Washington State Ferry News

A fuel contamination issue led to the grounding of a Washington State Ferries (WSF) vessel in April, the operator said in a recent update.The 440-foot double-ended Jumbo Class ferry Walla Walla was traveling from Bremerton, Wash. to Seattle with 596 passengers and 15 crew members on board when it ran aground in Rich Passage, just off Bainbridge Island, Wash., at approximately 4:30 p.m. on April 15. No injuries, pollution or damage to the vessel was reported.At the time of the incident…

U.S. shipbuilding company Vigor has selected ABB to supply the hybrid-electric propulsion and energy storage systems for the newest additions to the Washington State Ferry fleet, setting the largest U.S. ferry system on course to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel use.The new Olympic Class ferries, each with a capacity of 144 cars and 1,500 passengers, with the planned addition of charging capability at terminals, would reduce fuel consumption by up to 95%. Upon delivery in 2024…

In the first of a series of marine industry sector reviews, MR&EN correspondent Tom Mulligan reports on the latest innovations in heavy lifting machinery technology with a selective overview of new product launches and recent equipment installations on board ships, ferries and workboats, as well as in ports, docks, harbors and shipping terminals worldwide. Markey Machinery’s Render/Recover and Asymmetric Render/Recover ‘active heave’ compensating winches have been recognized as…

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has signed into law An Act Relating to Transportation Funding and Appropriations (SB 6106).   Among other things, the bill includes $600,000 for development of a request for proposal to convert the three Washington State Ferry vessels in the Jumbo Mark II class to hybrid electric propulsion and make associated necessary 10 modifications to the Seattle, Bainbridge, Edmonds and Kingston 11 terminals. See the legislation here. The Jumbo Mark II class includes three 460-foot double-ended ferries – Puyallup, Tacoma and Wenatchee – each built in the late 1990s. The largest ferries in the Washington State fleet, each vessel can transport up to 2,499 passengers and 202 vehicles. (Source: with thanks to Dennis Bryant)

NYC Ferry operated by Hornblower is teaming up with the oldest merchant marine academy in the country to deliver a world class training program before a majority of the new NYC Ferry vessels even arrive in New York Harbor. SUNY Maritime College was founded in 1874 as the New York Nautical School, the first school in the nation devoted to training merchant mariners. As part of this new collaboration between NYC Ferry and SUNY Maritime, future captains and crew will have access to SUNY Maritime’s top notch classroom facilities and experienced maritime faculty.

A Washington resident has been fined for interfering with the safe operation of a Washington State Ferry (WSF) passenger vessel by shining a laser at the ferry’s master and chief mate. Mark Raden of Freeland, Wash. was aboard the WSF Kitsap transiting between Mukilteo and Clinton on October 22, 2015 when he pointed the high-powered blue laser at the WSF Tokitae, striking the vessel's master and chief mate in the eyes and endangering the 106 passengers on board. A U.S. Coast Guard Hearing Officer assessed a $9,500 civil penalty on December 27 2016.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) christened Chimacum, the third Olympic Class vessel to join the Washington State Ferries (WSF) fleet. The ceremony took place at Vigor's Harbor Island Shipyard in Seattle, and marked the vessel’s final stage of construction and its preparation for sea trials. In a traditional maritime ceremony, Washington State Ferries Assistant Secretary Lynne Griffith broke a bottle of champagne to officially welcome the new ferry to the fleet. Gov.

On Wednesday, the Washington State Transportation Commission announced that the fourth ferry in our Olympic Class will be named Suquamish. Ferry names were suggested through a public process, and narrowed down to three for the Commission’s consideration. Suggestions are judged based on their statewide significance and representation of Washington’s image and culture. The name Suquamish was selected over Cowlitz or Sammamish. Suquamish is fitting because contemporary ferry routes traverse the historic Suquamish canoe travel corridors. The Commission reminded that the new ferry schedule begins this Sunday, March 20. Their website (http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/) provides the correct sailing times! With this new season comes the return of service from Anacortes to Sidney, BC.

Improved funding and management changes have the nation’s largest ferry system on a course to better times. Challenges remain, but WSF tackles each one in turn. Unlike the citizens of British Columbia, which pays a German shipyard to build its ferries, Washington state residents resolutely invest at home. By law, ferries are built locally and the results, overall, seem win-win. The state’s Office of Financial Management estimates that every $75 million in ferry construction generates about $90 million for the state’s economy.

A newly built articulated tug barge (ATB) unit tugboat, was launched for Kirby Offshore Marine on Wednesday, September 2. The new vessel, the 136’ x 44’ x 19’ Nancy Peterkin, is the first of two sister vessels built for Kirby by Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB). The Tina Pyne is also being built at NBBB and is scheduled for launch in December 2015. The builder said it made use of a new track and dolly system to move Nancy Peterkin from the shipyard to the launch ramp.

Washington State Ferry M/V Tacoma will return to work on the Seattle/Bainbridge Island route starting March 28 after suffering electrical damage last summer. The Tacoma lost power and suffered significant damage to its electrical switchboard system transiting from Seattle to Bainbridge Island in July 2014, requiring ferry maintenance workers, engineers and contractors to spend eight months inspecting and rebuilding the system. In mid-March, crews conducted a battery of tests at the dock and at sea to ensure the electrical system is fully operational.

Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) has been contracted by the Government of American Samoa to build a multipurpose vessel to operate in the warm waters of the South Pacific primarily between Pago Pago and the Manu’a Islands, however the vessel will also be certified to travel to Tonga, Fiji and U.S. territory Islands to support the economic development of American Samoa. NBBB has contracted Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) to provide the functional design and production engineering for the project.

Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) has been contracted by Vigor Industrial to construct the superstructure portion of the third Olympic Class 144-Car Washington State Ferry the M/V Chimacum. Nichols Brothers completed the superstructures for the first and second WSF 144-Car Ferry vessels delivered to Vigor for final assembly in March and December 2013. Nichols Brothers is responsible for construction of the grand block section of the vessel including the upper car decks, exhaust stacks and pilothouses. Additional work has been awarded to NBBB including all superstructure piping, windows, stairs, ladders, all exterior hand rails and completely painting the interior and exterior.

Coast Guard and Washington State Ferry crews rescued a man who fell overboard from his vessel in the vicinity of Elliott Bay Marina. The 39-foot boat was moving at the time the man fell overboard and it continued on its course until it hit the Elliot Bay Marina break wall where it began taking on water and sank. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound watchstanders received a call for help from the man who had fallen overboard from his 39-foot boat near Elliott Bay Marina while wearing lifejacket and was calling for help via a hand held VHF marine radio. Hearing of the need for help, the crew of the passing ferry Wenatchee launched their small boat and rescued the man from the water.

Vigor Fab delivered the Tokitae, the state’s newest ferry, to Washington State Ferry officials this week. The Olympic class Tokitae is the first of three 144-car ferries currently planned. It will enter service this summer on the Clinton-Mukilteo route. The second vessel, the Samish, is currently under construction at Vigor with delivery planned for early next year. State lawmakers have provided funding for a third ferry and construction is expected to start toward the end of this year.

The information in this safety alert was distributed a few years ago by Coast Guard Sector New Orleans with limited geographic reach. Recently, Washington State Ferry personnel discovered numerous problematic snaphooks on one of their vessels and reported it to Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound. This USCG issued a new alert aiming to give the issue wider circulation and provides contact information for persons to take corrective action and obtain new snaphooks. The issue is the spring-loaded tab in the snaphook on the waist belt affecting some REVERE lifejacket models 198 RT and 160 RT.

FMC Commissioner William P. Doyle issued this morning’s opening remarks at the American Society of Transportation and Logistics (AST&L) 6th Sino - American Logistics Conference in Chicago, Il, where he addressed the use of LNG as a marine fuel. Doyle cited the United States' abundance of natural gas as a driver for the country’s marine industry to adopt LNG as an alternative fuel source. In addition, he spoke to the environmental and economic benefits associated with the use of LNG in the maritime segment.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee officially kicked off the construction of M/V Samish, the state’s newest 144-car ferry, by making the first weld on the vessel at Vigor Industrial’s Seattle shipyard Friday. Earlier in the week US Fab, the Vigor company building the ferries, hit a major project milestone on the first vessel, the M/V Tokitae, when the company successfully transferred the 1110-ton superstructure onto the hull. Joined by state transportation officials, community leaders…

Vigor Shipyard’s unique entry into the ongoing U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter Competition turns heads now, but ultimately may change how we look at Homeland Security on the water – for good. The U.S. Coast Guard’s well-publicized, although clearly flawed recapitalization campaign is alive and well. Spurred by the need to replace as many as 25 medium endurance cutters, the nation’s primary homeland security provider on the water has domestic shipbuilders queuing up to design and build its next generation vessel – the so-called offshore patrol cutter (OPC). At least three shipyards can be considered serious candidates for the first installment, but only one – to date – has succeeded in generating genuine excitement with an innovative design proposal.

Across the globe, populated islands and the desire of their inhabitants to travel elsewhere has led to a need for reliable waterborne transportation. Nowhere is an organized water transportation system more highly utilized than in the shared waters of Washington State and British Columbia. The international border zigzags around the Gulf Islands of Canada and the San Juan Islands of the US. Ferry traffic from the US and Canada traveling to these islands cross each other’s watery borders daily.

Washington State Ferry 'Walla Walla' suffers part engine meltdown in shiprepair yard putting it out of service indefinitely. A failure in one of the drive motors on the 188-car ferry, Walla Walla, has left parts of the ferry near the engine melted and charred, and the vessel is inoperable and out of service indefinitely. The incident happened while the vessel was in for routine, regularly scheduled maintenance work on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012; work which included inspection of electrical drive motors, overhauling the boiler and pre-checks for U.S. Coast Guard annual inspections.

Washington State Ferry (WSF) service disruptions should diminish soon, as three ferries return to service from shipyard. The expected return to service of three ferry vessels over the next two weeks will help alleviate temporary service disruptions occurring now on two major ferry routes. The 202-car Tacoma, in for routine maintenance, is expected to return to service Friday evening, Dec. 14. That will be followed Monday, Dec. 17, by the return of the 90-car Sealth, now awaiting dry dock availability for weld repairs.

Having detailed instructions for each shipbuilding task and precise sequencing of the workflow is creating efficiencies and reducing rework at shipyards on the east and west coasts of the US. The work packs that Senesco Marine’s tradesmen are working from provide instructions—including checks and balances and dimensions—for each step of the process. “The person cutting the angles to go on panels has a cut sheet with instructions on how to cut every angle,” explains Joe Bush, VP Operations at Senseco Marine in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.