Vessel Built by MIW is Named
Built for PRK by Moran Iron Works, the Kayak Express is a one-of-a-kind aluminum passenger vessel.
Posted: May 7, 2019
For five months Moran Iron Works, Inc. (MIW; Onaway, MI) has been constructing a brand new, 64 ft x 19 ft aluminum passenger vessel for Pictured Rocks Kayaking (PRK; Munising, MI). With a custom-designed kayak launch system, room enough for 72 passengers and 36 kayaks, a Gyro-Stabilization system that will keep the boat from rocking – in even the roughest of Lake Superior’s surges – and a paint scheme that is as lively as the neon green kayaks that will sit upon it, this vessel can only be described as a remarkable splendor.
Nearing completion of the project, PRK recently hosted a ‘Name that Vessel!’ competition over social media with each entry having the chance to win a two-person kayaking trip on the new vessel, which they have decided to name the ‘Kayak Express.’ With over 100 submissions and creative names suggested from people all over the country, the team ultimately decided to use the name originally chosen by the captain of the vessel, Joe Lasak, who added, “Thank you to everyone who participated. It was with your help that we found inspiration in naming the vessel.”
Staying true to the competition, the team randomly chose a winner of the two-person kayaking trip: Betty Sherburne of Onaway, who said, “What a nice surprise to win the trip on this new vessel! I have lived in Onaway for most of my life and I have seen the good that Moran Iron Works brings to this area. It is so great that PRK elected to keep this build in our home state.” The Kayak Express is set to hit the waters of Lake Superior by summer of 2019.
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