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Post by compdude787 on Feb 1, 2013 15:28:08 GMT -8
I was thinking of a good, realistic way to preserve the Kalakala: remove the superstructure from the hull in one piece, scrap the hull (though it would probably be more worthwhile to sink it as an artificial reef, considering that it has deteriorated too much to have any salvageable metal), and make the superstructure be a building for a museum, perhaps. Remember that the hull was from the 1926 Peralta (that makes it even older than the SEs' hulls which were in terrible condition in '07), and given that it has been allowed to deteriorate so much, they might as well build a new replica hull from the ground up. But then it would no longer be the Kalakala's hull, so that would essentially make it a new ship with the Kalakala's superstructure. The superstructure is sleek and streamlined, and it looks really good. I still think that the superstructure could be restored, but the hull has just deteriorated too much. Anyway, time is running out to save the Kalakala from the wreckers. And we'll all be sad to see this famous vessel go! But we have to remember that things created by human hands do not last forever... Yes, the hull is indeed a year younger but there are two points that you should include in your reasoning: -The Enteai (Santa Rosa) is still afloat and used in San Francisco -The Kalakala spend many years stuck in the mud, which helped a lot to preserve the hull. If only it was restored just after it came back here in 1998, and later have had regular inspections and hull maintenance, it would be in good condition. The hull itself has really started to deteriorate in the last 15 years and was still in good shape in 1998. So overall my guess would be that it is same as or better than the Steel-Es in 2007. Hmm, okay, I didn't consider the fact that being stuck in the mud would preserve the hull. So maybe the hull could be restored, but I don't know how they're going to be able to move it to a drydock since the Coast Guard considers the ship to be too fragile to move, yet they also consider it a "hazard to navigation" in the location where it's moored. I figured that the hull would just be corroded as much as the SE's were, and that it would be extremely costly to restore. The more they wait, the more deterioration will take place and result in higher costs to restore. Time is clearly running out to restore this famous vessel. And it could very well end up not being restored after all, to the sadness of many ship enthusiasts and history buffs.
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Post by EGfleet on Feb 2, 2013 5:35:15 GMT -8
I was thinking of a good, realistic way to preserve the Kalakala: remove the superstructure from the hull in one piece, scrap the hull (though it would probably be more worthwhile to sink it as an artificial reef, considering that it has deteriorated too much to have any salvageable metal), and make the superstructure be a building for a museum, perhaps. Remember that the hull was from the 1926 Peralta (that makes it even older than the SEs' hulls which were in terrible condition in '07), and given that it has been allowed to deteriorate so much, they might as well build a new replica hull from the ground up. But then it would no longer be the Kalakala's hull, so that would essentially make it a new ship with the Kalakala's superstructure. The superstructure is sleek and streamlined, and it looks really good. I still think that the superstructure could be restored, but the hull has just deteriorated too much. Anyway, time is running out to save the Kalakala from the wreckers. And we'll all be sad to see this famous vessel go! But we have to remember that things created by human hands do not last forever... Yes, the hull is indeed a year younger but there are two points that you should include in your reasoning: -The Enteai (Santa Rosa) is still afloat and used in San Francisco -The Kalakala spend many years stuck in the mud, which helped a lot to preserve the hull. If only it was restored just after it came back here in 1998, and later have had regular inspections and hull maintenance, it would be in good condition. The hull itself has really started to deteriorate in the last 15 years and was still in good shape in 1998. So overall my guess would be that it is same as or better than the Steel-Es in 2007. Wow, seriously? You're going to assert that a hull that hasn't been drydocked since 1965-6 and not maintained for 46 years is in better shape than vessels that were regularly maintained, inspected and in service until 2007? Pete Bevis told me that the Kalakala's hull is made of iron, not steel. ( I don't recall seeing that in print anywhere. As someone who had crawled all over that boat from top to bottom, I've no reason to doubt him.) It was okay when it came out of Alaska and was doing fine--as long as it was in fresh water. Since it has been