“We’re gonna need a bigger boat…”

OLYMPIA — As crews give the Steilacoom II its final test runs before resuming car-carrying service on the Keystone – Port Townsend run, one local legislator decided to see for herself what the ride would be like for her constituents.

“I’m glad I’ve got good sea legs,” said Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, after making the round-trip across Admiralty Inlet in choppy seas. “Some customers might feel uncomfortable on this boat when the weather is rough, but the Coast Guard says that the boat is safe.”

Haugen, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, was impressed with the ability of the Steilacoom II to navigate the approach to the Keystone terminal even better than the old Steel Electrics, but said that she’ll be insisting on having some larger boats built to serve the Keystone – Port Townsend.

“The Steilacoom II design is one we can definitely use on our ferry system, and the one that can be built soonest,” Haugen said. “But I’ll be pushing for the design and construction of some larger vessels that can handle all of the demands of this route — including a wider variety of weather and tidal conditions. Keeping that option available is exactly why my bill for new ferries gave us some funding flexibility and didn’t lock us into a specific design.”

Earlier this week, Haugen introduced Senate Bill 6794 to direct the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to construct new ferries for service on routes like Keystone. The only design criterion in the bill was for vessels with a car-carrying capacity of no more than 100 vehicles, which gives Washington State Ferries (WSF) the necessary flexibility to assess how the Steilacoom II design works while designing something even better.

“The Steilacoom II design will probably have more cancellations due to weather than the older Steel Electric ferries,” said Haugen. “But I think their maneuverability and shallow draft may mean fewer cancelled runs due to extremely low tides. Either way, the good news is that motorists are going to see some immediate relief from having to take a long detour to get from Whidbey Island to the Olympic Peninsula. While I’m confident that the Steilacoom II will soon become a familiar friend to everyone who depends on the Keystone ferry run, I will be asking the Governor to ensure that our needs for larger vessels are met.”

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