Everett, Wash.
Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Ferry crisis raises a difficult question: What now?

State could move the route or borrow a boat; some funding may come from projects in Mukilteo, Edmonds

By Scott North, Lukas Velush and Kaitlin Manry
Herald Writers

 The near-certain demise of Washington's oldest ferries had state officials scrambling Tuesday looking for new ways to move people, cars and freight from Puget Sound communities now isolated by the loss of boats crucial to their economies.

So far, all of the options appear to come with downsides, including taking money from other projects, possibly even the long-planned ferry terminal in Mukilteo.

Yet state officials say it is premature to suggest the ferry route between Whidbey Island and Port Townsend will be shut down for a year or more while new vessels are built.

At least one powerful state lawmaker on Tuesday said she is outraged that the state is even facing this problem and that some ferry officials need to lose their jobs.

State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, said Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond showed good leadership Nov. 20 when, just weeks into her new job, she pulled the 80-year-old Steel Electric-class ferries from service because of safety concerns.

Hammond needs to restore car ferry service to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula and Keystone on Whidbey Island as quickly as possible, Haugen said.

At the same time, Hammond should consider firing the state officials responsible for allowing the state to continue to rely on old ferries with worn-out hulls, with no replacements on the horizon, said Haugen, who heads the Senate's Transportation Committee.

"I appreciate her leadership," Haugen said. "She's being tough. I think she's going to have to clean house. I think she has started since she has taken over. We've already seen a change."

Officials from Washington State Ferries have continued to meet with Hammond to outline options. More information is expected to be available this morning at a meeting in Port Townsend among Hammond, ferry officials and community leaders, said Marta Coursey, communications director for the ferry system.

It will be up to Gov. Chris Gregoire to decide whether the state should continue spending millions of dollars to repair the Steel Electrics' hulls. She's scheduled a press conference Thursday at the Seattle shipyard where two of the ferries, the Quinault and the Illahee, are in dry dock receiving repairs.

Haugen and other key state lawmakers on Monday made it clear they don't want to spend more money on the old boats.

Crews already have determined that 45 percent of the Quinault's hull needs to be replaced, and they expect more problems will be found in the coming days.

Car ferry service has stopped between Port Townsend and Whidbey because among the state ferry fleet, only the smaller Steel Electrics are capable of navigating the narrow, shallow harbor at Keystone.

Moving vessels from other routes to reconnect Port Townsend with car ferries headed to other terminals, such as Edmonds, is one idea being studied, Coursey said Tuesday.

"Those are options that are still being considered and they are being discussed on a daily basis," she said.

The state has juggled routes before in response to a transportation crisis. When part of the Hood Canal Bridge sank in 1979, the state helped reconnect the north Olympic Peninsula by adding a car ferry between Edmonds and Port Townsend.

Lack of ferry service will have a "potential devastating effect" on the local economy, Port Townsend Mayor Mark Welch said.

"I hope that the Legislature and the ferry (system) will move as expeditiously as possible to get us some service," he said.

He'd like the state to consider leasing a boat from elsewhere or operating car ferries from Port Townsend to other communities. He welcomed the idea of bringing back a ferry run from Port Townsend to Edmonds.

"It actually gives us better access in terms of the population centers," Welch said. "Based on previous history, it actually was something of an economic boon. It was very easy to encourage tourism. It was a nice boat ride from a more urban area."

Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard said she wants to hear what ferry officials have to say.

"We're hopeful we can have a ferry coming into our area," she said. "I have to hear what the options are. I'm not sure there's going to be any good options."

Tim Caldwell, general manager of the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce, said his community needs car ferry service to avert a potential economic disaster. He loves the idea of a route from Edmonds to Port Townsend, which he predicted would be popular with tourists.

"Although losing the Steel Electrics abruptly has created all sorts of consternation, I think it's a great opportunity," he said.

Another option would be to borrow a ferry.

Pierce County uses two car ferries to serve Anderson and Ketron islands in south Puget Sound.

State officials earlier approached Pierce County to see if they could borrow one of those ferries, said Toby Rickman, deputy director of Pierce County Public Works and Utilities.

"We were thinking some sort of short-term help-out situation," Rickman said. "From what I've been hearing, this could be a much, even longer time frame."

A long-term loan could be difficult because Pierce County uses both ferries, rotating them in and out of service every two weeks, Rickman said.

Both of Pierce County's ferries are Steilacoom IIs, 54-car ferries built by Nichols Bros. Boat Builders Inc. of Freeland on Whidbey Island.

Nichols Bros. has suggested that the state ferry system contract for the same type of vessel to replace the Steel Electrics.

Another option could be borrowing a ferry from somewhere in Canada or Europe, said Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee.

But that would require an act of Congress, seeking exemption from the Jones Act, which prohibits foreign-flagged vessels from carrying people or freight between ports in U.S. waters.

"It's a crazy antiquated law that protects our shipbuilding, and I guess it does something for tourism," Clibborn said. "It doesn't help us when we're in an emergency."

Joe Martinac Jr. has been pressing state officials to replace the Steel Electrics for years. While his company, the J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., of Tacoma, has pitched its own design for replacement ferries, he said Tuesday the state needs to move quickly. He thinks that Nichols Bros., working with other shipbuilders, could deliver on a promise to have a new ferry on the water in about a year. However, Martinac cautioned that a worldwide boom in shipbuilding, and stiff competition for engines and other key parts, could slow even the best-organized effort.

Everett Shipyard President Kevin Quigley said Tuesday he's contacted state ferry officials to ensure his company is included in ongoing conversations about replacing the Steel Electrics.

He became concerned when the shipyard was not invited to meetings three weeks ago among Hammond, ferry officials and other shipbuilders.

Finding a way to pay for new ferries likely will generate controversy. One possibility raised by Hammond would divert money set aside for construction of new ferry terminals in Mukilteo, Edmonds and elsewhere.

Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine said he'll fight to stop the state from using any of the $148 million set aside to improve the Mukilteo ferry terminal.

"That's a horrible idea," he said. "Looking from our point of view, we haven't had any infrastructure put into our system in 50 years on the Mukilteo side. We're a host community that continues to get all of the impacts of ferries and none of the infrastructure."

Herald writer Jerry Cornfield contributed to this report.
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