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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • State asks for bids for new ferries for the Whidbey Island to Port Townsend run 9/11/08 • Shipbuilder can't sue state over ferry bids 8/15/08 • Alabama officials hope Air Force tanker award stands 6/19/08 • Ferries could be sold for scrap 6/4/08 • State makes deal for Keystone-Port Townsend ferries 4/28/08 • State may not seek new bids for Keystone-Port Townsend ferry 4/25/08 • State to solicit new bids on a 50-car ferry 4/21/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, April 3, 2008 State rejects bid for new Whidbey-Port Townsend ferry By Scott North Herald Writer SEATTLE – The state has decided to try again on a bid to build a new car ferry. Washington State Ferries today said it is rejecting a $26 million bid from Todd Pacific Shipyards to build a 50-car ferry using the Steilacoom II design. Todd was the sole bidder, and said it needed roughly $9 million more than state engineers estimated as the cost for the new boat. That's too costly, and the state needs to work with Washington shipyards to seek new bids that will bring down the price tag, said David Moseley, assistant state transportation secretary in charge of the ferries division. The state already has determined that some changes to the vessel's design sought by ferries' engineers contributed to the higher cost, Moseley said. Todd also estimated that it would take 200,000 work hours to construct the vessel -- 42 percent more than state engineers calculated . "That translates into almost $4 million right there," Moseley said. He hopes to understand the reasons for the differences before seeking another bid on the boat. The state is currently borrowing Pierce County's Steilacoom II to provide ferry service on the Keystone-to-Port Townsend route. Although the vessel has received mixed reviews on the challenging route across Admiralty Inlet, the state still plans to try to build its next ferry modeled on that design because it appears to be the swiftest option for adding a sorely needed boat that can be used on the route after the Pierce County lease expires early next year, Moseley said. The state also is pursuing plans to seek construction of larger, Island Home-class vessels that can carry up to 80 vehicles. Many state officials believe those vessels would be a better fit on the route, but they will take more time to build, and the Steilacoom-style boat can be used elsewhere in the ferry system when they become available later, Moseley said. State engineers plan to meet with other local shipyards before seeking a new bid. They hope to generate more interest in the project and also identify options for reducing costs, Moseley said. The state expects to re-bid the 50-car ferry contract in the next few weeks and award a contract by mid-May. Only Washington shipyards will be invited to bid on the project, Moseley said. "I will follow the law," he said.

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