Image courtesy of Delta Marine
We at Nautical Northwest magazine proudly celebrate the vision, guts, and hard work of our region’s boatbuilding community with Pride of the PNW, which will be dedicated to recent, notable new launchings and refits. By no means a comprehensive listing, we offer these inspiring dreams-turned-boats as a sampling across our marine sectors: superyachts to commercial fishing vessels; tugs to trailerables; barn projects to maritime yards. We salute thee!
Do you have a notable launching or completed refit to share with us? Email over that high resolution 300 DPI photography and story details to norris@nauticalnw.com.
1. McMurdo Antarctica Station Docking Barge Launched in Portland
Bagpipes, a priest’s blessing, and a broken champagne bottle sent off the new McMurdo Docking Barge from builder Gunderson Marine & Iron and into the Willamette River on October 25, 2025. At the time of this writing, the specially designed pier-barge is being towed southward across the Pacific for a February 2026 delivery by TradeWinds Towing.
According to Gunderson: “Built for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and destined for Antarctica, this groundbreaking barge will replace fragile ice piers at McMurdo Station, ensuring reliable, low-maintenance mooring for cargo ships in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Engineered with a rake hull to ride atop sea ice and withstand extreme Antarctic conditions, the vessel will journey nearly 6,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean and Ross Sea to reach the largest research facility in Antarctica.”
In a very direct way, all the McMurdo Antarctica Station science and operations are made possible by this docking barge with a big “Made in Oregon” stamp of approval.
2. Ex-Submarine Hunter Air Snipe Refit at PacFish, Ballard
Words: Saxon Bisbee
Built in 1943, Air Snipe is one of the last surviving World War II SC-497 class submarine chasers. Out of 438 built, fewer than five remain afloat today. Originally commissioned as SC-1068, she served in the South Pacific conducting anti-submarine patrols, convoy escort, and beach landing support. After the war, she was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard as an Air Sea Rescue Cutter (WAVR-465). Later sold to civilian owners, Air Snipe became one of the first vessels to provide barge service between Seattle and Southeast Alaska.
For over 50 years, she was lovingly maintained by Kent Halvorsen and became a fixture in Ketchikan, Alaska. Following Kent’s passing in 2023, a new chapter began. Matt Levy and Kelly Thynes, known for their work restoring historic vessels, have brought Air Snipe south to Seattle, ensuring this rare warship and Alaskan icon continues to inspire future generations.
Now operated by a nonprofit, Air Snipe is being preserved and opened to the public to honor her service, her caretakers, and the rich maritime legacy she carries. She was hauled out in July 2025 at Ballard’s Pacific Fishermen Shipyard for routine maintenance, plus the replacement of roughly 40 hull planks. More information available online at https://1943airsnipe.org/
3. Sam Devlin-built Stillaquamish Tribe Canoe Delivered
For the last two years the Stillaguamish Tribe in Washington has commissioned renown wooden boatbuilder Sam Devlin of Olympia, Washington, for the design and build of two traditional-styled canoes. Devlin Designing Boatbuilders uses a unique stitch-and-glue process that shapes the highest grade, flat marine plywood into curved vessels, creating canoes that are seaworthy as well as stunning. MacKenzie Devlin, Sam’s son, has been ably assisted by tribal builders Brian Perry and Nathan Tatro in the construction. When the canoe arrives back home at the Stillaguamish Tribal lands, artists will decorate the hull with dynamic designs in the style of those on the paddle. These canoes will proudly take their place someday soon in the resurging indigenous canoe rendezvous.
4. MLB Life Extension Program at Birdon Yard in Bellingham
Photo Credit: Norris Comer
Birdon American Inc.’s facility in Bellingham, Washington, has a standing contract to conduct the 47’ Motor Lifeboat (MLB) Service Life Extension Program (MLB-SLEP) project for the U.S. Coast Guard since 2019. These 47’ lifeboats are the same storied vessels that charge across the Columbia River Bar (arguably the deadliest stretch of water in the world) to rescue people in distress. Extending their working lifespans is critical to operations. The 47’ MLB pictured here was preparing for sea trials and delivery after a successful refit in 2025. The vessels in the yard are in various stages of refit completion.
5. DARPA Autonomous Vessel Launched from Everett
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) cutting edge, 180’ prototype unmanned surface vessel (USV) Defiant was spotted plying the waters near Everett, Washington, after a successful construction and launch in February 2025. The USX-1 model is a 240-metric ton ship that was preparing for extensive sea trials at the time of the launch. Defiant was designed by United Kingdom-based Serco and built by the Nichols Brothers Boat Builders shipyard now under the Everett Ship Repair umbrella. Defiant is the latest vessel of the military’s No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program that seeks to explore warship designs without human provision, allowance, or expectation aboard. The possible benefits include compact size, less costs, at-sea reliability, greater hydrodynamic efficiency, and survivability to sea state.
Will they succeed? Only one way to find out—sea trials. Fairwinds and following seas, killer robot-boat friend.
6. New Delta Marine Superyacht Vagabond Splashes
Delta Marine launched the new 110-foot motoryacht Vagabond from the company’s Seattle yard. Reportedly the new owner is a local who looks forward to cruising the San Juan Islands, British Columbia, and Alaska on their Delta 110. Delta Marine is one of the few, if not only, American production superyacht builders and has roots in the Pacific Northwest commercial fishing industry. You can learn more about Delta Marine online at https://www.deltamarine.com.
