Navy Ship Docks at Mackinac Island for Weekend
By Eric Fish

The LCU 1680, a Navy Reserve vessel out of Buffalo, New York, docked on Mackinac Island from June 22 to 24 as part of a training exercise for its crew of 18. The boat has a flat bottom and the unique ability to cruise right up to a beach and unload soldiers and supplies.

Mackinac Island was paid a special visit by a Navy Reserve unit out of Buffalo, New York, on the weekend of Friday, June 22. Their boat, LCU 1680, was docked at the end of the Arnold Transit docks as part of the unit's training exercise. LCU is the navy boat designation for utility landing craft. It has a flat bottom and collapsible front bowel that works as a ramp for unloading. It's capable of cruising right up to a beach and dispatching troops, tanks, and other equipment, said John Dunham, the vessel's chief engineer.

The vessel is operating with a crew of 18 people, but Mr. Dunham said that it fits 14 comfortably.

It is powered by two diesel engines and a pilot house featuring radar and global positioning technology.

As part of the training exercise, Mr. Dunham said the Navy attempts to sail all of the Great Lakes. This voyage of the LCU 1680, however, missed Lakes Superior and Ontario.

"This trip we were supposed to hit Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior, but we're going to miss Superior because we decided to stay an extra day on Mackinac," Mr. Dunham said. "Everybody who's been here before raved about it, so we took a vote. We're going to stay here."

It was Mr. Dunham's first visit to the Island, but he could already understand what his Navy peers liked about it.

"This place is great," he said. "I can't wait to go off and go walk around."

The LCU 1680 docked Friday, June 22, and departed Sunday, June 24.