By Stan Suchan
The Wenatchee is one of the state’s three largest ferries. It was built in 1998. In 2023, it went to the shipyard for upgrades to help it last for many more years. When it returns, it will be North America’s largest hybrid-electric passenger vessels. Upgrades are almost done, and there are just a few more steps to get the ferry back in service this summer.
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| Wenatchee dockside at Vigor shipyard. |
What’s new on the Wenatchee?
Crews installed an updated power system and better ship controls. This system, also called the propulsion system, moves the ferry through the water and controls its speed, direction and stopping power. They also converted Wenatchee to hybrid-electric power and did other work to preserve the ferry.
The work included:
- taking out two of the four diesel generators
- building two new battery rooms and outfitting them with 864 battery modules
- installing new controls
- installing thousands of feet of electric and fiber optic cable
- painting much of the exterior of the ferry
- replacing vinyl on some seats
- deep cleaning
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| The Wenatchee car deck as seen while docked at Vigor shipyard. |
What will it take to get Wenatchee back into service this summer?
Sea trials and crew training are currently underway from Vigor Shipyard. After all goes well, the U.S. Coast Guard will issue initial approvals and Washington State Ferries will take the Wenatchee back. The ferry will then be moved from the Vigor Shipyard to Eagle Harbor Shipyard on Bainbridge Island.
Skilled tradespeople at Eagle Harbor will do more work to get the ferry ready for service. Ferry crews aboard Wenatchee will complete training and conduct more sea trials to make sure it’s ready. Then the U.S. Coast Guard must give final approval. If all goes to plan, this should take an additional four to six weeks.
Crews and tradespeople are doing everything they can to get the ferry back into service. But they will not compromise quality for speed. We will keep you informed about the Wenatchee’s journey as we get ready to return the ferry to our Seattle/Bainbridge route.
Why modernize ferries?
In 2024 Washington State Ferries carried more than 19 million riders. Modernizing the aging fleet is necessary to ensure service continues and will be reliable.
Our ferries work hard for more than 20 hours per day. The average ferry in our fleet is over 35 years old. We need to modernize six ferries and build sixteen new ferries by 2040. These ferries will have modern propulsion and operating systems, hybrid-electric power, and other technologies. The return of the Wenatchee represents the first milestone in this once-in-a-generation effort. We are also pursuing the construction of new ferries, the first of which could be in service as early as 2029.
Washington State Ferries is proud of the path we’re on to build our ferry fleet of the future. We hope that you will journey along with us.
What route will the Wenatchee be on? Is the charging infrastructure in place or on track to be completed in time?
ReplyDeleteCraig, the Wenatchee will generally operate on the Seattle – Bainbridge Island route but can be moved to other routes as needed. Terminal charging infrastructure is in the design phase and in Seattle could be completed as early as 2029.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an impressive project. Can you explain a bit about how the ferry will operate prior to having charging infrastructure in place at Bainbridge and Seattle terminals? Are the two remaining diesel generators just charging the batteries continuously? Also, I’m curious if the ferry is actually less efficient in the near term without shore power and with added battery weight, or do the propulsion upgrades improve efficienc. It would be amazing to get a more technical deep dive into how the hybrid system works if someone at WSF is so inclined. Thanks!
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