Oh, where does one start…

How about the Wenatchee conversion fiasco? Yes, fiasco, because the 8-9 month project will take 22 by the time it is over with, and when it comes back into service, there won’t be anything to plug it into, anyway.

Oh, and did I mention it cost way more than they figured to do the work? Like $36 million more? Surprise! Said no one, ever, when it comes to retrofitting one of WSF’s boats.

Retrofitting a near thirty year vessel is not a good idea. In reality, the state should be looking at retiring the ferry in about twelve to fifteen years. (The 60 year service life mandated by the legislature is not workable model, which is being proven time and time again in the cost of repairs and maintenance to every vessel over 40 years of age. The money that ends up being dumped into those each of those old boats for those extra years in service could just about pay for an entirely new vessel to replace it instead.)

WSF has a long, long history of attempting retrofits which are supposed to result in savings but end up costing double or more what they anticipated. (The expensive refurbishment of the Rhododendron springs to mind.)

Part of the problem with the Wenatchee was that the “blue prints didn’t match what was on the boat.” Um, could that be because they had to add stiffening to the boat because of the terrible vibration that both the Tacoma and Wenatchee had when they went into service? Didn’t anyone down at WSF remember that?

In any event, Governor Ferguson postponed the conversion of the other two vessels because of the upcoming World Cup next year. And hopefully by “Postponed” that means “Cancelled.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the electrification of the fleet, but start from the ground up with new boats–don’t try to shoehorn in a system into a vessel that was never designed with that in mind.

The other Mark II’s will need upgrades to the engines and propulsion systems, but look for something that works more efficiently and cleaner and, more importantly, actually fits into the boat.

Goodbye, or possible good riddance…

After loitering around Eagle Harbor for several years after it was deemed (rightly) too expensive to repair her, the Elwha was sold for $100,000.00 to Everett Ship Repair to be used as a floating office and warehouse space.

The notorious ferry had a long and colorful career with Washington State Ferries, but couldn’t outrun the problem of serious deficiencies in her steel, the cost of which, when all accounted for given the amount the state had put into it before her retirement, probably would have totaled up to a third of a new ferry.

It’s a lot cheaper and easier to do upkeep on a building, even a floating one, as it doesn’t have to meet the Coast Guard regulations. (The Queen Mary, for example, is not under Coast Guard jurisdiction anymore.)

No word yet on the Hyak or Klahowya, but the are still listed as “For Sale” by the state.

It’s Spring!

And the Spring Schedule goes into effect this weekend! (March 23rd)

As for summer…

You won’t be taking the Quinault, as she is long gone, but that photo was taken in the summer of 1983.

However, for the summer of 2025, Governor Ferguson recently announced Washington State Ferries would be back to running at full service.

That means three boats at Vashon, two boats at Bremerton, and two boats at Port Townsend (10 hours a day, Friday through Monday,)

No word on what Fall schedule will look like, but hopefully the two boats at Bremerton and three boats at Vashon will stick.

She’s back among the living…

After 200 days out of service, the Queen of New Westminster returned to service after undergoing a bunch of repairs. The service outage kicked off when one of the ferries propellers fell off.

Built in 1964, the ferry is one of the oldest in the B.C. Ferries fleet and is in her last years of service.

B.C. Ferries is currently building replacements for vessels that were built in the mid 1970’s, and will probably have all five of them on the water before WSF sees one new hybrid electric on the water…if they’re ever built.

Meanwhile in Alaska…

Seems there in the same boat (har har) as Washington State when it comes to old vessels, crewing, and everything else.

Read about it here, as there is far too much to put in a short blog post.

And finally, from the archives…

And until next time, happy sailing!