The tour boats used on Crater Lake for the past 20 years were flown in by helicopter in 2003. New boats are being flown in by helicopter Monday.

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK — Three new tour boats, each with more seating capacity than the boats used on ranger-guided tours of Crater Lake for the past 20 years, will be delivered Monday by a Chinook helicopter to the Wizard Island boat docks.

The new boats — 41 feet long, 13 feet wide and constructed of aluminum alloy — will be able to carry 55 passengers and two crew members. They will replace boats that had a carrying capacity of 34. And, because each new boat will have two engines, one boat will no longer be required to remain at the Cleetwood Cove dock in case of an engine failure.

“A lot more people will have access to seeing the lake,” said Superintendent Craig Ackerman, who noted the boats being replaced had experienced frequent breakdowns.

It’s uncertain when the boats will be available for public use. Ackerman noted there is a “shakedown” period when the boat captains become acquainted with the boats and tour routes, and rangers giving the interpretive talks receive their necessary training.

Officials with Katanacraft, the Grants Pass-based company that designed and built the boats, said the open boat design will allow 360-degree views of the lake and caldera walls. In addition, they say, windshields will protect passengers from wind and spray off the lake.

Each tour boat will be powered by two independent 300-horsepower Yamaha engines, “providing an extra measure of security in case of a mechanical failure, allowing the boat to continue on to its destination.” 

The new boats will be gasoline fueled, not electric. “There’s no way to charge electric boats. The technology just isn’t there yet.” Ackerman said, noting installing solar panels or electrical lines from the rim to the boat dock would require the removal of acres of trees, the installation of powerlines along with other obstacles. “This is the most environmentally feasible we had.”

Ackerman echoed comments from a Katanacraft news release that the boat hull “is designed for optimal efficiency … to reduce environmental impacts, including shore preservation for the lake, which reflects our commitment to creating a boat that is not only safe for passengers but also eco-friendly.”

Katanacraft said the new boats have multiple watertight compartments, “So even if the boat took on water in emergency conditions, the multiple chambers would keep it stable. In addition, each compartment is filled with special foam to protect them from filling with water in case of a breach.” According to the release, the hulls on the new boats are “specifically designed to cut through chop on the lake while lifting the hull to minimize wakes more effectively. The hull also includes a reverse chine design that gives the boat more stability and increased performance.”

Each boat is U.S. Coast Guard approved and they were “carefully constructed to enhanced safety standards, including U.S. Coast Guard and ABS rules, and are ADA accessible, with updated assisted listening systems for hearing-impaired passengers.” Along with being designed for fuel efficiency, the news release says, the new crafts will have reduced engine noise. The tour boats used the past two decades have been too loud while traveling from point-to-point to allow passengers to hear commentary from the interpretive park ranger, so talks were possible only when the boats were stopped.

After delivering the new boats, the helicopter will airlift the aging tour boats from the lake.

Park officials noted there is currently only “administrative access” to the Cleetwood Cove trailhead and parking area, and that work on opening the 1.1-mile-long trail from the trailhead to the lake, which could take several days, began Tuesday. Crater Lake Hospitality, the park concessionaire, said the schedule of tours and costs are still being finalized. In recent years, offerings have included two-hour tours around the lake, passage to Wizard Island for multi-hour layovers followed by a tour around the lake, and shuttle rides to and from Wizard Island.

East Rim Drive Construction

Reconstruction of East Rim Drive, part of the road that loops around Crater Lake, has started and will impact park visitors.

During the construction, which is expected to last at least five years, sections of East Rim Drive will be closed. As a result, visitors will only be able to drive to the closure section from either West Rim Drive and/or park headquarters, then return the same way. It is expected, however, that the Crater Lake Trolleys will be allowed to pass through the construction areas for around-the-lake, ranger-guided tours. And, because work will be done on weekdays, the closure is not expected to impact the Crater Lake Rim Runs-Marathon or the Ride the Rim bicycle rides.

Another construction project, renovation of the Steel Center at the park headquarters area, is continuing. Unlike last year, however, no alternate visitor contact station will operate in Munson Valley. Along with the Rim Visitor Center in the Kiser Studio, information boards are posted around the park. Current plans call for completing extensive upgrades to the Steel Center by November.

As of Friday, Rim Drive from Discovery Point, about a mile from Rim Village, remained closed. Park officials said it’s hoped the North Entrance Road will be cleared of snow and open for the July 4th weekend. So far, the park has received 627 inches of snow, but it is reportedly melting quickly because of warm days and nights.

For updated park information, see www.nps.gov/crla or call 541-594-3100. Crater Lake Lodge, the Rim Village Café & Gift Shop, Annie Creek Restaurant & Gift Shop and Mazama Campground are open. For information about concession services, visit their website at www.travelcraterlake.com or call 866-292-6720.