Austal USA Lays Keel for USNS Billy Frank, Jr.
Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA held a keel laying ceremony for USNS Billy Frank, Jr., marking the official start of construction on the U.S. Navy’s eleventh Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS 11).Ship sponsor Peggen Frank and her husband, William Frank III, authenticated the keel by welding their initials into a keel plate that will be welded to the hull of the ship. They were assisted by Brandon Auld, a four-year Austal USA veteran A-class structural fitter.Local community leaders…
WSDOT Sells Vessel to Recycler
Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) has sold four 1927-built Steel Electric class vessels to Eco Planet Recycling, Inc. of Chula Vista, Calif. The total combined sale price for all four ferries is $200,000. The Washington State Department of General Administration approved the sale on Wednesday, June 17 followed by completion of the signature process on Thursday, June 18. Receipt of the payment was confirmed late on Friday, June 19. “The Steel Electric class vessels served as unforgettable icons of life in the Pacific Northwest,” said Assistant Secretary for WSF David Moseley. In November 2007, Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond ordered theQuinault, Illahee, Nisqually and Klickitat removed from service due to safety concerns.
Washington State Sells Retired Ferries
Four of ’s oldest steel-electric ferry boats are headed to to be scrapped. The four ferries, the Illahee, Klickitat, Nisqually and Quinault, have been in ’s fleet for decades. They were removed from service after corrosion was discovered on the hulls of two of the vessels last November and it was concluded that none of them were worth repairing. (Source-SeattlePI)
Ferry Experts and Legislators to Discuss Steel Electric Ferries
Washington State Ferries will hold meetings regarding the status of the Steel Electric class vessels and Port Townsend/Keystone ferry service. Legislators and staff from affected ferry communities, Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond and Washington State Ferries Executive Director Mike Anderson will review current ferry status and discuss future vessel and service options. John Boylston, Naval Architect, Legislative Joint Transportation Committee consultants and WSF engineers will present Steel Electric repair and replacement options. Legislators and their staff, shipyard representatives, Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond and Washington State Ferries Executive Director Mike Anderson will likely attend. The meetings will be held in the Rainier Conference Room.
WSF Port Townsend-Keystone Route to Continue Full Servcie
Washington State Ferries (WSF) said that the Port Townsend-Keystone route will continue to operate on a two-boat regular schedule, despite reports that the Nisqually may be taken off the route and service reduced to one vessel. The Nisqually and the Klickitat will operate on the published summer schedule, which is available online at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/. On Sunday, July 29, a slow leak was discovered in the stern tube (part of the vessel steering system) of the Illahee. The Illahee was removed from service and taken to Todd Shipyard in Seattle for repairs. On Monday, July 30, the Nisqually was brought to Port Townsend to replace it and will remain in service on this route…
Puget Sound Gets $1.7m for Restoration Projects
Fourteen projects to restore Puget Sound, Hood Canal and associated marine waters will take a big step forward this summer with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Puget Sound Marine Conservation Fund. The Fund was established last year as part of the settlement of a criminal case with Evergreen International Shipping Line. John McKay, United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, was joined by Jay Manning, the Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology to announce the successful grant recipients today. “These grants will help in ways large and small to improve the health of Puget Sound,” said United States Attorney John McKay.
WSF Cuts Costs With Oily Water Separator Refit
Washington State Ferries, a company that operates on routes with tremendous environmental concern and legislation, recently refit one of its ferries, Nisqually, with a bio-enhanced Oil Water Separator solution from ECP Service Corp. The Washington State Department of Transportation operates one of the largest passenger and automobile ferry services in the world, with 29 vessels capable of generating between 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of oil water in the vessels' bilge each month. The company sought a solution that would reduce or eliminate disposal cost, improve oily water separator efficiency and create a more environmentally responsible operation.
