JANETTE CHIRON

COASTAL RANGER – KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA

As part of the coastal ranger team at Kenai Fjords National Park, we relied on our SOLAS / Naiads for patrols and transport along the rugged shoreline and rough seas of Cape Aialik in the Gulf of Alaska. We trusted our Naiads to keep us safe and to be tough enough to endure multiple shore landings and anchoring (and going dry) in Alaska’s extreme tides. The Naiads were an excellent platform for ranger patrols and for research work: quick, responsive, and great for handling all types of sea conditions. The aluminum hull provided great peace of mind for operating near shore, through glacier icebergs and ice and for landing on cobble beaches.

I worked with Alan to customize two new patrol and research boats for the park in 2007. We opted for twin engines for safety and we increased the boat size to accommodate this. We were able to design compartments for storage and utilize all available space for efficient storage. Alan was great every step of the way, providing expertise and feedback and accommodating our specific needs. I loved operating all of our SOLAS vessels – and felt good about sending my rangers out in them too.