In Seward, Alaska, the rain and snow season starts in September and ends roughly seven months later in April. It is understandable, then, when D.J. Whitman of Seward Ship's Drydock and Ship's Chandlery talks about the shipyard's new covered area for its ship repair and conversion facilities, that there is a certain glee in his voice. "Covered ship repair facilities in (northern climate) European shipyards are pretty common, but not so in the U.S.," said Whitman. The company recently completed a yard upgrade with the installation of a 110 ft. high, 220-ft. long coverered facility, an investment that should pay off handsomely as it will allow work to proceed when weather conditions otherwise might shut them down.