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Ferries Division News

29 Feb 2024

Steve Nevey Tapped to Lead Washington State Ferries

Steve Nevey (Photo: WSDOT)

Steve Nevey has been selected to serve as assistant secretary for the Washington State Ferries Division, the state's Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar announced on Thursday. Nevey will succeed Patty Rubstello, who is stepping down as head of WSF after more than 33 years of service with the Washington State Department of Transportation.A career mariner, Nevey progressed directly from high school to a maritime academy in the U.K. For the past two years he has served as director…

14 Jun 2022

Washington State to Rebid Hybrid-electric Ferries Contract

Chimacum is one of Washington State Ferries' four Olympic Class vessels delivered by Vigor before it was awarded the Hybrid Electric Olympic Class contract. (Photo: Stuart Isett / Vigor)

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will launch a competitive bid process for the construction of its next five hybrid-electric ferries after negotiations stalled with shipbuilder Vigor.Vigor, which has built a number of existing vessels for WSDOT's Washington State Ferries (WSF), is currently finalizing designs for the new ferry class and was also lined up to build the vessels, but the shipyard and WSDOT could not agree on price and other contract terms…

05 Jan 2018

Washington State Christens New Ferry Suquamish

Washington State’s new ferry Squamish was christened at Vigor's Harbor Island Shipyard in Seattle, on January 4. (Photo: WSDOT)

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) christened Suquamish, its fourth Olympic Class auto/passenger ferry, to serve passengers on the Mukilteo/Clinton route beginning in 2019. The christening ceremony was held at Vigor's Harbor Island Shipyard in Seattle, where the new 144-car ferry has entered the final stages of construction and preparation ahead of sea trials starting in mid-2018. In addition to summer operations on the Mukilteo/Clinton route, the new ferry will also serve as a maintenance relief vessel in the winter, filling in when other vessels are out of service.

20 Jan 2017

WSF to honor crew for saving Captain’s life

Members of the media are invited to join in recognizing the Washington State Ferries (WSF) crew who saved their captain’s life after he collapsed at the helm of the Chetzemoka on Christmas Eve. WSF’s highly trained crew will be honored by Deputy Secretary of Transportation Keith Metcalf and the head of Washington State Ferries, Lynne Griffith. The crew will also be presented with Life Ring awards. The program will begin on Friday, Jan. 20, on the 10:55 a.m. sailing from Point Defiance to Tahlequah. Visuals: Against the backdrop of an iconic ferry ride’s scenery, the captain will personally thank his crew for their quick action and officials will award each of the crew members with a Life Ring award, an honor given to WSF staff whose actions help save lives.

05 Dec 2016

WSF Leader to Retire

Lynne Griffith joined the Washington State Department of Transportation as assistant secretary for the ferries division in September 2014. Today, she announced that she will retire from public service at the end of January. Ferries division Chief of Staff Elizabeth Kosa, who has served alongside Griffith, will act as Washington State Ferries’ leader while the department finalizes its next steps. During Griffith’s time at the helm of the nation’s largest ferry system, missed sailings due to lack of crew dropped nearly 70 percent over the previous 26-month period. She also secured funding for a forth 144 car Olympic Class ferry, the Suquamish, and built a new high-performing management team from the ground up.

19 Jul 2016

Foxx Names New Members to Maritime Industry Advisory Panel

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the appointment of 29 new members to the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Committee (MTSNAC). Established in 2010, MTSNAC is comprised of leaders from commercial transportation firms, ship construction, repair and recycling, trade associations, state and local public entities, labor organizations, academics, and environmental groups that advise the Secretary and the Maritime Administration on policies to ensure that the U.S. Marine Transportation System is capable of responding to projected trade increases. The Committee advises the Secretary on solutions to impediments hindering effective use of short sea transportation and other matters as the Secretary determines.

27 Mar 2015

Washington State Ferry Tacoma Returns to Service

M/V Tacoma (Washington State Department of Transportation)

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.

09 Feb 2015

Sheen Named ICG Managing Director

Andrew Sheen (Photo: ICG)

Andrew Sheen has been appointed by the Irish Continental Group (ICG) to the position of Managing Director of its Irish Ferries division. Sheen will assume his new role with effect from the beginning of April, reporting to ICG’s CEO, Eamonn Rothwell. Operations Director since 2012, Sheen has been involved in shipping for over 26 years, 10 of them with Irish Ferries - first as a sea-going Chief Engineer and, since 2010, in shore-based operations roles. A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineers…

28 Sep 2014

New Assistant Secretary WSDOT Sets Her Priorities

"As I close out my first week as Assistant Secretary, I am looking forward to the days ahead serving the customers and employees of our nation’s largest ferry system. In the near term, my biggest priority will be maintaining our 99 percent service reliability. During my first 30 days I will be spending the majority of my time traveling around the system and meeting with employees, labor partners and shipyard contractors to become familiar with the daily workings of WSF. This week has already been busy. I had a safety briefing and overview of our security and emergency response facilities at WSF Headquarters and toured the Operations Center.

