State gives no firm date for start of Port Townsend interim passenger ferry run
The MV Snohomish docks at the Port Townsend ferry terminal Saturday morning as floating dolphins are moved to fit the smaller passenger ferry. -- Photo by Evan Cael/Peninsula Daily News
By Evan Cael, Peninsula Daily News
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As of Saturday night, state ferries system officials couldn't say exactly when the 350-seat MV Snohomish would begin shuttling passengers between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island.
"We're still working around the clock to try to get it up and running," Coursey said.
A construction crew worked Saturday to modify the Port Townsend ferry terminal to accommodate moorage of the Snohomish, which is smaller than the 60-vehicle aging Steel Electrics, all of which were pulled from service on Tuesday.
A revised schedule will be posted on the state ferries system Web site, http:/www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries - which on Saturday night said that service was discontinued until Monday - and alerts will be e-mailed to those who have signed up to receive them.
Paula Hammond, secretary of the state Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Coast Guard, pulled all four 80-year-old Steel Electric ferries from service because of pitting and rust discovered in the hull of the Quinault.
The hulls of the Klickitat, Illahee and Nisqually will also be examined.
The Snohomish passenger ferry will replace the vehicle ferry on the Port Townsend-Keystone route - operating on the same schedule as the vehicular ferries did - until the ferries are either repaired or replaced by January at the earliest, state officials said.
The passenger ferry was expected to take over the route on Friday, officials said originally, but on Thursday, they changed the date to Monday. On Saturday, the possibility was raised that a Sunday run might happen.
The timing of the loss of the route during the post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend dismayed business owners and public officials.
A meeting among state legislators, state ferries system officials and state and local officials is scheduled for Monday.
The meeting - originally scheduled to be a technical discussion with architects, Coursey said - was expanded when state legislators said they intended to attend.
It will be from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the State Ferries office, 2901 Third Ave., Seattle.
Expected at the meeting are state Rep. Lynn Kessler, who represents the 24th District, which includes Jefferson and Clallam counties; Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Committee; Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor; and Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee.
Costs
It could cost up to $650,000 per boat just to take a good look at the condition of the steel underneath the paint before deciding whether to repair or replace them, Coursey said.
The cost of blasting the paint off the hull of each of the four ferries is estimated at between $500,000 and $650,000.
She didn't know exactly when the vessels would be inspected.
The state is spending between $30,000 and $50,000 to prepare the Port Townsend terminal to moor the Snohomish, which has been out of service and docked at Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island since 2003, Coursey said.
To accommodate the smaller boat, the floating dolphins which guide the ferries into the terminal had to be narrowed and otherwise equipped to allow the boat to moor there at the end of each day it runs.
The dolphins were positioned about 30 feet in from where they usually are.
Seattle-based Manson Construction used a large crane on a barge and a tugboat to position the dolphins.
Delay for moorage
On Thursday, the ferry cruised the Port Townsend shoreline as the crew sought adequate moorage, said Capt. Pete Williams, State Ferries port captain.
Union Wharf had metal on it that could have damaged the light, aluminum ferry, Williams said.
The dock near the future site of the Northwest Maritime Center was too low.
The ferry couldn't fit into the Port of Port Townsend Boat Haven, Williams said.
Keystone wouldn't work for overnight moorage, Coursey said.
So, it was decided to modify the Port Townsend ferry terminal.
In addition, crews had to be trained to operate the Snohomish, Williams said.
Unlike the 1927-vintage Steel Electric ferries, the Snohomish is entirely computerized.
"The crews who usually work didn't have experience with a high-speed, high-tech boat," Williams said.
"The crew has to be familiarized and knowledgeable with the vessel before they can run it."
Crews also did fire and safety exercises.
A crew of five will operate the ferry.
The ferry travels roughly 25 mph and the trip between Port Townsend and Keystone will last about 15 minutes.
The vehicle ferries travel the distance in 25 minutes.
The four Steel Electric ferries are the only vehicle ferries in the state system capable of operating in Keystone's narrow and shallow harbor on Whidbey Island.
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Reporter Evan Cael can be reached at 360-385-2335 or evan.cael@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: November 24. 2007 9:00PM