Knik Arm ferry: A dream come true

March 11, 2007

By Russell Stigall

Frontiersman

MAT-SU - Dreams can come true; it can happen to you. Of course, a free prototype catamaran from the U.S. Navy helps.

Two sets of dreams merged to become the planned Knik Arm Ferry: the M/V Susitna.

Designer Lou Madden, a retired Navy captain, has dreamed of running landing craft in Alaska since he was petty officer. He and residents of the Mat-Su Valley and Point MacKenzie both will see a long-standing wish come true with the expected 2008 start of Knik Arm ferry

service.

Madden said he used to talk with a Navy buddy about buying some old Navy landing ship tanks, to see whether they could make a living in Alaska.

&#8220But I never got out of the Navy,” Madden said.

He put his dream on hold until he came to a high school reunion in Anchorage. At that time, Madden visited Mat-Su Borough Manager John Duffy and described the Navy project he ran.

This was the moment the dreams united.

At a recent borough assembly meeting, members approved a resolution bringing the dream a step closer. With an appropriation from the federal transit administration of $5 million, construction of the Anchorage ferry terminal will commence.

The ferry project also was funded in part through a larger transportation appropriation was accepted by the assembly in November of 2005. The project will include $496,318 in matching funds from Mat-Su borough areawide capital appropriations.

The new ferry is a Lockhead Martin design, prototype Navy fast landing craft. The Navy donated the hull to the state. Scheduled to run up the eight round trips per day, the prototype will be put through its paces while completing a practical application. The Navy gets free sea testing and the borough gets a low-cost ferry. The marketing slogan could be: Fight terrorists, ride the ferry.

Madden estimates the borough will have to put around $2 million into the hull to ready it for passengers and cars.

The prototype, under construction in Ketchikan's shipyard, includes a lot of firsts. Madden has nine patents on the Susitna.

The first first, and the most prototypical of all the ship's features, is its ability to change its draft from 12 feet as a high speed catamaran to 4.5 feet as a barge. This will allow the 195-foot ship to operate close to shore and to dock against boat ramps. To achieve this walk-on-water feat, the catamaran uses hydraulic technology borrowed from oil platforms. The massive hydraulics lower a barge section between its two catamaran hulls, and slowly pushes the ferry out of the water.

The Susitna also will be the world's first ice-breaking catamaran, Madden said. Two feet of first-year ice, typical for the Cook Inlet, will crumble like Saltines in front of the cat. Unlike typical ice-breakers, which ride up onto and crush the ice from above, the Susitna will lift the ice from underneath and split it like a stick over a knee.

For propulsion, the Susitna has two innovative water jets from the Dutch company Wartsila. The engines behind the jets are two MTU 12V 4000 engines with a maximum horse power of 2,700 hp per jet. Stamped with serial number 1 and 2, the fully submergible jets are efficient for low speeds.

Normally, water jets wouldn't be used for ships traveling at less than 25 knots. The Susitna is expected to run at 20 knots.

Since Cook Inlet has low seas, the Susitna is designed for 6-foot seas. However, the ferry can handle swells up to 22 feet.

Though officially retired from Lockheed Martin, Madden said he still enjoys his work.

&#8220It is a lot of fun,” Madden said. &#8220It will be great to see it off. A lot of people … are working hard to make this thing happen.”

Madden said he was impressed with Duffy's faith in the project.

&#8220With this many firsts and this much innovation, the design path has not been simple or easy.”

Contact Russell Stigall at 352-2267 or russell.stigall@

frontiersman.com.