VASHON

BUILT: 1930 Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA

OFFICIAL NUMBER: 229805 CALL SIGN: WB3763

L/B/D: 200 x 58 x 12 GROSS/NET TONS: 641/436 PASSENGERS/AUTOS: 645/ 90 cars (1930) 50 (1980)

PROPULSION: 8-cylinder Washington Estep Diesel, 930 HP SPEED: 10.5 knots

NAME TRANSLATION: From the island, which was named by Captain Vancouver for his friend, Captain James Vashon.

FINAL DISPOSITION: Sank in Johnson Cove, Alaska, after running aground. Parts of the vessel still visible in the Cove.

HISTORY

The historic Vashon was one of three ferries built for the Kitsap County Transportation Company—a ferry service that, for a brief time, gave the rival Puget Sound Navigation Company serious competition.  KCTC constructed three large ferries between 1925 and 1930 that proved to be reliable, solidly built craft that were extremely versatile in their auto and passenger carrying capacity. The three—Kitsap, Bainbridge and Vashon—were tremendously popular vessels with patrons of KCTC.

All three vessels were built at the Lake Washington Shipyard at Houghton. The last vessel out of yard, and the largest of the three, was the Vashon. Launched on 10 May 1930, the ferry mainly served its island namesake until Black Ball took over the ferry in 1935. In 1941 the vessel was assigned to the San Juan Islands. For the next nine years the Vashon made the rounds in the Islands until the new route between Lofall and South Point opened up. She was then moved to Hood Canal, making 28 trips a day until the Olympic took her place in 1954.

Washington State Ferries moved the Vashon back up to the San Juans, becoming a “San Juan boat as she stayed there for the next 18 years. Island residents became protective of their little ferry, giving her the name “Old Reliable.” She was joined by the much larger Evergreen State by the late 1950’s but still held her own, making countless landings at San Juan, Orcas, Shaw and Lopez Islands.

In 1973 the Vashon became the last wooden ferry still at work for Washington State Ferries.  While her upkeep was expensive, her Washington Estep diesel engine was as reliable as ever and the Vashon could still do a day’s work.  As traffic built in the San Juan Islands, the Vashon moved to the Mukilteo run, working Friday through Monday during the fall, spring and summer months. She returned to the San Juans in June of 1978 she went to work on the newly-established “inter-island” route.

The State was scheduled to retire the 49-year-old vessel, but the sinking of the Hood Canal Bridge and delays in the delivery of the new Issaquah Class ferries kept the Vashon in service. Despite the dry rot, and with the fleet suffering from capacity woes again, the ever-reliable Vashon was called upon to work.

Finally, there were enough Issaquah Class ferries in service. The Vashon made her last run in December of 1980, from Mukilteo.

Sold in 1982, the ferry lingered on the waterfront near Colman Dock for a few years. A group called “The Friends of the Vashon” were unable to raise the money to bring her to Friday Harbor for use her as a restaurant or floating resort. The ferry was sold again, and was used as a hostel in Port Townsend, but she operated in that capacity for only one summer.

Her owner took her to Alaska, planning   to use the vessel as a supply boat. Outside of Ketchikan in June of 1986, the Vashon ran aground. For days she leaked oil and sank into the sand, eventually rolling over on her side.  Declared a total loss, the Vashon was abandoned.As of a few years ago, the remains of the vessel were still visible on the beach at low tide at Johnson Cove in Alaska.

Many a resident of San Juan County mourned her passing. While not always the fastest, most comfortable or most modern, the Vashon could almost always be depended upon.