01 Sep 2014

FTA Approves WSF Ferry Terminal Plans

In the latest Washington State Ferries Weekly Update, Capt. George A. The 60-year-old Mukilteo ferry terminal is one step closer to replacement. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has signed a 'Record of Decision' allowing WSF to design and construct a new Mukilteo ferry terminal. Thank you to all of our project partners, consulting tribes, and the public for collaborating to reach this milestone. We’re looking forward to building a safe and efficient new terminal that opens the Mukilteo waterfront and improves multimodal connections. This week, we signed the 'Notice to Proceed' document for construction of the third Olympic-Class 144-car ferry. Work will begin late this year.

28 Aug 2014

Federal Officials Approve Plans to Replace Mukilteo Terminal

Existing Mukilteo Ferry Terminal (Photo courtesy of Washington State Dept of Transportation)

The 60-year-old Mukilteo Ferry Terminal is one step closer to replacement. On Friday, Aug. 22 the Federal Transit Administration signed a record of decision allowing the Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division to design and construct a new ferry terminal in Mukilteo, Wash. The Mukilteo terminal is one of the state’s busiest terminals, serving nearly 4 million passengers last year. However, the terminal is vulnerable to earthquakes and in need of major repairs to continue safe, reliable ferry service between Mukilteo and Clinton.

24 Aug 2014

Ferry 'Tacoma' Likely Out of Service Until December

Capt. George A. Capacci Interim Assistant Secretary WSDOT/Ferries Division reports in the 'WSF Weekly Update'  on the 'Tacoma' repair plan as follows: "This week, we received an initial update on the Tacoma repair plan from Siemens Marine Solutions. The report says a fuse blew in the vessel’s propulsion control system without indication to the operating engineers, triggering a chain of events that led to the power failure. We continue to review the cause of the incident. A Board of Inquiry, WSF’s highest level of investigation, convened this week and expects to complete their work once the vessel repair is complete. Preliminary findings show the Tacoma will be out of service until at least December 2014. Source: WSF Weekly Update

17 Aug 2014

WSF Engineers Work 24/7 on Engine Repairs

Overnight engine repairs and a meeting with Ferry Advisory Committee executives are detailed In this excerpt from the latest 'Washington State Ferries Weekly Update', by Capt. George A. Capacci, Interim Assistant Secretary WSDOT/Ferries Division. WSF crews constantly monitor the mechanical and support systems on all of our vessels. This week, the Vessel Engine department and Eagle Harbor maintenance crews completed overnight repairs on several vessels, including the Walla Walla, Spokane, and the Hyak. These repairs included replacing internal bolts that secure the piston on one of the Walla Walla’s main engines; repairing a cracked exhaust expansion joint on the Spokane; and replacing a seal on the Hyak’s generator.

11 Aug 2014

Damage to Propulsion of WSF's 'Tacoma' Seems More Extensive

Interim Assistant Secretary WSDOT/Ferries Division, Capt. George A. Capacci, says that ongoing investigations suggest that damage to the ferry's propulsion system following a 29, July disabling breakdown may be more extensive than previously thought. "This week, WSF engineers, alongside vendor technicians from Siemens Global, Inc., continued to take part in an ongoing and thorough investigation into what went wrong in the Tacoma’s loss of propulsion power on July 29. Siemens believes the damage is more extensive than the initial review revealed. For this reason, Siemens will require additional time to complete their investigation and prepare a recommended repair plan. "This has been a challenging week for Washington State Ferries and the customers we serve.

23 Jun 2014

Public Invited to Join Last Sailings of Veteran WSF Ferry

The public is invited to bid “bon voyage” to Washington State Ferries’ (WSF) oldest ship, the 87-car 'Evergreen State', with one last ride from Friday Harbor to Anacortes Sunday, June 29, 2014. Crews will decommission the vessel and retire it from service following this final sailing. The Evergreen State was the first vessel custom built for Washington State Ferries in 1954.“This remarkable ferry has served our customers well for six decades,” said Interim Assistant Secretary for Ferries Division Capt. George Capacci. In the recent past she plied the waters of San Juan County between Anacortes and Sidney B.C. The ferry currently serves the interisland route.

