Bay Welding Services, Inc. passed a landmark this month in the completion of its 100th aluminum-fabricated boat.
It will be christened as the M/V Churchill, named in honor of Trooper Sgt. David C. Churchill who suffered a heart attack and died while hiking up a mountain to check on a hunting party in 1998. Churchill was a 12-year trooper veteran. The boat is the biggest yet, and the fifth one the company has built for the Alaska State Troopers.
The Homer-based boat manufacturing business celebrated its milestone of building “Alaska tough” vessels Saturday, April 6 at their boatbuilding facility located at 3301 East End Road.
The 100th boat has a 42-foot long hull, 14-foot beam width and is powered by three Suzuki 300 horse-power outboard engines.
Bay Welding is owned and operated by the Engebretsen family, longtime Homer residents. It was founded 39 years ago as a local metal repair and fabrication firm for the local commercial fishing fleet. Allen Engebretsen started in 1974 repairing aluminum boats, built the company’s first complete boat in 1994, and 100 boats later Bay Welding has evolved into one of the Northwest’s premier boat builders.
Note that the company name is Bay Welding Services and their signature vessels are called Bay Weld Boats.
