_{The Elwha pulling into San Francisco on her journey northward in 1968. Note the lower car deck windows are boarded up and the false bow (left end of photo) to break waves. Author’s photo.}

Going nowhere fast

Debacle–noun– A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout; A total, often ludicrous failure;The breaking up of ice in a river.

Okay, I admit I didn’t know about that last definition (files it away for future use) however the first two can certainly be used to describe the aborted removal of the Elwha and Klahowya from Puget Sound. The cancellation of the sale is well documented, and because it has been cancelled, a few thoughts on it (and as a disclaimer, these are totally my own thoughts and in no way reflect the opinion of WSF or any of their employees.)

It’s hard not to have seen the writing on the walls with this. First, recycling in Ecuador. That’s a tow of over 3400 miles, I read somewhere. (Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.) That’s a heck of a long tow for two vessels designed to sail exclusively on inland waters. Not that it can’t be done–the Steel Electrics made it to Mexico for scrapping, and the Elwha and her sister sailed under their own power from San Diego to Puget Sound–however take a look at that photo of the Elwha from 1968 when she had to pull into San Francisco due to rough weather. All her lower car deck windows were boarded up, and though it is hard to see, there was a wave-breaking “false bow” place in the front to peel the seas back should they encounter rough seas–and even then it proved to be not up to task of truly repelling heavy weather. Less than a year earlier, the Hyak had to make her way into San Francisco Bay for the same reason–and her false bow was partially destroyed by the waves.

^{26 June 1967. The Hyak in Richmond, CA, undergoing repairs to the false bow after it was stove in after encountering heavy seas on the way up from San Diego. Author’s photo.}

And what was done to the Elwha and Klahowya prior to their tow? Nothing.

Now, I do not know if there was a plan in place to have the boats towed somewhere to have the ferries prepped for the tow southward after leaving Eagle Harbor, but since the tug Wycliffe‘s (which itself hadn’t been run, according to some reports, in a decade) next destination was listed as Ecuador on the vessel watch, I somehow doubt it.

By contrast, here’s how they prepared the Nisqually before towing it to Mexico. (Images courtesy of the Burke Digital Archives.)

The car deck windows,with their portholes, were deemed not a problem it seems, and must not have been because they did make it to Mexico.

Would the Klahowya and Elwha have made it to Ecuador without any of this work? I’m highly doubtful. Having said that, it wasn’t up to the state to prep the boats for the tow–that was the duty of the new owner. The state did its due diligence in making sure the vessels were lead paint and asbestos free–once sold, the boats become the problem of the new owner.

You can read about the conditions of the Wycliffe (a situation WSF had no knowledge of–and why would they, as they weren’t the ones towing the boat of of Puget Sound) and the fate of the crew here.

We’ll see what is up for these two decommissioned vessels next. There are interested parties locally, it seems, and the state is close to coming to a deal with the sale of the Hyak (Yay!) but I think everyone hopes that whatever the outcome, a former ferry doesn’t end up abandoned on a beach somewhere on Puget Sound. (Looking at you, Olympic and Ocean City.)

*Batteries not Included

Okay, I’m showing my age with that one, and does anyone even remember that movie anymore? In any case, the batteries will be included, in theory, presuming anyone actually bids on the contract.

Yesterday we got news that after months of casting out the net for potential yards to build WSF new vessels, three have showed interest. WSF seems pleased with that number, but personally I find it kind of…tepid, particularly since 15 originally expressed interest.

Only one yard from Washington is among the three, and it isn’t Vigor, and it had already been determined by WSF to “not currently have the capacity to be the lead shipyard in constructing” vehicle ferries.

The New Year could be very bright or very bleak for WSF depending on the results.

The trouble with retrofitting

Surprising absolutely no one, the Wenatchee did not emerge from the yard this fall as a hybrid-electric ferry because of unforeseen problems with the conversion. Part of the problem was due to “blueprints and designs for the Wenatchee didn’t match what workers found on the boat, leading to design changes and engineering challenges.”

I have to wonder if that was because of the additional stiffening work the boats had to have done after they went into service. Anyone other than me remember this?

The Jumbo Mark II’s plans were drawn off the original Jumbo Class–which included a design flaw resulting a very unsavory, teeth-rattling vibration. The Tacoma and Wenatchee made it to construction with the flaw copied in and ended up with the same vibration issues the Spokane and Walla Walla originally had. (The Puyallup still under construction at the time, was able to have the vibration issue corrected while being built and ended up a smooth sailing vessel from day one.) Both the Tacoma and Wenatchee went back to the yard for several months while modification and stiffening was done to both ferries to eliminate the vibration.

Naturally, with another year in the yard, the cost for the conversion is going to spiral ever upward. It will also delay the work being done on the Tacoma.

At this point, one has to wonder the value of retrofitting the other two boats, something that is going to need to have a serious discussion once the final bill comes due on the Wenatchee.

If cleaner burning, more efficient diesels, like the kind installed on the Suquamish can be put into them cheaper than converting the boats, it might be more prudent to do so. I’m all for going green and electric, but when a ferry system is a stretched to the limit as WSF is with no new boats on the horizon for (at an optimistic minimum) of four more years, that conversion money might be better spent building more new hybrid ferries that were designed that way from day one rather than trying to shoehorn in the technology into vessels that were not designed that way nor even had that as a thought when they were built nearly 30 years ago.

Certainly, any plan of sending the Tacoma in before at least two of the new boats on the water is a bad idea. Service between Bainbridge Island and Seattle (the busiest in the system) since the Wenatchee has been pulled from active duty has suffered. The mismatched pairing of the Chimicum (which cannot maintain the schedule) and Tacoma has resulted in large backups and reduction in both passenger and auto capacity.

On the other hand…at least they have two boats.

_{Hmm…I said WSF’s new boats don’t look particularly new or innovative, but B.C. Ferries latest vessels look much like their predecessors as well. I guess you don’t mess too much with what works. Courtesy B.C. Ferries.}

Not building in B.C.

Not building in Canada for that matter, either.

Our ferries will be built in the United States (assuming anyone bids) because they have to be. B.C. Ferries is not bound by something like the Jones Act, so they’re free to go with the lowest bidder. Unfortunately, this means that having the boats built in British Columbia–indeed, Canada at all, is probably never going to happen.

“Forty-seven million dollars! I’m the cat!”

Bonus points to anyone who gets that reference. And in fact, it isn’t $47 million, it’s $177.4 million that the Alaska Marine Highway has received for operations, upgrades and a replacement for the Tustumena.

Of course, the expected cost of replacing the Tustumena is expected to be $315 million or more, so while it’ll help, it won’t cover the cost of the new vessel.

Meanwhile, the ferry celebrated its 60th year in service last month.

End of an era for the Steamship Authority

The last two island-based captains that worked for the Steamship Authority have retired.

In addition, the head of the ferry company has announced he stepping down in 2025.

From the Vault

_{A nearly sparkly new Issaquah sets sail on 1 September 1980.}

Coming soon…

Galleys galore!

I had a request to do a post on the various galley photos I might have, so I’m pulling together the images I have. Stay tuned! (That’s the Klickitat up there for the record.)