From the Archive

Published by Chinooksteve on

Ah, the Elwha. She doesn’t look bad here, but that is before the fateful winter of 1990 which one side of her was completely demolished in the Arctic Express storm. It was because of that damage that the Elwha was yanked from service back in 2019. Why you ask? Because, and pardon the caps, THERE WASN’T ENOUGH 4″ STEEL IN THE UNITED STATES TO REPAIR HER.
Yep, you read that correctly. So much rotten steel was on that boat that there wasn’t enough 4″ United States produced steel (which had to be used, no foreign steel was allowed due to partial federal funding) to do the repair work. (The last figure I saw, something like 75% of the car deck needed to be replaced. And that was before they opened her up to see what else needed replacing.)
One wonders with Japan completing its purchase of U.S. Steel today (23 January) how that will affect U.S. shipbuilding now.

Granted, it was summers only, but I still can’t fathom the little Beeline working the Port Townsend-Keystone run. The waters across Admiralty Inlet are known for being particularly rough, and for conditions to change rapidly. The Beeline was just 100 feet (29 meters for the rest of the world) and could carry a whopping 18 cars.
She didn’t say on the route long, being replaced by the larger Quilcene and Rosario at different points until Black Ball abandoned the route in the 40’s.
While the fate of the S.S. United States rests with a federal court (spoilers, it doesn’t look good, particularly after the consortium to move the ship to NYC fell apart) take time to remember her little…cousin? Sister? You can certainly tell she was a Gibb’s design, but if you listen to the conservancy for the “Big U” it’s as if Gibbs only ever designed one ship–a huge discredit to a brilliant designer of ships both large and small,many of which long outlived the United State’s brief active career. (Looking at you, Monterey aka Matsonia aka Lurline aka Britanis.)
February of 1968, and the Chippewa‘s last trip to drydock. The hull was thoroughly cleaned and freshly painted for her trip down to San Francisco. Her life there would last mere weeks before she was destroyed in an arson fire.
A rare paring, indeed! The Princess Marguerite, en route to Victoria in 1982, passes the Rhododendron on her way to Keystone.
A new design indeed…and a horrible one at that! The original seats on the Walla Walla and Spokane were probably the most uncomfortable ones ever placed on a ferry. Given the horrors from the Supers and later the concrete benches and chairs on the Issaquah Class, that is saying something.
The Spokane ditched these things in the 90’s, but the Wally hung on to hers well into the 2000’s–having been reupholstered from their original 1970’s orange to a less eye-offending navy blue. Happily, they’re long gone now too.
End of the line in San Diego. The fleet of ferries was soon to be made obsolete by the new bridge. L-R are the North Island, Silver Strand and the Crown City. The other two are long gone, but the Crown City still remains in service for the Steamship Authority at Martha’s Vineyard as the Governor.
I wonder how many people (in general or even at the company know) that the cruise ship line known as Princess Cruises got its start and indeed its name from this pocket liner, sister to the Princess Marguerite.
The Princess Patricia left her home waters of British Columbia to make a winter Ensenada, Mexico, way back in the 60’s. The cruises turned out to be so popular that a much bigger ship was soon needed, and the Patricia went back to making cruises to Alaska.
The name, however, remained, and while there has never been (annoyingly) Princess Patricia to pay tribute to the inaugural liner, the company, now under the umbrella of Carnival, remains. (For the record, Carnival also owns Cunard, Holland America, Aida Cruises, Costa, Seabourne, P&O Cruises, and P&O Australia.)
Categories: From the Archive

5 Comments

Jason Leander · January 27, 2024 at 5:33 pm

Cup of coffee and a new Day Room. Perfect way to start off a rainy Saturday morning. Thanks again for keeping this going, Steven. The older I get, the more I love the old pictures.

It’s always funny to me how the original interiors of the Jumbo’s were so criticized. Spending my kid years (80’s) visiting my grandparents cabin in Flat Pt – Lopez, we usually rode on Supers and Citrus boats. Getting to visit my aunt and uncle on Bainbridge meant the rare chance to ride the space-age, futuristic Jumbo’s. I just remember them being SO COOL.

Mark Stearns · January 27, 2024 at 6:33 pm

I remember the first time riding the Jumbos in the 1970’s. The colors, the chairs and the Muzak piped through the sound system was a most unique experience. Nothing like what I was used to on the Mukilteo run. I remember taking the Walla Walla to Winslow, and waiting to take the Spokane back. Once aboard the Spokane, I used my special name, “Ralph E. White” to get to the wheelhouse. It was there I was given the privilege to take the wheel in open water. Great memories, and because of the experience, the Spokane will always be my favorite vessels.

Mark Stearns · January 27, 2024 at 6:36 pm

P. S. Ralph White had given me a set of blueprints for the Jumbos while they were being built in 1973. I wish I knew what happened to those. I had kept them for many years until they disappeared in one of our moves.

Jason Leander · January 29, 2024 at 7:46 am

Good stuff! The utilitarian Supers were such a contrast to the futuristic Jumbos….and only separated by a 1/2 dozen years!

Nikolaus Bautista · February 19, 2024 at 9:05 am

I love this stuff. More “From the Archive” posts please. Also, reach out to me, Steve. I have found an Artist’s rendering of a very important ferry.

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