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Moran Iron Works to Create Special-Purpose Tour Boat For Pictured Rocks Kayaking

By February 14, 2019No Comments

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore will be accessible to more than 70 passengers and 35 kayaks thanks to a newly-designed tour boat by Moran Iron Works, which will be launched by the summer of 2019. This yet unnamed vessel will become the mainstay of the Pictured Rocks Kayaking fleet and will feature a kayak launch system. It will be 8 feet longer than the current vessel, with a 5-foot swim deck, and will be able to accommodate twice the number of existing passengers and kayaks. Additionally, the boat will run nearly 1.5 times faster than the current vessel. 

“Fabrication officially began with the laying of the deck plate on December 6, 2018,” says Lee Fayssoux, the project manager at Moran Iron Works. “It is a real privilege to have an ‘Inspired by Michigan’ vessel in our shop. This vessel will not only be capable of carrying passengers, but will also be capable of deploying and retrieving guests in kayaks.”

Pictured Rocks Kayaking CEO John Madigan says: “The project will allow Pictured Rocks Kayaking the ability to provide an improved delivery system to our guests. It will provide a much-improved guest experience. Any time a company from Michigan can build and use a product within our state it provides jobs, and a secure future for our workforce in Michigan. This state has some of the best talent in the country in the manufacturing process. It helps everyone.”

For more information, visit moraniron.com

Photo courtesy of Moran Iron Works.