Oscar B: Power in the River Currants
Since 1925 there has been some form of car ferry crossing of the lower Columbia River from Puget Island on the Washington side to Westport Slough on the Oregon side. In 1959 Wahkiakum County took over operation of the ferry and in 1962 had a steel-hulled ferry, named for the county, built by Nichols Boat Works at Hood River Oregon. This 12-car ferry served until 2015 when the county took delivery of a larger 23-car ferry. This ferry, named Oscar B, after Oscar Bergseng who served as ferry captain for 17 years. He died in 1985 after serving further years as ferry commissioner.
New Ferry Built for Washington, Oregon
Construction of the steel-hulled, aluminum superstructure ferry M/V Oscar B has been completed for Wahkiakum County as a replacement for the existing ferry, Wahkiakum. The Oscar B, designed by Seattle's Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, is a 115 ft. x 47.6 ft., 23‐Car, 100 passenger ferry named after the late Oscar Bergseng who skippered the Wahkiakum for 17 years. The vessel, currently underway toward Astoria from Whidbey Island where it underwent sea trials…
EBDG-designed aluminum ferry to be Constructed
by Nichols Bros Boat Builders for Wahkiakum County. ft. x 47 ft. run between ferry terminals in Cathlamet, Wash. Westport, Ore. reversing reduction gears with two fixed-pitched propellers. 2015. services on behalf of owners, operators and shipyards across the country.
