Well, it is that time of year. The idiotic time change happens, we are plunged into sunsets at 4 PM, and rain, rain, rain galore. Truthfully, I don’t mind the rain, and after such a dry summer, we sure need it. We’ve started off the month very wet and windy however, with (as of this writing on the 6th) no end in sight. I guess all this is to say, “Hello, La Nina.”

Meanwhile, an Update…

On one of our favorite “old timers” the mighty Evegreen State. She got the boot from Olympia for( according to the Olympian “The Port of Olympia announced last month that it had terminated its moorage contract with ferry owner Bart Lematta after the port said he had failed to meet the terms of that agreement. He was asked to leave and he did, a tugboat pushing the vessel away from the marine terminal about noon Monday.”

That would have been Monday, 4 October 2021. The former ferry ended up at Langley, on Whidbey Island.

According to officials with Nichols Brothers, who owns the dock where ferry is currently moored, she’s due to stay there “about three months” before moving to a drydock in Everett.

We’ll see what happens next.

In other news…

We’re down to six names for the new WSF ferry after a bunch of not very serious ones. They are, in no particular order:

Wishkah, Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, Sehekin, Muckleshoot, and Enie Marie.

That last one is a surprise, and already is sparking controversy, as the Seattle Times reported. It seems that the person who suggested it didn’t do his research, or, as Dennis Lewarch, historic preservation officer for the Suquamish Tribe said in the Times article, “When you take something off the internet, you don’t know what references they looked at, or if they were citing correct references. They don’t go to primary sources.”

You know, like maybe consulting with the Suquamish Tribe first? Or Enie Marie’s descendants–neither of which was done.

Kalakala II didn’t make the cut either, and for that I’m not disappointed. I’m sorry, I’ll say it again. Copyright issues aside, there was one Kalakala a unique vessel. The new vessel is going to be a nearly identical twin to the existing Olympic Class ferries. While I am sure it’ll be a nice boat, it will certainly have nothing remotely distinctive about it, (other than its hybrid propulsion system) or 1/10th of the style of the Kalakala. Like famous, notable sports players who have their number retired from use, the name Kalakala should be as well, so that it may always be identified with the famous art deco icon of Seattle.

As for the other names– Wishkah, which according to the state: “The origin of “Wishkah” is said to be hwish-kahl, a Chehalis language word meaning “stinking water.”

Seriously? You’re going to name a vessel that means “Stinking water?” WHY did this make it into the list of finalists?

Stillagumaish, for the tribe, which is “the traditional Lushootseed translation of “Stillaguamish” means: “People of the River”.

Snoqualmie, for the tribe, which “the name can be translated from the Lushootseed language as “the Transformer’s People”, and also carries the meaning of the People of Moon and is a testament to the historical might and modern-day resiliency and dynamism of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe.”

Stehekin. The name comes from the Salish language family and means “the way through” or “passage”.

Muckleshoot: “The Tribe’s name is derived from the native name for the prairie on which the Muckleshoot Reservation was established.”

I think given the problems with “Enie Marie” as highlighted by the historic preservation officer for the Suquamish tribe it should be passed over. “Wishkah’s” meaning should drop it out of the running as well. Regardless of the nice write up the sponsor did, how’s that going to look for any tourist asking what the ferry’s name means?

I’m still hoping for a return of Quilcene, Quinault, Klahanie, Kulshan or some of the others. If the legislature ever gets off its collective duff and takes the ferry system seriously as part of the highway infrastructure in this state instead of some inconvenient/easily shoved aside “we’ll deal with that agency later” as they have for the past twenty years and build the boats that need to be built before the system collapses any further than it already has, then maybe we’ll get one of those names used again.

Time will tell.

Meanwhile…

Just yikes! A consequence of the galleys being closed for so long, and stagnant water in the pipes leads to some dangerous bacteria. Fortunately passengers and crew were not at risk.

It’s not just you!

Every time the Kraken make a goal at Climate Change Arena? That’s the Hyak‘s horn you hear blasting. Long live the Mighty Hyak, and go Kraken!

North of the soon-to-be-open-border again….

B.C. Ferries is removing the fuel rebate because of the price of oil. This rates a collective “Feh.”

For someone who says they are cutting costs…

Alaska’s governor has a funny way of doing it, as keeping the poor old Malaspina insured is an astounding $420,000 a year due to go up “slightly” in 2022. In addition, mooring her is costing taxpayers in Alaska $450,000 per year. So, close to a million a year is going down the tubes on a vessel that has no certificate.

It seems there have been offers to buy her, but for some reason the state hasn’t acted.

Meanwhile she sits, wracking up roughly $2500.00 a day in fees.