Washington State Ferries

[M_I_Reilly-Collette]

European ferries don't have the best reputation in the Pacific Northwest. Our only ferry lost in Washington State or British Columbia since 1945 was built in Europe (at AG Weser) for BC Ferries in an attempt to save money, and that despite the fact that we kept some ferries in service for as long as 80 years, which operated in salt water on routes directly exposed to the ocean swell in Admiralty Inlet and essentially dock quite primitively, as I noted, by sort of intentionally ramming. We've had several collisions between ferries and large freighters where they did not sink despite severe damage and were restored to service. They're incredibly rugged little ships. Washington State has its own miniature super-exclusive derivative of the Jones Act, too; all state ferries must be built in Washington State, period. The last passenger steamer to sink on Puget Sound to my knowledge is the Clallam in 1904, the circumstances of the loss of life in her sinking contributing to the Princess Sophia disaster 14 years later.

Because of the semi-submersible nature of the design, we never have doors on the car compartments, and there's the distinctive "pickle forks" guarding the forward edges of the car deck which mark a Washington State Ferry absolutely. They are used with passenger gangways on the busier stops so that passengers don't have to walk off the car deck before offloading can begin, in addition to shielding the forward edge of the car deck to allow more cars to be loaded.

[heuhen]

AG Weser

That European ferries is bad, that's something new for me, perhaps because they was bought from the wrong company. I can promise you that if they bought a Norwegian build ferries, they would get a very good tool. We have had some accident's with ferries here in Norway to of course (bad weather and thing like that, or just an engine failure), but the most common thing with the Norwegian ferries is that when they have had an accident they just need a tug to get them off and a inspection and repairs (depends on the damage) then they are back in traffic. We had once a ferries that was going in to dock when there was a hydraulic failure and the ferry drove directly in to the dock (Couple of meters in to the concrete!). She just backed out and got back in to service after a fast repair on the bow.


the main reason we have a semi closed or totally closed bow is that these ferries have a tendency to never stop running because of bad weather. I remember to travel with one in weather so bad that we had waves hitting the lounge deck (about 8-10 metes up, depends on wave) but the car deck was safe on no water there to be seen.

Many Norwegian ferries that is to old to be used, becomes special operation vessels. some as a crane ship, some a ship for building docks, some as a heavy transport ship.

If USA want a European ferry in the future, go to Norway!:

this one was back in service the two day after (Needed new propeller and ruder, and a repair to those old engine some are running on their last song)
http://www.bt.no/migration_catalog/arti ... w380/ferge

This one was back in service an hour later (a diver had to control her since she had drove up on some rocks and was a siting duck)
http://g.api.no/obscura/API/image/r1/es ... 43672a.jpg

This one wanted to test the local beach (Ruder and propeller repair was needed, still in service)
http://www.bt.no/migration_catalog/arti ... tferge.jpg

this one is Normal here in Norway whit those old direct drive ferries (this is also a reason why we in Norway are using pods now (Pictures was taken in, were taken on a stormy day, when the ferry was about to leave the port.)
http://www.nettavisen.no/imagecache/par ... 6416x9.jpg

So yeah European ferries are shit, that I know. But we in Norway we know hove a ferry need to be build. If you want something that works, get it from Norway. Ferries in the old days up to today had to be strong build, because there are almost no places where they can beach a ferry in case of emergency.

BTW, we in Norway have very bad experience with US made offshore vessel. As one said to me... If you like to live dangerous, take one of this out on a bad day! I find that a bit weird...

Edit: Here in Norway we get weary rarely news about what is happening in USA, but what I have seen is that US ferries have more accidents than we here in Norway. But that can also come of that there are more ferries in USA than In Norway, even when we have almost bad weather every day here...

[erik_t]

Excellent to see these ships represented. I have many fond memories of the WSDOT ferry system.

[Zephyr]

Started on the next one last night, the Super class. I'll be doing 2 of these, the Kaleetan and the Elwha, since when I was looking at photos of the class I found that Elwha has some small differences from the other 3. Since they are mostly the same, I'll be working on them simutaneously, and adding/subtracting things from the Elwha as I go. Not enough done as yet to post a WIP image, but I ought have something for y'all to comment on in a couple days, gods willin' and the creek don't rise. Gotta say, I'm having some fun doing these ferries.

[M_I_Reilly-Collette]

Heuhen: I apologise, just speaking from our own local experience where the only ferry recently sunk was a European built boat. I didn't mean to disparage the European boats generally, though I question the wisdom of the bow door in any circumstance at all.

Zephyr: Elwha is slightly different because she is SOLAS compliant for the Anacortes - Sidney international run. The only other SOLAS compliant state ferry is Chelan of the Issaquah 130 class, who is accordingly somewhat different than her sisters as well.

[Zephyr]

Zephyr: Elwha is slightly different because she is SOLAS compliant for the Anacortes - Sidney international run. The only other SOLAS compliant state ferry is Chelan of the Issaquah 130 class, who is accordingly somewhat different than her sisters as well.

Yes, I know. The point is, she is different, so I am doing two drawings. I haven't lived up there for a while and forgot she had been modified.

[M_I_Reilly-Collette]

Apologies; I had just wanted to make it clear. Technically there are plenty of other differences between individual class members, but only because WSF runs out of money before reupholstering them all in the same style!

[Zephyr]

Alright, first WIP shot of the Kaleetan ...



Still got a ways to go, but its coming along fairly nice, I hope.

[Zephyr]

and a WIP shot of the Elwha. For the sake of variety I am doing the Elwha from the opposite side from the Kaleetan.

[M_I_Reilly-Collette]

I should start doing the hulls in the same order that Zephyr has been doing the ships this weekend if he still wants me to.