The Washington State Ferries only have 16 boats running right now, even though a fleet of 26 is considered full service. Getting new boats on the water is essential, so what about the idea of building or buying some diesel boats quickly while we wait for the electric-hybrids?
“A lot of the manufacturers that are in the machinery space and the integrators are no longer in business,” Nevey said. “We couldn’t just pull an Olympic Class plan off the shelf and say ‘Here you go.’ We’d have to start designing the machinery from scratch, and that would put us back about a year from where we are now, maybe more.”
Most ferry riders probably don’t realize just how unique our ferry boats are. Nevey said it’s hard to find anything compatible. “They’re extremely technical machines, and the parts often are obsolete, some of them were built in the ’50s,” he said. “You can’t just go to a store and pick up a part you need. You need to kind of manufacture them at Eagle Harbor, and it’s a big challenge.”With the bidding for the five new electric-hybrid ferries now underway, Nevey said the agency is pulling out of the darkness.