Chetzemoka the Ferry
The new 64-car ferry Chetzemoka will make its inaugural sailing between Whidbey Island and Port Townsend on Sunday, August 29. The Chetzemoka is the first new Washington state ferry built in more than a decade.
“Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry system in the country carrying nearly 23 million passengers a year,” said Governor Chris Gregoire. “As we take steps to cut costs and improve efficiencies in the operations side of the system, we have also made investments in our vessels to ensure a safe and reliable system. The launching of the Chetzemoka represents our commitment to maintaining a world-class ferry system that thousands of Washingtonians depend on every day to move them across Puget Sound.”
“As we join with ferry riders, staff and our shipbuilding partners next month to celebrate the successful construction of the first new vessel for the fleet in more than 12 years, we can be assured that the Chetzemoka will restore much needed reliable ferry service critical to the economic prosperity of the Port Townsend and Keystone communities,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “With the Chetzemoka nearly ready for service, and construction underway on the second new vessel with a third soon to follow, we have taken the first steps toward achieving the healthy and sustainable ferry system envisioned and called for in the Ferry System Long-range Plan.”
WSF will host activities on Whidbey Island, in Port Townsend, and aboard the Chetzemoka on Sunday, August 29. The events are currently in the planning phases, and more information will be provided as details are confirmed. It is anticipated that the Chetzemoka’s first full day of service on the Port Townsend/Keystone route will be Monday, August 30.
“We are proud of the accomplishments of our shipbuilding partners and we look forward to celebrating this momentous occasion with the communities,” said David Moseley, Assistant Secretary for WSF. “And we applaud the efforts of state lawmakers, shipbuilders and their employees, and communities that made this possible. I would also like to express my appreciation to Pierce County for leasing us the Steilacoom II so that we could continue to provide auto ferry service on the Port Townsend/Keystone route.”
The Chetzemoka is well under way on its integrated construction schedule. It is currently undergoing final outfitting and dock trials at Everett Shipyard. WSF will conduct dockside training in mid-July and full crew and vessel training will commence in late July before placing the vessel into service at the end of August.
WSF has been without a state-owned ferry to serve the Port Townsend/Keystone route since November 2007. The state has been leasing the 50-car Steilacoom II from Pierce County since January 2008 to serve this challenging route until new ferries could be built.
WSF awarded the $65.5 million contract for construction of the Chetzemoka to Todd Pacific Shipyards (Todd) of Seattle in December 2008. Beginning construction in January 2009, Todd worked with its subcontractors Everett Shipyard, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders and Jesse Engineering to meet an aggressive 18-month timeline to build this first vessel in the class of Kwa-di Tabil (64-car) Ferries.
WSF is building new ferries to replace its aging fleet. Nine of WSF’s 20 auto-passenger ferries are between 40 and 65 years old and must be replaced in the next 20 years. Construction is well under way on the second Kwa-di Tabil ferry, and steel is being cut for the third vessel. The $114.1 million contract for the second and third vessels, awarded to Todd in October 2009, includes an option to purchase a fourth 64-car ferry. WSF will pursue procurement of a 144-car ferry rather than a fourth 64-car ferry if sufficient funding is available prior to exercising the option to build the fourth 64-car ferry.
For more information about the Chetzemoka and the other new Kwa-di Tabil Class Ferries, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Ferries/64CarFerries.
