From powerful seine skiffs for the Alaskan salmon fishery to sturdy and practical crew boats for the safe transfer of workers on marine construction jobs, Snow Boat Building has been attracting attention on the West Coast. Based in Seattle, the firm is known for its quality aluminum fabrication and general commercial boat repair.

Recently they have won a prestigious contract to construct a 40 by 17-foot US Navy Workboat Large. The small heavily built steel vessel with aluminum superstructure will be operated by a crew of two and have capacity for up to five passengers. It will have a capacity for a 3100 pound total payload.

Propulsion power will be a pair of Cummins QSM11 mains each developing 455 mhp at 2100 RPM. This power will give the vessel a bollard push of 22,000 pounds or a speed of nine knots.

As a Naval shore installation support vessel, the workboat will be capable of assisting barges, submarines and other naval vessels. It can also be employed in opening and closing security barriers or to tow/push other floating port support equipment.