Second New Fast Passenger Ferry Joins Fleet

New passenger-only ferry Snohomish has made its debut on Puget Sound, entering service between Seattle and Bremerton, temporarily replacing Chinook. Snohomish will serve passengers on the Seattle/Bremerton route. The new vessel is the sister ship to Chinook, which has been in service on the route since summer 1998. Both passenger-only ferries, which can carry 350 riders, were built by Dakota Creek shipyard in Anacortes. After Snohomish arrived in September, Chinook went into drydock for a bow modification to enable it to dock at auto ferry slips. The new bow allows passengers to load and unload from the front of the ferry. Snohomish already has that type of bow configuration - the most noticeable change made between the two ferries during the construction process. Other than a slightly different "nose," the two vessels are nearly identical to the casual observer. There are, however, some important differences, explained Cliff Hill, project manager for the passenger-only fast-ferry (POFF) program. On Snohomish, eaves that extend over the doors at the stern of the boat were shortened to make the new ferry lighter. That modification saved one ton, and overall, Snohomish is four tons lighter than its predecessor, said Hill. This type of ferry - a catamaran design with an aluminum hull - performs better if it's lighter, explained Hill. "Any weight savings translates into better performance and lower wake wash on these types of vessels," he said. Another modification was in the ferry's control system. Chinook encountered some control problems when it first went into service that had to be fixed. "We found solutions to them and implemented them on Snohomish," said Hill. "So there's a higher reliability level immediately as the new ferry goes into service." Engineers also found ways to reduce the noise level in the rear areas of the lower passenger cabin. This was accomplished by modifying windows, increasing insulation and installing a baffle wall behind the seats. "It was part of the learning curve that came with building the second vessel and was something that we thought we could do better," said Hill. The completion of Snohomish marks the end of a two-boat building process that began at Dakota Creek in March 1997. But it's really just the first chapter in the POFF program. For much of the 1990s, the ferry system has been drawing up plans for an extensive passenger-only ferry network on Puget Sound to accommodate the growing number of travelers in the region. The state Legislature initially approved funds for the two Chinook-class ferries. Then, lawmakers last session agreed to expand the program with five more passenger-only ferries. They also allocated money for new passenger-only terminals at Seattle, Kingston and Southworth. The ferry system hopes to choose a builder for the new ferries in the early part of 2000. It takes about a year to build this type of vessel. If all goes according to plan, the early years of the new millennium will see an efficient new fleet of passenger-only ferries carrying travelers across Puget Sound without their cars.