Today, our drydock master and team are preparing the drydock for USCGC SPAR (WLB 206), a Coast Guard buoy tender with a remarkable story.
First, a sincere thank you to the U.S. Coast Guard for choosing Fraser Shipyards for this work. We’re proud of the trust and honored to care for a ship that does so much for those who depend on our waterways.
SPAR’s job is to keep mariners safe by maintaining the buoys and markers that guide ships through safe channels. For two decades, she did that work in some of the most remote and demanding waters on the planet, serving throughout the Aleutian Chain as far west as Adak, and in the Bering Sea as far north as the Kuskokwim River. In 2022, she shifted homeports to Duluth, Minnesota. Now she’s right across the harbor from us in Superior, and we couldn’t be happier to have her as a neighbor.
A big shout out to our dockmaster and the entire Fraser team for the skill, focus and pride you bring to this work every day. Bringing a ship of this size into the dock takes precise planning and constant communication, and you make it look easy, even though we know it’s anything but.
Welcome to Fraser Shipyards, SPAR.
Photo: Courtesy Dave Schauer
Thank you Dave for capturing this history.