And we have a shipyard!

Yesterday,(about the time I thought he would) Governor Ferguson announced that the yard had been chosen to build the Wishkah and her as yet unnamed sister ferries. The winner: Eastern Shipbuilding out of Florida. Good luck, and now let us start cutting some steel!

To be clear, no one is going to be happy with this decision

It was Hobson’s choice, and one I don’t envy our governor for having to to choose.

Personally, I’m not thrilled that the work is going out of state. Would I have liked to have a Washington yard build the boats? Sure! But the fact of the matter is, the only other bidder, Nichols Brothers of Whidbey Island, even with the 13% discount for being a local yard, was still substantially more than the Florida firm’s bid. Something like 25% over. And still not explained to me is where they were going to build the over four-hundred foot (123.4 meter) vessels. The yard in Freeland, unless something has dramatically changed in the last few years, is not capable of handling a vessel that size. This was something that disqualified them from the first round of (ultimately canceled) bids.

Granted, I was not privy to the bid, so perhaps they had partnered with Everett or one of the other yards around here–I don’t know. I know launching a vessel that size onto the mudflats of Freeland was not an option.

The taxpayers are the winner here, the potential jobs created by building in Washington the losers. Again, Hobson’s choice. Facing a huge budget shortfall, and faced with a price tag of 700 plus million for the three as opposed to the over 1 billion dollar tag for the local yard, it is completely understandable why the Florida yard was chosen. It was also understandable why the bid was not split. Keeping the work with one yard allows for each successive ferry to be built cheaper. Had the bid been split, you’d have two “first boats” and all the associated cost overruns with each vessel.

So, the choice was go local, and have the taxpayers complaining about using the yard with the much higher price and dozens of armchair pundits complaining about a waste of taxpayer dollars, or likely these same people complaining about shipping the work out of state. (Should be noted that some of these same people were also complaining about NOT opening the bids up nationally to get a competitive bid.)

So, no win situation–let’s now just focus on getting some boats on the water.

By the way, three boats isn’t going to increase the number of ferries

Three boats built is going to replace three boats that need retirement. That will give us a net gain of zero boats.

Now, to be clear, the WSF has NEVER run at anything like a good stable of boats to keep up with maintenance and preservation needs. They’ve always been behind the eight ball on that issue, because 21-22 boats seems to be “good enough.” Until it isn’t of course.

I get very tired of legislative representatives proclaiming they’re “doing something” for the ferries by keep things the status quo. And by no means should they be getting back claps for finally restoring domestic service to pre-pandemic levels. That was the governor who pushed that issue forward, as original plans hadn’t been to restore some of these runs until 2029.

So, yes, three new ferries–to replace the 66-year old Tillikum–put into service when President Eisenhower was in office–remember him? And the Kaleetan and Yakima, both of which first sailed when LBJ was in office and “Daydream Believer” by the Monkee’s was the #1 song on the charts. (For the Kaleetan, anyway. When the Yakima went into service it was “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding. Either way, that was 58 years ago.) Remember, the ridiculous 60 year service plan mandated by these same legislative representatives has long passed on the Tillikum and will have passed on the Kaleetan and Yakima…if the latter two make it that far. (Anyone familiar with the construction and the steel strike that took place during that time knows what I’m talking about.) All three have to be retired at that point. So again, net gain… 0.

I do get weary of hearing about “where is the money going to come from” when comes to ferries. Until I hear word 1 about shutting down highways in the state because we don’t have the money, they better find it. Start by increasing the amount of gas tax the ferries get from an appalling low 1 cent on the dollar and maybe listen to Senator King’s idea about having any tax to anything automotive related go to the transportation fund. I’m all for that, everything from car air fresheners to windshield wipers to floor mats–if it goes for the car, it goes to the transportation fund.

Unless we keep building beyond these three, we’re going to end up right back where were are not–not enough boats, and a continuing aging fleet. By the time the first of the new boats hits the water, the Issaquah will have earned her 50-year service gold stripes on her stacks.

Speaking of Nicholas Brothers…

The Guemes is back!

No, not that Guemes.

This one!

The ferry went out of service in mid-March and was supposed to have been back in mid-late April, but didn’t get back into service until early June. It seems the overhaul didn’t go quite as planned and additional work was needed to the 45-year old vessel. (Not a huge surprise, really, for a vessel that age.)

Then, on June 16th, the ferry experienced and electrical failure which caused the boat to have a hard landing and took it out of service again.

The electrical problem was fixed 10 hours later, but Skagit County said “that it (the wiring) would be completely replaced after hours as soon as parts could be ordered.”

Since then, it seems to have been smooth sailing to Guemes Island.

