections overlap to prevent rain, wind and snow from entering the workspace.
Depending on the size of the vessel, Kvichak will normally utilize Foss Shipyard’s crane and lift vessels from the water onto blocks in the enclosure through the open sections. For larger vessels, Kvichak can lift the sections with lifting lugs while putting a vessel on the blocks then place the section back over the vessel instead of sliding the section on the tracks, which is the procedure for smaller boats.