Beached ferry reminder of Washington’s aging fleet as state struggles to replace boats
As the sun set and the tide receded on the beached ferry Walla Walla on Saturday night, the lights aboard the 50-year-old Jumbo class ship grew sharp against the darkening skies.
Lawmakers in Olympia have begun to act, budgeting $1.5 billion over 16 years to build new vessels and convert existing ones to be electric. But with Vigor sidelined, lawmakers lack confidence Washington will receive enough competitive and affordable local proposals, which would mean running yet another bidding process and using up yet more time.
Washington State Ferries went 10 years, from 2000 to 2010, without building a new ferry. Eleven of the 21 vessels in use are over 40 years old, including five over 50. Passengers recalled the lights flickering, followed by alarms sounding on the boat and the captain warning people to brace for impact. The crash itself was gentle, as the ferry settled on the sandy shores of southern Bainbridge Island.
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