_{Calling the Port Angeles-Victoria run home for six decades, the Coho arrives in Victoria. Photo courtesy of Brandon Swan.}

BUILT: 1959, Seattle WA.

OFFICIAL NUMBER:  280243 CALL SIGN: WM4599 

L/B/D: 342 x 72 x 13 GROSS/NET TONS:  5366/3897 PASSENGERS/AUTOS: 1000/110 cars

NAME TRANSLATION: Named for the salmon, which are also known as silver salmon.

FINAL DISPOSITION: In service, Port Angeles to Victoria, British Columbia as of 2024.

HISTORY

(from Wikipedia)

The M/V Coho is a passenger and vehicle ferry owned and operated by Black Ball Line. Black Ball’s only ferry, the Coho carries passengers and cars, trucks, semi-trailers, bicycles, etc. between Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and Port Angeles, Washington, United States.

The Coho makes between two and four round trips from Port Angeles to Victoria daily, with each crossing taking about 90 minutes and covering 23 miles (20 nautical miles or 37 kilometers). The peak summer season has the most trips per day and the winter season the fewest.

Construction and design

The Coho was designed by Philip F. Spaulding & Associates, of Seattle and is named after the coho salmon commonly found in the Pacific Northwest. The Coho was the first large vessel built on the West Coast in 20 years solely with private financing. The vessel was built by Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock in Seattle, Washington and made her first sailing to Victoria B.C. on December 29, 1959. She was originally powered by two Cooper-Bessemer diesel engines rated at 2,080 bhp (1,550 kW) each. In 2004 she was refitted with two V-12 Electro-Motive Division (EMD)12-645F7B diesels rated at 2,550 hp (1,900 kW) each. Coho has twin 8-foot (2.44 m) stainless propellers with twin rudders. Her overall length is 341.5 feet (104.1 m) with a service speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ship’s vehicle clearance is 14 feet (4.27 m) with a carrying capacity of 110 vehicles and up to 1,000 passengers.

The design of the Coho was the basis for that of BC Ferries’ first two ships, the Sidney class Queen of Sidney and Queen of Tsawwassen.