21 Mar 2014

Capacci Named Washington Ferries Chief

State Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson today named Capt. George A. Capacci interim assistant secretary in charge of the Ferries Division for the Washington State Department of Transportation. Capacci will lead the ferry system until a permanent assistant secretary is selected. WSDOT will conduct a nationwide search to find the best replacement for outgoing Assistant Secretary David Moseley who resigned effective April 15. Capacci joined Washington State Ferries in 2009 as regional port captain and was promoted to deputy chief of operations and construction for ferries in 2010. In his current position, he is responsible for overseeing ferry operations, vessel maintenance and preservation and terminal engineering.

22 Nov 2013

Washington State Ferries a Step Closer to LNG Propulsion

LNG Bunker tanks on upper deck: Rendering courtesy of WSF

Washington State Ferries say they are another step closer to significantly reducing fuel costs and transportation emissions by switching a class of vessels from diesel fuel to liquefied natural gas. After more than three years of study, WSF has a plan to safely convert six Issaquah Class vessels to run on cleaner-burning LNG. The proposal has been officially submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard in a formal letter of intent (LOI) and waterways suitability assessment (WSA). The submission of the LOI and WSA marks the official starting point of the Coast Guard’s review process.

29 Aug 2013

Irish Continental Group Half Year Results

In a comment John B. McGuckian Chairman stated, ‘‘This was a positive half years trading with increases in revenue and operating profit driven mainly by higher freight carryings and lower fuel costs, partially offset by weaker passenger markets. In the prior year the group disposed of its subsidiary Feederlink and the comparatives set out in the Interim Management Report have been restated to exclude trading from discontinued operations. The Board of Irish Continental Group plc (ICG) reports that, in the seasonally less profitable first half of the year, the group recorded revenue of €120.9 million compared with €117.0 million in the same period in 2012, an increase of 3.3%.

12 Mar 2013

Human Error Found in Walla Walla Motor Failure

Photo: WSDOT

A three-month safety investigation recently concluded that human error was responsible for the failure of an electric drive motor that removed the 188-car ferry Walla Walla from service. According to the final report, investigators determined the motor failure was avoidable and resulted from mistakes made by Washington State Ferries personnel. The motor failure occurred Nov. 4, 2012 when the Walla Walla was undergoing routine annual maintenance at Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility on Bainbridge Island. •    Communication between engine crew and maintenance staff was insufficient.

30 May 2013

WSF Schedules State-wide Public Meetings

Ferry Spokane: Photo courtesy of WSF

Washington State Ferries' (WSF) team gears up to head for meetings with ferry-served communities. With the 2013-2015 transportation budget signed, Washington State Ferries will meet the public to discuss the implications of the budget, as well as new vessel construction progress, ferry system performance measures, liquefied natural gas as a source of fuel, and route-specific issues. "“I look forward to visiting the communities and hearing directly from our riders on the issues that affect their everyday travels,”" said David Moseley, WSDOT assistant secretary, ferries division.

06 Jun 2013

Mukilteo Ferry Terminal: WSDOT Release Environmental Study

Mukilteo ferry terminal: Photo credit WSDOT

The 60-year old Mukilteo ferry terminal (about 25 miles north of Seattle) is one step closer to replacement with the release of a final environmental impact statement. “We’ve reached a major milestone,” said David Moseley, assistant secretary for the Washington State Department of Transportation, Ferries Division. The Mukilteo terminal is the state’s busiest terminal, serving nearly 4 million passengers last year. But it is vulnerable to earthquake and in need of major repairs to continue safe, reliable ferry service between Mukilteo and Clinton.

04 Dec 2012

WSF Add Number of Hands

WSF 'Super Class' Ferry: Image credit WSF

New US Coast Guard regulations require Washington State Ferries to increase crew on Puget Sound routes. The Jumbo, Super, Issaquah and Evergreen State ferry classes – which carry many of the system’s 22 million annual riders – have new staffing requirements before they may sail on the waters of Puget Sound, in order to comply with a new directive from the United States Coast Guard. Washington State Ferries has already added two crewmembers to the Issaquah ferry and will implement the new staffing levels for the others once the USCG issues the revised certificate of inspection for each vessel.

11 Dec 2012

WSF Soon Back to Normal Service

Ferry 'Tacoma': Photo credit WSF

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.