in salt water it's deteriorated rapidly. I've seen fairly recent photos of the front end of the vessel and huge holes have been eaten into--and she's leaking regularly now. If the pumps aren't kept running, she'd sink, which she very nearly did a few years back--and that's just sitting there. The Steel Electrics were never in any danger of sinking just sitting at dock. They had their certificates and the Coast Guard was comfortable with them being in service carrying passengers. (The DOT yanked them from service, not the CG, remember.) Did they need work? Yes. The stern tubes needed replacing and other sections needed some attention-but again, they passed Coast Guard inspection and that is something that is not given lightly. There is absolutely no way the Kalakala's hull today is the same or better than the Steel Electrics in 2007. Even a comparison to the Santa Rosa wouldn't be accurate--the Santa Rosa has been dry docked several times for preservation since she went back to San Francisco. I've got a photo of her being towed out for drydocking some time in the late 1990's, so it's had much better care. One thing that always gets overlooked with the Kalakala, and that was the fact that she was meant to be a publicity gimmick first, ferry second. She was very, very lightly constructed and was not designed to last. Captain Peabody built her quickly and cheaply. Her passenger cabin had problems with rust her entire career, and the survey of her taken by the state in 1962 showed then she was in serious need of major repairs throughout the cabin. The floor was rusting out around the bench seats, there were holes in the walls being patched and plugged throughout the cabin and the roof leaked like a sieve. They wanted to get rid of her then, but as there were no replacements, they patched her up and kept her in service, but no overhaul was done. (Where have I heard this before?) Having done tours on the vessel, and seeing photos of her now, I honestly think she's too far gone for restoration. I don't say that lightly, either. As the former volunteer archivist for the foundation and someone who was keenly anxious to have her restored, it pains me to say it. When she left Lake Union, the monthly work parties that helped keep the elements at bay stopped as well. I knew that as soon as she was removed from fresh water the clock was set and it was only going to be a matter of time before the elements took hold of her. Getting the superstructure off the hull might be the only way to save it, but I suspect it would probably just crumble if any attempt were made. Hauling the whole thing onto land would be another way to go, like they've done in Anacortes with the W.T. Preston but I'm not at all convinced she's survive being removed from the water, and it would seem the Coast Guard doesn't think so either. My only hope is that before she's scrapped--and I'm convinced that is the next thing that is going to happen to her--is that someone removes the intact aft staircase with that beautiful art deco railing and some of the brass fittings that are still on board for preservation.
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Post by compdude787 on Feb 2, 2013 9:59:56 GMT -8
Yes, the hull is indeed a year younger but there are two points that you should include in your reasoning: -The Enteai (Santa Rosa) is still afloat and used in San Francisco -The Kalakala spend many years stuck in the mud, which helped a lot to preserve the hull. If only it was restored just after it came back here in 1998, and later have had regular inspections and hull maintenance, it would be in good condition. The hull itself has really started to deteriorate in the last 15 years and was still in good shape in 1998. So overall my guess would be that it is same as or better than the Steel-Es in 2007. Wow, seriously? You're going to assert that a hull that hasn't been drydocked since 1965-6 and not maintained for 46 years is in better shape than vessels that were regularly maintained, inspected and in service until 2007? Pete Bevis told me that the Kalakala's hull is made of iron, not steel. ( I don't recall seeing that in print anywhere. As someone who had crawled all over that boat from top to bottom, I've no reason to doubt him.) It was okay when it came out of Alaska and was doing fine--as long as it was in fresh water. Since it has been in salt water it's deteriorated rapidly. I've seen fairly recent photos of the front end of the vessel and huge holes have been eaten into--and she's leaking regularly now. If the pumps aren't kept running, she'd sink, which she very nearly did a few years back--and that's just sitting there. The Steel Electrics were never in any danger of sinking just sitting at dock. They had their certificates and the Coast Guard was comfortable with them being in service carrying passengers. (The DOT yanked them from service, not the CG, remember.) Did they need work? Yes. The stern tubes needed