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)
Nichols Brothers Resumes Work
Nichols Brothers Boat Builders returned to work after the company laid off 185 employees Nov. 2. Shortly thereafter, the company filed for bankruptcy protection, a move necessitated by a big lawsuit filed by a disgruntled customer. While the bankruptcy issues are far from settled, Nichols Brothers was allowed to negotiate with individual boat owners to see that their projects, shut down on Nov. 2, could be completed. Those boat owners are now paying the workers’ salaries, as Nichols Brothers as a company is broke and is up for sale. The rehiring process will continue as more existing contracts are placed online though negotiations with individual companies.
New Tug Put to Work on First Day of Job
It didn't take long for the state to make use of a new rescue tug stationed at the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula. Just before midnight on New Year's Eve, a wooden fishing vessel with two men and hundreds of gallons of fuel on board was reported drifting near Cape Alava, the scenic beach in Olympic National Park about 10 miles south of Cape Flattery. The new tug, owned by Crowley Marine Services and named Gladiator, was not scheduled to take over from a Foss Maritime tug until midnight. But it had arrived at its new station by 11 p.m. and responded when the call came in. The Gladiator towed the disabled vessel into Neah Bay and turned it over to the Coast Guard, the state Ecology Department said Monday in a statement.
New Cruiseline Opens Offices in Seattle
The Majestic America Line, specializing in river and coastal cruising, has opened offices in Seattle. The newly formed line is operated by Ambassadors Cruise Group LLC, a subsidiary of Ambassadors International Inc. of Newport Beach, Calif. Majestic will have a staff of roughly 800, though only about 50 of them will be based in the line's headquarters at Fourth Avenue and Blanchard Street, company officials said.. The group was formed by merging Portland-based America West Steamboat Co., which was acquired in January, and New Orleans' Delta Queen Co., bought in April. It is expected to provide 75 percent of the annual revenue for Ambassadors International, which also operates a travel-and-events division and a marine-services division.
Coast Guard Icebreaker Back in Seattle
The Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star returned home to Elliott Bay a day ahead of schedule Tuesday afternoon after a successful voyage to Antarctica to help break a supply channel for U.S. science stations. The 399-ft. long, Seattle-based cutter and its 134-member crew, commanded by Capt. Bruce Toney who usually commands its twin, Polar Sea, scrambled on less than 48-hours notice to leave on Jan. 20 from Pier 36, home of the nation's polar icebreaking fleet. A Russian icebreaker, the Krasin, that the National Science Foundation this year chose to open a channel to supply science stations was confronted by more difficult conditions than expected and slowed by propeller damage.
