Page 30: of Marine News Magazine (December 2010)

29 31

30 MN December 2010

Name MV Susitna

Type Ro/Ro/Passenger Ferry

Builder Alaska Ship & Drydock, Inc.

Owner Matanuska/Susitna (Mat/Su) Borough

The MV Susitna is an Office of Naval Research (ONR) platform demonstrating variable geometry/variable draft capability in a twin hull marine vessel. This first of class vessel is designed to operate as a deep draft, high-speed vessel capable of carrying large payloads in high sea states with a stable ride, then transition to a shallow draft land- ing craft mode capable of delivering expeditionary forces to the beach. The Matanuska/Susitna (Mat/Su) Borough will own and operate Susitna as a roll-on/roll-off passen- ger (Ro/Ro/Pax) ferry and rescue boat. During the first five years of operation Mat/Su will collect real life operat- ing and performance data for ONR. At the end of this demonstration period Mat/Su will continue to operate

Susitna as a ferry relieving the Navy of maintenance and disposal costs during and after the demonstration period.

MV Susitna is an ice strengthened, twin hulled marine vessel. Incorporating a small water plane area twin hull (SWATH) design, this high-speed craft is capable of 20 knots in open seas or five knots in two-ft thick, first year sea ice. Her twin steel hulls are joined fore and aft by steel cross members forming a rectangular donut hull form. A buoyant, aluminum center cargo deck is mounted on very large hydraulic cylinders that raise the cargo deck above the water in her high-speed mode or force the buoyant deck into the water in her landing craft mode providing a variable draft from 12 ft to 4.5 ft. Ice breaking is accom- plished in the deep draft mode. The ferry will serve the three most populated areas of Alaska: Anchorage, Mat-Su and Kenai. The vessel is intended to accelerate economic growth at the deep-water port at Point MacKenzie. Alaska

Ship & Drydock, Inc. (ASD) and ONR contracted to design and construct the platform in 2005 based on

Lockheed Martin’s patented Vari-Craft concept.

NAVATEK provided the conceptual innovative design for the propulsion system. Guido Perla and Associates per- formed the detailed design applying the IMO high-speed craft code, ABS rules and USCG Regulations to Susitna’s contract design.

MarineNews’ Great Boats 2010

Photo cour tesy Alaska Ship & Drydock, Inc.

MV Susitna