OLYMPIA — No bidders or buyers have surfaced on eBay for the four Steel Electric-class ferries put up for sale by the state.

Yet, there is still interest, and Washington State Ferries on Monday began working to get approval to negotiate directly with potential purchasers of the 81-year-old boats.

The agency is seeking the authority from the Department of General Administration, which oversees the sale of surplus state property.

If the request is rejected, the boats could again show up on eBay.

On July 16, the state placed the Nisqually, Quinault, Illahee and Klickitat for sale online with a minimum bid of $350,000 per vessel. No one made an offer in the 10-day bidding period that ended Saturday night.

Communications director Marta Coursey said a couple of “interested parties” inspected the vessels and discussed buying all four at a lower price than the agency listed as its minimum. She did not reveal the offered amount.

She said paying to move the vessels is an issue for those considering buying the boats. For those looking to take them out of state or out of the country, it could become “cost prohibitive,” she said.

Before the boats ever went on sale, Washington State Ferries had been told by various maritime experts that each one might fetch up to $475,000 as scrap.

Ferry officials said they have heard the price for scrap is now higher, however the tab for getting the boats to salvage yards is a limiting factor for possible buyers.

Prior to putting the ferries on eBay, the state agency heard from roughly 25 individuals and companies with an interest in the vessels. Most of those were salvage firms.

If the ferry system is allowed to negotiate with potential buyers, then a process for doing so must be set up. It will involve contacting those two dozen parties and opening it up to others to submit offers, Coursey said.

The boats have been tied up since November 2007 when Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond ordered them out of service because of questions about the integrity of the ferry hulls.

At one point in time, the city of Port Townsend and Washington Scuba Alliance considered buying the boats.

Port Townsend talked about turning one boat into either a meeting facility or a shopping area. The scuba alliance wanted to sink the boats and make them underwater dive attractions. Neither the city nor the nonprofit divers’ group made an offer.

Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.