EVERETT — A safety concern discovered during sea trials this week off Everett could delay the maiden launch of the state’s newest ferry.
The $76.5 million Chetzemoka is scheduled to make its inaugural sail Aug. 29 and begin its first full day of service between Port Townsend and Keystone Harbor on Whidbey Island the following day.
Officials from the state Department of Transportation said Friday that they have discovered excessive vibrations in the driveline of the vessel. The vibrations increase with acceleration and could affect the captain’s ability to maneuver the ferry.
A more in-depth inspection should provide a better idea of whether the ferry will be delayed.
“We won’t know until early next week,” said Marta Coursey, a transportation department spokeswoman. “They are trying to isolate the cause.”
The transportation department’s ferries division and Todd Pacific Shipyards, the contractor, are working with design engineers, manufacturers’ representatives and contract engineers to isolate the cause of the vibrations.
The Chetzemoka must pass a series of U.S. Coast Guard requirements before it is allowed to take on passengers. Its propulsion and steering systems, as well as its navigation equipment and public address system, have tested successfully.
Still ahead is training for the crew, which also must pass Coast Guard inspection.
A prolonged repair could compress or delay training.
“It’s a brand-new vessel and it’s going on our most difficult and challenging route,” Coursey said.
Coursey said it’s possible the vibration issue could be solved quickly and the Chetzemoka will remain on schedule.
The Chetzemoka is the first new state ferry built in more than 12 years. The ferry service has been without a state-owned ferry to serve the Port Townsend-Keystone route since November 2007. It has been leasing the 50-car Steilacoom II from Pierce County while new ferries are built.
In 2007, state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond pulled the state’s four 80-year-old Steel Electric-class ferries from service out of concerns about their hull safety. The aging vessels later were retired after state officials determined repairs would be impractical. The ferries were sold for scrap metal.
The state kept the old ferries in service so long in part because they were the only vessels in the fleet big enough to safely carry cars and freight across Admiralty Inlet, but also were sufficiently maneuverable to navigate challenging Keystone Harbor.
The state ferry system has a $211.6 million construction budget for three 64-car ferries.
Construction is under way on the second ferry and steel is being cut for the third vessel.
A $114 million contract for the second and third ferries also was awarded to Todd Pacific Shipyards. It includes an option to buy a fourth vessel.
Related stories
Read more about the crisis that led to retirement of the Steel Electric ferries at www.heraldnet.com/ferrycrisis.
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