_{The only Wood Electric to sail in the San Juans. The Chetzemoka with the World’s Fair Century 21 logo on the side. Author’s collection.}

CLASS: Wood Electric

BUILT: 1927, General Engineering & Drydock Co., Alameda, CA.

PREVIOUS/LATER NAMES: a. Golden Poppy, b. Chetzemoka

OFFICIAL NUMBER: 226687 CALL SIGN: WH7379  

L/B/D: 240 x 60 x 11 GROSS/NET TONS: 779/479 PASSENGERS/AUTOS: 400/50 cars

PROPULSION: 3 Ingersoll-Rand, Diesel Electric (DC) SPEED: 10 knots

NAME TRANSLATION: named for the S’Klallam chief who lived near Port Townsend

FINAL DISPOSITION: Sank under tow off the Washington Coast, 31 May 1977.

HISTORY

Arriving on Puget Sound on 26 May 1938 was the Golden Poppy. One of four near sister ferries recently put out of work on San Francisco Bay, Black Ball sent the all-wood ferry into the yard at Eagle Harbor.

Reconditioned, repainted and renamed, the ferry emerged with the name Chetzemoka. As the name was honoring a friendly Native American chief in the Port Townsend area, it was only fitting that Black Ball sent her to work on the Port Townsend-Edmonds run.

From 1938 until 1947 the Chetzy as her name was often shortened to, worked the Port Townsend route until she was moved over the Columbia Beach-Mukilteo run. She stayed on the route as the main ferry until WSF took over ferry operations.

In 1954, the Chetzemoka lost her status as the number one vessel on the Mukilteo route when the   recently acquired Olympic was moved to the route. The paring of the two vessels lasted sevenyears until the Rhododendron was added to the route, sending the Chetzemoka to reserve status.  She then only worked on weekends and as supplemental service during the summers.

In 1962 the Chetzemoka became the only Wood Electric Class to work in the San Juan Islands.  For the summers of 1962-64, the vessel sailed the Anacortes-San Juan Islands route.        

In the fall of 1965, she was moved back to the Mukilteo run for extra service.  From then on out she divided her time between the Mukilteo-Clinton route and the Kingston-Edmonds route, helping out on weekends with the traffic overflow.  

Her last season came in 1973, when she worked as the “Sunday Only” ferry on the Vashon route.  On Labor Day of 1973, she made her last official run. On 28 September that same year, the Spokane was chartered, moving the Kaleetan down to Winslow. With the Illahee and Nisqually on the run, Chetzemoka was assigned as a third boat to make up for the lack of capacity.*

The cost of hull caulking, keeping the dry rot at bay and her minimal car capacity spelled her end. She was sold in 1975 for $16,000.00 to a California investor who planned to give the Chetzemoka her old name and turn her into a shopping center moored along the San Francisco waterfront.

Under tow to California in heavy seas in the spring of 1977, the Chetzemoka‘s hull sprung a leak.  The pumps were unable to keep up, and after several hours the ferry slipped beneath the waves. 

She lies there still, 9 miles off the coast near La Push, in 235 feet of water.

*Information courtesy of Rex Carlaw, who witnessed the boat moves and noted the Chetzemoka’s last day of service.