| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2010 1:25 am |
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Local News 
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Ferry fans hope it'll be given second life PORT TOWNSEND -- If some people here get their way, an octogenarian ferry may once again become a fixture on the waterfront of this historic community.The 1927-vintage Steel Electric-class vessel wouldn't be put to work hauling people and freight across Admiralty Inlet as it did for decades. Instead the ferry would be permanently moored on the waterfront and used as a place for meetings, parking, a farmers market, maybe even a restaurant. "It would be a perfect addition," Port Townsend Mayor Michelle Sandoval said Wednesday. Although the aging ferries were tied up because of questions about their safety, they remain beloved in Port Townsend because they "weren't modern, and much like our town," she added. Sandoval and other Port Townsend leaders spent part of Wednesday pitching Washington State Ferries officials to dispose of at least one surplus ferry by sending it into permanent retirement on Port Townsend's waterfront. The meeting happened on the same day Coast Guard permission expired to operate the Klickitat as a ferry in U.S. waters. Similar "certificates of inspection" already had lapsed for the three other Steel Electrics. That likely means the 81-year-old ferries won't work again, at least not in U.S. waters, said Doug Russell, acting chief naval architect for the ferry system. None of the Steel Electrics has ever met federal safety standards for watertight compartments, in effect since the 1950s. Until November they had operated with Coast Guard waivers. Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond tied up the vessels Nov. 20 after close inspection of the Quinault found extensive corrosion in the hull. The state initially thought repairs could be made in hopes of squeezing out a few more years of service. Work was stopped in mid-December, however, after engineers determined nearly half of the Quinault's hull plating was so rusted it needed to be replaced at a cost of $8 million. The state spent close to $1 million prepping the Illahee for the same close inspection but stopped when engineers estimated repairs to that ferry could cost more than $5 million. No repairs were attempted on the Klickitat or the Nisqually. State lawmakers ordered the ferry system, by June 1 to "sell, be in the process of selling, or otherwise dispose of" the aging vessels. That work is under way now, said Hadley Greene, communications manager for the ferry system. Ferry officials told Port Townsend leaders they still are exploring all options, including trying to sell the Steel Electrics for service outside the U.S., or for scrap, or for some other use, Greene said. The state early this month also met with members of the Washington Scuba Alliance, who would like to see one or more of the Steel Electrics scuttled somewhere in Puget Sound to create an underwater park. That couldn't happen without modifications being made to the vessels to ensure they are environmentally safe and not capable of becoming traps to visiting divers, Russell said. The ferry system won't be ready to recommend what to do with the old boats until after their value can be determined by appraisal, Russell added. There is precedent for a Steel Electric being used as Port Townsend officials suggest. The state retired two Steel Electrics 40 years ago. The old Enetai, now named Santa Rosa, wound up on the San Francisco waterfront, permanently installed at Pier 3. It's rented out for parties, and its owner has offices there. Sandoval said many details would have to be worked out before a Steel Electric could wind up a fixture on her city's waterfront, including finding a way to compensate the state for the vessel's fair market value. However, she said the project could help offset the economic losses her community has sustained because of disrupted ferry service. "We just want an opportunity to get it," she said. Reporter Scott North: 425-339-3431 or north@heraldnet.com |
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