replacing and other sections needed some attention-but again, they passed Coast Guard inspection and that is something that is not given lightly. There is absolutely no way the Kalakala's hull today is the same or better than the Steel Electrics in 2007. Even a comparison to the Santa Rosa wouldn't be accurate--the Santa Rosa has been dry docked several times for preservation since she went back to San Francisco. I've got a photo of her being towed out for drydocking some time in the late 1990's, so it's had much better care. One thing that always gets overlooked with the Kalakala, and that was the fact that she was meant to be a publicity gimmick first, ferry second. She was very, very lightly constructed and was not designed to last. Captain Peabody built her quickly and cheaply. Her passenger cabin had problems with rust her entire career, and the survey of her taken by the state in 1962 showed then she was in serious need of major repairs throughout the cabin. The floor was rusting out around the bench seats, there were holes in the walls being patched and plugged throughout the cabin and the roof leaked like a sieve. They wanted to get rid of her then, but as there were no replacements, they patched her up and kept her in service, but no overhaul was done. (Where have I heard this before?) Having done tours on the vessel, and seeing photos of her now, I honestly think she's too far gone for restoration. I don't say that lightly, either. As the former volunteer archivist for the foundation and someone who was keenly anxious to have her restored, it pains me to say it. When she left Lake Union, the monthly work parties that helped keep the elements at bay stopped as well. I knew that as soon as she was removed from fresh water the clock was set and it was only going to be a matter of time before the elements took hold of her. Getting the superstructure off the hull might be the only way to save it, but I suspect it would probably just crumble if any attempt were made. Hauling the whole thing onto land would be another way to go, like they've done in Anacortes with the W.T. Preston but I'm not at all convinced she's survive being removed from the water, and it would seem the Coast Guard doesn't think so either. My only hope is that before she's scrapped--and I'm convinced that is the next thing that is going to happen to her--is that someone removes the intact aft staircase with that beautiful art deco railing and some of the brass fittings that are still on board for preservation. Maybe you're right, EGFleet. The Kalakala is probably too far gone to be restored. I had no idea that the hull was made out of iron! Does that not last as long as steel does? They aren't going to scrap it anytime soon, because doing so would be at a loss. They might as well just sink it as a reef or something. But of course, the Kalakala's owners should remove that nice staircase and do something with it. They should have made it be a staircase at the new MOHAI.
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Post by EGfleet on Feb 11, 2013 6:47:44 GMT -8
Ooops.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 5, 2013 16:59:25 GMT -8
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Post by Steve Rosenow on Aug 5, 2013 18:27:33 GMT -8
It has been a long time since I've seen that mural. When I joined this forum, I was living in Sequim, and commuting to the town of Port Angeles to take an ex-girlfriend to an appointment she had almost daily, that was about a block away or so from there.
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Post by Steve Rosenow on Aug 18, 2013 17:12:14 GMT -8
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Post by compdude787 on Aug 26, 2013 20:10:51 GMT -8
That's a very neat find. Even the Silver slug's radar is going to have some historical significance, since it was one of the first civilian vessels to have one. I hope a museum will pick up the items and put them on display.
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Post by Steve Rosenow on Aug 26, 2013 22:12:51 GMT -8
That's a very neat find. Even the Silver slug's radar is going to have some historical significance, since it was one of the first civilian vessels to have one. I hope a museum will pick up the items and put them on display. One of the first? How about THE FIRST!
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Post by compdude787 on Aug 26, 2013 22:28:37 GMT -8
That's a very neat find. Even the Silver slug's radar is going to have some historical significance, since it was one of the first civilian vessels to have one. I hope a museum will pick up the items and put them on display. One of the first? How about THE FIRST! Ok, I wasn't sure if it was the first or one of the first. Thanks for clarifying. The Kalakala's radar is definitely an important piece of history in navigation, and I think it would make a great addition to the MOHAI! So would the Kalakala's aft staircase.