Meanwhile, the Wenatchee…

^{_{Taken almost ten years ago to the day as I write this, the Wenatchee on July 5th, 2015. Courtesy of Brandon Swan.}}

By all accounts the sea trials of the Wenatchee appear to be going well, and she seems to be able to switch from diesel to battery operation seamlessly. If crew familiarization and trials continue to go well, the ferry should be back in service soon.

However, the cost overruns on this ferry were substantial. It is one of the reasons I am against the word “retrofit.” WSF has a long, long history of astronomical cost overruns when it comes to retrofitting boats, going back well over forty years. Just look back at news articles on the Evergreen State, Rhododendron and Elwha for example. Though admittedly that last one no one could have foreseen the boat getting bashed into pier for hours in one of the worst wind storms to hit the area in a century.

I am as pro-environment and reducing emissions as you can get, but I still the plans for retrofitting the remaining two Mark II’s and the Kwa-di-Tabil’s should be dropped. Replace them with cleaner engines, maybe even biodiesel, but don’t try to cram in technology they simply weren’t designed for. Starting from the ground up as the state is doing now is the way to go.

The Jumbo Mark II’s are all approaching 30 years of age at this point (if you can believe it–I well remember riding a shiny new Tacoma and Wenatchee commuting to Seattle) and it might not be the best investment to try to rethink a system that already works very well and can be made more efficient.

Oh, but if they do decide to go forward–please remember that the Tacoma had to be stiffened for vibration too, and its original plans aren’t going to match up what is down there in that hull either, just like the Wenatchee.

Farewell, old friend

She’s been out of service for a while, but the ferry board in Alaska formally recommended retiring the Matanuska.

It shouldn’t come as any real surprise. The vessel is 62 years old and has seen decades of use, which, despite good maintenance and overhauls, still takes its toll. And in vessels that age, there are always the problems of that old boogeyman–asbestos that was used everywhere back in the day.

125,000 pounds of new steel would be needed to bring the old ferry up to snuff, and $45 million in work just to bring it up standard for domestic service. That number balloons to $135 million to bring her up to current SOLAS standards.

While it is always sad to see one of the “Blue Canoes” go, the Matanuska has certainly earned her retirement.

Controversy!

If you think the decision of choosing a yard in Florida was controversial, be glad you’re not in B.C. Ferries shoes.

The contract to replace their oldest large vessels, the Queens of New Wesminster, Coquitlam, Cowichan, Surrey, Oak Bay and Alberini was awarded to a Chinese shipyard.

This has not sat well with many political factions throughout Canada, not only because of human rights concerns at the Chinese yard, but accusations that China has in the past actively attempted to interfere in Canada’s elections.

There are growing cries to cancel the contract, and we’ll see how it plays out.

Meanwhile, someone punched and bit crew members after he was reminded he needed to move up to the passenger cabin after sailing. (Passengers have not been allowed to stay in their cars while crossing on B.C. Ferries since the Queen of Victoria was rammed by a Russian freighter back in 1970 which resulted in the death of three passengers, two of which had been on the car deck at the time.) It seems the passenger didn’t take too kindly to this, punching the deck hand before running up the stairs, through the galley and over a steam table. To top it all off, he then bit an officer.

I find myself saying this a lot these days, but what is wrong with people?

Anyway, I hope this guy gets either the mental help he may need or prosecuted for being a violent jackass.

You never looked lovelier…

The Wickersham has always been a favorite vessel of mine, and she looked her best, I think, in the blue livery of the Alaska Marine Highway.

She had a long career of bouncing around from company to company, was renamed a lot and finally met her end in 2001.

I’ve always thought Alaskans never got over the loss, as you can find places online where she’s spoken of fondly to this day.

End of a Princess

The photo above captures the sad end to the Princess Louise down in Los Angeles. She flooded and capsized while undergoing renovations back in 1989.

Was it sabotage? Insurance fraud? No one knows for sure, but Lloyds of London must have thought so, as they refused to pay the claim.

The hulk was later raised, towed out to sea, and sunk in deep water.

Kalakala month!

3 July 2025 will mark the 90th’s anniversary of this art deco icon’s entry into service. She would go on to sail for another 32 years.

Known for her teeth-shaking rattle, her curvaceous fittings and her dislike of docks, there are few who took a trip on her, either from Seattle to Bremerton or from Port Angeles to Victoria who ever forgot her.

Sadly, efforts to save and restore her failed, and she was eventually scrapped back in 2015 before she could sink and become a hazard and environmental mess on the Hylebos waterway in Tacoma.

She may only exist in photos and movie footage these days, but she’ll always have a special place in the maritime history of Puget Sound and Seattle.