Dakota Creek celebrates golden anniversary

Those fascinated by shipyard activity at Dakota Creek Industries will be given the opportunity to walk through a portion of the shipyard, along a designated path on Thursday, April 17 when the company hosts a public celebration for its 50th anniversary. The celebration starts in their Fabrication Building at 3 p.m. DCI employs 200-400 people in a family-owned business on the Anacortes waterfront. Project work at the shipyard ranges from new construction to maintenance and repair. The list of projects over the years ranges from federal research vessels to state ferries, from commercial fishing vessels to tugboats. Among the most high profile construction projects were the “Neil Armstrong” and the “Sally Ride,” research vessels with names honoring two U.S. astronauts. DCI, established in Whatcom County in 1975, moved to Anacortes in 1977 after signing a lease with the Port of Anacortes. The company jumped right into new construction work, signing contracts to build several crab boats. Improvements over the years include purchase of a drydock, construction of a fabrication building and installation of a syncrolift. (Photo from October 2006, DCI founder Dick Nelson climbing to the deck of a boat elevated for work. To see more photos of DCI from over the years, type “Dakota Creek” in the search engine of this site’s homepage.)