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Post by Steve Rosenow on Aug 26, 2013 22:31:25 GMT -8
One of the first? How about THE FIRST! Ok, I wasn't sure if it was the first or one of the first. Thanks for clarifying. The Kalakala's radar is definitely an important piece of history in navigation, and I think it would make a great addition to the MOHAI! So would the Kalakala's aft staircase. Yes, the Kalakala's FCC Radar number was #001, as issued in February of 1946.
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SolDuc
Voyager
West Coast Cyclist
SolDuc and SOBC - Photo by Scott
Posts: 2,055
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Post by SolDuc on Aug 26, 2013 23:50:22 GMT -8
One of the first? How about THE FIRST! Ok, I wasn't sure if it was the first or one of the first. Thanks for clarifying. The Kalakala's radar is definitely an important piece of history in navigation, and I think it would make a great addition to the MOHAI! So would the Kalakala's aft staircase. I agree that if there was somewhere where it should go it is the MOHAI, along with the original model. As for the staircase? Just restore it and re-built it in the MOHAI instead of the stairs they have now!
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Post by EGfleet on Aug 27, 2013 4:55:53 GMT -8
Ok, I wasn't sure if it was the first or one of the first. Thanks for clarifying. The Kalakala's radar is definitely an important piece of history in navigation, and I think it would make a great addition to the MOHAI! So would the Kalakala's aft staircase. I agree that if there was somewhere where it should go it is the MOHAI, along with the original model. As for the staircase? Just restore it and re-built it in the MOHAI instead of the stairs they have now! Er...I hate to be a killjoy here, but that' isn't the Kalakala's radar unit. It's an identical unit to the one that was installed on the Kalakala, but the original one on the Kalakala was lost year ago--probably scavenged while it was in Alaska. If you look at photos of her at Gibson Cove, you'll see major components of the radar are missing, and it should have looked like the photo below, which was from when it was installed back in 1949. That said, she still holds Raytheon Licence # 001. Now, how do I know this isn't the original? #1. I was the volunteer archivist for the Kalakala Foundation that last two years of its existence before Steve Rodriguez got a hold of the boat and #2. even more telling I was there when Pete Bevis brought it in to the office, and we talked about it at length. I wish I could remember what vessel it was salvaged from, but I can't--too many years ago and I have no idea what happened to the documentation for it. It is still a very rare critter as there aren't too many of those first original Raytheon units out there. I hope the staircase is saved...and I'm not saying that just because I spent a fair amount of time polishing the brass rails during lulls between tours. ;)It's a beautiful piece of Art Deco that should be preserved.
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SolDuc
Voyager
West Coast Cyclist
SolDuc and SOBC - Photo by Scott
Posts: 2,055
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Post by SolDuc on Aug 28, 2013 18:11:49 GMT -8
So today we went to the MOHAI to finish the visit that we started in late June, and long story short I got to inform the staff that they had some items from the Kalakala on sale and looking for a museum to buy it. They seemed pretty interested by it and said that they'd look into it. Now this is not exactly the reason why I'm writing this: I hope that everyone who reads this post will send an e-mail to the MOHAI asking them to buy this stuff. If they get at least several e-mails they'd at least do something for it. It has worked for the BCFs newbuilts, so I don't see why it wouldn't work there. So get your keyboard and write an e-mail to the MOHAI, now: information@mohai.org or send them a letter at: Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), PO Box 80816, Seattle, WA 98108
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Post by Steve Rosenow on Aug 30, 2013 10:36:49 GMT -8
So, I had a chance to drop by this morning after a lengthy interview with the local newspaper (I was interviewed about my appearance in Ripley's Believe it or Not!). Their office is right across the street, so I walked on over. Took some storefront photos, as they were closed of course. M.V. Kalakala artifacts by Loowit Imaging - Steve Rosenow, Photographer, on Flickr ^-- The life ring plus some promotional materials. M.V. Kalakala artifacts by Loowit Imaging - Steve Rosenow, Photographer, on Flickr ^-- The radar unit plus a lifebelt. (yes, lifebelt. ) I was really impressed and amazed at the sheer size and bulk of that radar unit. I honestly pictured it being smaller when I modeled it in 3D. M.V. Kalakala artifacts by Loowit Imaging - Steve Rosenow, Photographer, on Flickr M.V. Kalakala artifacts by Loowit Imaging - Steve Rosenow, Photographer, on Flickr Two more views of the radar. I apologize for the noisy photos! I had been doing high speed photography under bright 1000-watt lights the night before and forgot to reset my ISO. M.V. Kalakala artifacts by Loowit Imaging - Steve Rosenow, Photographer, on Flickr A final closeup of the radar unit. The entire storefront - all 45 feet or more - is FILLED with Kalakala items.
