About Seattlest

Seattlest is a website about Seattle. More

Editor: Kim Ruehl Publisher: Gothamist

About | Archive | Mobile | RSS | Staff | Tips, gripes, etc

Categories
Favorites
Contribute

Latest tip:

I think people may be interested in a special weekly column dedicated to the presidential electio [more]

 

Latest link:

 

Latest Photo:

 

Recent Comments
Subscribe
Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Seattlest.
Shirts
seattlestshirt.jpg
Public Calendar
Links

December 11, 2007

Washington State Ferries Discovers Salt Water Is Not A Steel Preservative

BremertonFerry.jpg
When have you gotten your money back on a ferry purchase? After 20 years? 40? 60? How about 80? Washington State Ferries still had plans to fix at least three 80-year-old ferries before the magnitude of their decay was uncovered. Now, because WSF never imagined the day would come when the ferries would have to be replaced, it'll be a year or more before new ferries can be built and car-ferry service returned.

Our favorite summary of the problem comes from MarineLog:

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is having more problems as a result of its apparent belief that ferries can be kept operating virtually in perpetuity.
The Seattle Times' account is remarkably short on the outrage the situation deserves, reporting coolly that:
It's likely to be a year or more before car-ferry service returns to the Port Townsend-Keystone route after state officials on Monday recommended four aging ferries, sidelined since Nov. 20, should be scrapped, not fixed.
People aren't stranded, as such -- a passenger ferry is in service -- but it's substantially more than an inconvenience. And it was dangerous: "after peeling 70 percent of the ferry's paint, workers discovered nearly half of the boat's steel hull needed to be replaced."

It's just one long, drawn-out "Holy shit!" isn't it? It sounds like passengers were a good storm or a rock and some popped rivets from headlines like the ones about that Senegal ferry. But, to be fair, WSF is a very busy agency and ferries aren't their only -- oh, wait. Right, the ferries are the only thing they're supposed to be managing. Okay, so...who do we talk to about getting the firing started?


Email This Entry







Advertisement: Seattlest Continues Below!

Post a comment (Comment Policy)

2003-2008 Gothamist LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use & Privacy Policy. We use MovableType.

Site Meter