Lake Union Dry Dock Company
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Lake Union Drydock Company is a full-service shipyard that specializes in vessel repair and conversions located in Seattle, Washington. Drydocking vessels up to 6000 tons (420’ in length), Lake Union Drydock Company repairs factory trawlers, fishing vessels, Coast Guard Cutters and buoy tenders, tugboats, research vessels, ferries, mega-yachts, barges, and houseboats.
Lake Union Drydock Company was founded by Otis Cutting and John McLean in 1919, to build and service watercraft vessels. Located along the eastern shore of Lake Union, Lake Union Drydock Company is among the longest operating shipyards in the United States. Accessible via the Hiram A. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks, Lake Union provides refuge from tides as well as the marine life and corrosive saltwater of Puget Sound.
Company history
In 1919, amidst a post-WWI economic slump, Otis Cutting and John McLean forged a partnership when together they purchased waterfront property on Lake Union and established Lake Union Drydock Company.
Between 1920 and 1954 Lake Union Drydock Company constructed a total of sixty-three vessels, the majority of which were not yachts. During Prohibition, rum-runners used fast boats to transport alcohol along “rum-lines” where they risked passage between ports in the western waters of both the USA and Canada. To address this challenge, the US Coast Guard commissioned Lake Union Drydock Company to construct fifteen, 75’ long, high-speed Patrol Boats, an effort that achieved Lake Union Drydock Company instant viability as well as accolades for the craft and quality of the vessels they built.
Following the healthy start to their business, in 1923, Cutting and McLean hired R.M. Mooney, a former Marmon Automobiles agent. Inspired by Henry Ford’s assembly line, Mooney implemented repeatable manufacturing processes to produce a stock cruiser, the Lake Union Dreamboat, that achieved a price point accessible to all yachting enthusiasts.
From 1928-1930 Lake Union Drydock Company worked with noted yacht designer, Ted Geary, and built a series of four, 96’ long, fantail yachts (Principia, Blue Peter, Electra, and Canim); each created with classic lines, luxurious joiner work, and fittings. Also crafted at Lake Union Drydock Company were two competitive sailing yachts: Pirate and Circe. As of 2019, all these vessels remain fully functional.
Post WWII
In 1946 Harry Jones, an attorney, and George H. Stebbins, a marine engineer, joined forces to purchase Lake Union Drydock Company, a union that would be followed by three subsequent generations. Much like their predecessors, Jones and Stebbins took over just after a world war. The post WWII era was lean, but the business of ship repairs and dedication to craft enabled Lake Union Drydock Company to thrive.
A contract performed between 1952 and 1953, during the Korean War, resulted in construction of four, 144’ long, minesweepers. This would be the last multi vessel construction contract that Lake Union Drydock Company would perform.
During the 1960s and 1970s Lake Union Drydock Company focused on vessel conversion and repair work. Alaska’s rapid growth in that era caused a significant increase in the demand for repair of freighters, tugs and barges that supplied goods to the state. In response to an increase in marine traffic, additional US Coast Guard vessels were stationed in the region, each requiring periodic repair. Additionally, the Alaska Marine Highways System looked to Lake Union Drydock Company to service and refit vessels for their ferry fleet.
The passing of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1976 brought growth to the fishing industry in Alaska; dozens of US factory trawlers, catcher boats and longliners arrived on the scene and Lake Union Drydock Company became the principle repair source for the North Pacific trawler fleet. Between fishing seasons, it was not uncommon for several 200’-300’ trawlers to be in the yard simultaneously. Yard craftspeople adapted to the specific needs of the fleet and developed new skills.
In 1976, the yard acquired ex-USS White Sands (ARD-20), an Auxiliary repair dock ship. This required the ship with an 81 foot (25 m) beam to pass through the 80-foot wide Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard. This was accomplished by heeling the ship to 38 degrees with ballast water then with 1,226 short tons (1,112 t) of ballast blocks and steel plates, plus additional buoyancy.
Along with all the industry shifts, servicing wooden vessels remained a mainstay of Lake Union Drydock Company’s operation. Capitalizing on the opportunity to maintain wooden minesweepers, Lake Union Drydock Company assembled vessel-specific tooling and established craft training to service sophisticated componentry. In 1990, after the Invasion of Kuwait, the US Navy enlisted Lake Union Drydock Company to prepare the Seattle based Minesweeper Offshore (MSO) fleet for transit to the Persian Gulf.
In 1994, the Taiwanese Navy contracted with Lake Union Drydock to refurbish and then transport four Mine Sweeper Offshore (MSO) to Taiwan. This job was monumental, as it required a workforce of 140 craftspeople to concurrently perform repairs on all four vessels. In need of 70 shipwrights, which by 1990 were few and far between, Lake Union Drydock Company had to search Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska and British Columbia to assemble an appropriately skilled team. As part of the contract, Lake Union Drydock Company provided training to the Taiwanese maintenance staff. To fulfill the transport requirement to Taiwan, the shipyard found and prepared a heavy lift ship to deck-load and transit the four 176’ minesweepers, once delivered, Lake Union Drydock Company’s relationship with wooden Naval Minesweepers was concluded.
Between 1995 and 2001 Lake Union Drydock Company worked in collaboration with the Virginia V Foundation to successfully restore the Virginia V; the last operational wooden steam passenger ship of its kind.
Company today
Lake Union Drydock Company, in its 100th year of business, remains a full-service shipyard that specializes in vessel repair and conversions. Lake Union Drydock Company vessel repairs includes; factory trawlers, longliners and catcher boats, deep sea and harbor tugs, barges, US Coast Guard ships including buoy tenders, medium and high endurance cutters and high-speed patrol craft, Washington State Ferries and regional high-speed passenger ferries, NOAA vessels, large yachts, and assorted commercial vessels.