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 30, 2013 11:03:40 GMT -8
Neat stuff! Thanks for capturing this bit of nostalgia for us.
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Post by hergfest on Aug 30, 2013 21:17:51 GMT -8
How much does the guy want for the items?
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Kam
Voyager
Posts: 926
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Post by Kam on Apr 28, 2014 21:41:43 GMT -8
I stumbled across a nice few seconds of footage of the Kalakala right at the start of this film:
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SolDuc
Voyager
West Coast Cyclist
SolDuc and SOBC - Photo by Scott
Posts: 2,055
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Post by SolDuc on May 11, 2014 17:45:47 GMT -8
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Post by hergfest on Jul 24, 2014 22:04:09 GMT -8
Bought a painting from a local artist named Derek Ross. Painting of the grounded Kalakala.
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Post by funkhouse55 on Dec 3, 2014 18:45:36 GMT -8
Not sure if anybody is following this story anymore, but I believe Kalakala is headed to the scrap heap very soon. I don't have any inside info, and there has been nothing reported in the media since late 2012. I have just been following the activities on the WSDOT webcam: oxblue.com/open/SR520/Tacoma. Today they began floating out the last of the Tacoma-built SR-520 bridge pontoons at CTC. With the pontoon project completed, that essentially clears the way for the graving dock to take in the Kalakala. She is moored just a few blocks away, and the person who now owns her also owns this graving dock. You can see in the foreground some steel cradles partially built, these look like they could be hull support cradles. They recently removed the south tower crane and refurbished the track, I'm guessing so they can re-activate the large gantry crane (that is the big yellow thing the web cam is mounted to). It's a happy day for floating bridge fans, and a sad day for Kalakala fans. Kind of like seeing a favorite old pet making that last trip to the vet.
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 5, 2015 8:27:49 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 5, 2015 8:59:56 GMT -8
Anderson is a hero for taking on this final responsibility. That's a rare thing in today's corporate world. This is the best practical ending for the former ferry.
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Post by paulvanb on Jan 5, 2015 10:02:33 GMT -8
...but the web site keeps on going!
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 5, 2015 15:11:13 GMT -8
Anderson is a hero for taking on this final responsibility. That's a rare thing in today's corporate world. This is the best practical ending for the former ferry. Given our state's derelict vessel law, he may have had little choice. He was going to pay for it one way or the other--whether he did it himself or if the state hauled her off and then sent him the bill. In that respect, kudos are due to him stepping up and not letting it get to that point. I had a a feeling the Kalakala was pretty much doomed after leaving Lake Union. The salt water and lack of the work parties that the Foundation had to keep the elements at bay pretty much sealed her fate. BTW--that same law has, I have heard through the grapevine, put the owner of the Olympic and Ocean City on notice. The state wants those vessels gone, and at some point may step in and have them hauled off to the scrappers as well.
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