Company:Hike Metal Products
Hike Metal Products is a Wheatley, Ontario-based manufacturer of small to mid-sized boats used for firefighting, lifeboats, research vessels, law enforcement and other rescue and patrol operations. The company also performs ship refitting and metal fabricating.
Founded in 1958, the company's clients are in Canada and United States, with vessels used mostly in the Great Lakes. The company faced financial problems in the 1980s and restructured to meet changing business environment.[1]
Hike's facilities are located within Wheatley Harbour, consisting of a large metal-manufacturing building, outdoor building berths.[2] Assembly of vessels take place outside (vessels over 100 ft in length and inside (less than 100 ft in length). Located along Lake Erie, the business caters to regional buyers, namely Canadian and American clients along the Great Lakes.
Products and Clients
- Canadian Coast Guard Bay-Class Lifeboat – 6 Planned
- Canadian Coast Guard Arun-class lifeboats – 10 boats built
- Toronto Port Authority David Hornell (ex-TCCA 1) car ferry 2006 and Marylin Bell 1 (ex-TCCA 2) car ferry
- Chicago Fire Department fireboat Christopher Wheatley 2011 [3] – ship's name and place of manufacturer are the same [4]
- Baltimore Fire Department fire boat John R. Fraizer 2007
- Canadian Coast Guard tug research vessel CCGS Shark 1971 – retired 2009
- Canadian Coast Guard Nav Aids and SAR vessel CCGS Vakta 2003
- Canadian Coast Guard SAR hovercraft CCGH Siyay and CCGH Sipu Muin 1998
- Maid of the Mist V 1983 – retired after 2013
- Canadian Coast Guard CCGS Goeland training vessel
- Toronto Police Service Marine Units 1 (dive platform and command vessel), 4 (patrol) and 7 (patrol)
- Ontario Power Generation Niagara Queen II tug 1992
- Copasetic – largest ship built by Hike and one of few to be used outside the Great Lakes (Florida)
- Hornblower Niagara Cruises vessels Niagara Wonder and Niagara Thunder 2012–2013
Gallery
Arun class lifeboat
Maid of the Mist V
CCG hovercraft Siyay
Toronto Island car ferry
See also
Hike is one three surviving Canadian shipbuilders on the Great Lakes with most others disappearing after World War II:
- Toronto Drydock Company (c. 1917) – does mostly ship repairing
- Port Weller Dry Docks 1946
Hike is the only Canadian shipyard on Lake Erie, but second to be located on the lake:
- Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard – located in nearby Amherstburg, Ontario and built ships for the Royal Navy from 1796 to 1813
Other Great Lakes shipbuilders include:
- Erie Shipbuilding LLC of Erie, Pennsylvania (Lake Erie) – still active
- Dry Dock Complex (Detroit, Michigan) of Detroit, Michigan
(Dry Dock Engine Works and the Detroit Dry Dock Company) 1892–1929
- Great Lakes Engineering Works of River Rouge, Michigan (Detroit River) 1902–1960
References
Template:Canadian shipbuilders
External links
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