TACOMA (II)

CLASS: Jumbo Mark II

BUILT: 1997, Todd Pacific Shipyard, Seattle WA

OFFICIAL NUMBER: D1052576 CALL SIGN: WCX9244 

L/B/D: 460 x 90 x 17 GROSS/NET TONS: 3926/2066 PASSENGERS/AUTOS: 2500/202

PROPULSION: 4 EMD 16-710 G7 diesels, 13200 HP SPEED: 18 knots 

NAME TRANSLATION: See above

FINAL DISPOSITION: In service, 2024.

HISTORY

The only thing they have in common are their names and a similar speed: the Tacoma of 1913 and 1997 share little else in common. The lovely steamer of 1913 would have been completely dwarfed by the Tacoma that went into service for Washington State Ferries in 1997. Built to accommodate the increasing traffic on the Winslow (Bainbridge Island) to Seattle route, the ferry has served the north end of Kitsap County well over the years, rarely experiencing any problems.

There were some initial teething problems when first coming into service—mainly vibration, particularly around corners.  It was a design flaw that had been present in the Jumbos and which, for reasons never well explained, got copied right into the new boats. The Tacoma was later retrofitted to get rid of the shimmy and is now much smoother running. However, only the Puyallup, which was still under construction at the time the problem was discovered, escaped the vibration completely.

The added capacity of the Tacoma was very welcomed. In short order, however, the ferry was at capacity.  The boats are now so regularly full that if the Tacoma or Wenatchee needs to go out for maintenance, they will be replaced by the Puyallup as the Spokane and Walla Walla with 500 fewer spaces for people can no longer work the route as commuters will be left at the dock.  For one brief period of time in 2002 the Kaleetan was placed on the route.  Even though the car capacity was cut, it was the Kaleetan‘s then 2,500 passenger capacity (which has since been revised downward) that was needed.

As the Tacoma and the others are maxed out and there is no room to put a third boat on the run (it was tried for one summer and resulted in such horrible traffic backups across the entire island the idea for a third vessel on the route was quietly dropped) there has been some talk of retro-fitting the solariums  to be an enclosed passenger cabin, much like the “library” areas already on the upper deck.

Since going into service, the Tacoma has called Bainbridge Island home. With few exceptions she has been there since that first day of service in 1997.

In November of 2007 the Tacoma returned to service after an absence of some three months for her ten-year overhaul.  She returned to service polished, cleaned and freshly painted, and ready for another ten years of sterling service.  In early 2011, she went in for interior upgrades.

On 29 July 2014, the Tacoma suffered a major electrical failure which essentially fried the control panel and much of the electrical system. After reviewing the extent of the damage, it was hoped the have the ferry back in service by late December. Further investigation revealed several obsolete parts would have to be custom built in Germany. As a result, the Tacoma did not return to service until late spring of 2015.

Not long after returning to service, the ferry was out again–but this time for an overdue stem-to-stern painting.  Drydock space for vessel of the Mark II size has to be taken when it can be got, which unfortunately put the Tacoma out for the entire summer 2015 schedule.

Now over twenty years old, the ferry and her sisters are scheduled to be upgraded to an electric-hybrid propulsion system, which would greatly reduce their fuel consumption.  As of 2021, the project is waiting to get underway.