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Post by Nobody on Nov 22, 2005 11:51:06 GMT -8
Does anybody know anything about this Ferry? She was built in San Francisco harbour in 1927,brought up this way in the early thirtie and was decommissioned in 1967.
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Post by Nobody on Nov 22, 2005 11:54:34 GMT -8
I just posted this thread, but what does the thumbs down mean? I must have hit a wrong key.N.
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Post by hergfest on Nov 22, 2005 14:18:41 GMT -8
She is sitting next to the Queen of Sidney on the Frazier River in Mission, BC. She is now beyond repair. She sat at the Coast Guard Reserve Center on Lake Union in Seattle for years and years. They had plans to restore her, but it never came to pass. There are some pics here: www.evergreenfleet.com/past.htmlThe same author had some good pics of her in the last year, but I can't find the link on his webpage. |
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Post by nobody on Nov 23, 2005 8:45:37 GMT -8
Thanks for that, awesome info.N.
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Koastal Karl
Voyager 
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Nov 23, 2005 9:28:34 GMT -8
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Post by SS San Mateo on Nov 23, 2005 22:38:38 GMT -8
She almost became the MV San Mateo. A consultant's report prepared prior to WSF taking over recommended that both the San Mateo and the Shasta (sistership to the San Mateo) be converted to diesel power.
-- LB
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Post by SS Shasta on Dec 27, 2005 14:52:05 GMT -8
This is a very sad ending for a beautiful Puget Sound ferry. She never should have been retired by Washington State Ferries in the 1st place as she had great potential as a tourist attraction as well as providing valuable extra service on week ends during the busy summer season.
SS San Mateo passed her last US Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection on 19 May 1969 and made her last revenue runs on the Edmonds-Kingston run on Labor Day 1969. She has been slowly rotting and rusting away ever since.
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Post by Starbucks Queen on Dec 27, 2005 14:59:48 GMT -8
Well, to be honest I don´t think it would have been such a good tourist-attraction. It just looks too ordinary to attract people looking at it and saying "whow what´s that". Though, plenty of space at Lake Union and a possible meet-up with another ex. fleetmember would have been possible, the Skansonia is there already and as a restaurant etc. see www.skansonia.com it´s a private business, though |
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Post by Retrovision on Dec 27, 2005 17:57:43 GMT -8
Well, to be honest I don´t think it would have been such a good tourist-attraction. It just looks too ordinary to attract people Although she may look ordinary, especially for those who sailed on the similar looking sunshine-coast Black Ball ferries back in the day, I think it's more a matter of historical significance, like with the Queen of Sidney. The SS San Mateo was one of the first ferries from the age that revolutionized the entire concept of ferries as we know them. In fact I would say that one can see similarities between the Mateo and even, say, the Queen of Cumberland, the Powell River Class ferries... or any intermediate sized double ender car ferry seen today. Unfortunately you're correct about the lack of appeal or attractiveness to the typical tourist, as we are witnessing with the attempts to do the same for the Sid. |
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 11, 2006 20:15:14 GMT -8
I understand from a friend who's trying to save her sister, the Shasta that the San Mateo is going to be broken up at the same time the Queen of Sidney is scrapped.
Lake Union is, alas, not a good place for ferries. Most go there to die. The San Mateo was there from the mid-70's until 1994. The Chippewa ended her useful days there as well. The Skansonia has been successful there, but her days are numbered as well. She's up for sale and that hull, which is all wood, is being held together by plywood and good luck. I don't imagine she'll survive much longer either.
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Post by SS Shasta on Jan 12, 2006 13:27:05 GMT -8
Perhaps we should add SS Malahat to the Lake Union graveyard for retired ferryboats. She rotted and rusted away at the shipyard located at the end of Stone Way for many years before she was towed to a Portland, Oregon scrapyard; she burned before scrapping actually took place.
There was also MV Crosline that was used as a warehouse on the west side of Lake Union for several years before she was towed to Coos Bay, Oregon and finally scrapped.
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Post by Retrovision on Jan 13, 2006 23:27:50 GMT -8
I understand from a friend who's trying to save her sister, the Shasta that the San Mateo is going to be broken up at the same time the Queen of Sidney is scrapped. Lake Union is, alas, not a good place for ferries. Most go there to die. The San Mateo was there from the mid-70's until 1994. The Chippewa ended her useful days there as well. The Skansonia has been successful there, but her days are numbered as well. She's up for sale and that hull, which is all wood, is being held together by plywood and good luck. I don't imagine she'll survive much longer either. Although it's now inevitable, I'm curious as to how certain that info about the mateo being broken up at the same time as the Sidney's scrapping is... It might be another heart-wrenching chord to add to the documentary I might be able to squeeze out of BCIT's journalism students. |
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Post by Starbucks Queen on Jan 14, 2006 4:23:46 GMT -8
Interesting to read about Skansonia´s fate.. I have been onboard this ship, well let´s say on it´s deck, to look around and when I peered inside the windows, it looked very nice, and like a successful business too.
Although from outside the hull looked sort of.. well as if it was about to disintegrate slowly.
So I wonder, since it has been successful, the owner could not have maintenanced the ship to save it and keep the business going ?
What happened to the Wawona - one of the Black Ball Line sailships ? Heard rumours that they must take it out of Lake Union since it´s about to disintegrate as well.
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 14, 2006 12:41:39 GMT -8
The Wawona wasn't a Black Ball ship. I'm not sure of her history, but I know she was never part of the Black Ball fleet...the Wawona is part of the reason the San Mateo is in the shape she's in. Northwest Seaport has been far more interested in pouring money into that old wreck then some of the viable vessels they've had in their hands. The San Mateo was in excellent shape when then got her. They ingored her and kept funneling money into the Wawona...and from what I hear, it hasn't done a bit of good for the boat. Someone associated with the Seaport told me that aside from the cosmetic stuff they've done the boat is just as bad as when they got her in 1964, and that any attempt to tow her might result in the bottom being ripped right out of her. She does have to move--the Lake Union redevolpment going on wants all the historic ships out of there. The Skansonia looks great inside the passenger cabin and on the car deck. That has been kept up very well. The owner has been completely neglectful of the hull though. The poor thing hasn't seen drydock since 1969 I think. I know that when she started leaking they patched the hull below decks by nailing up plywood and filling the gap with foam insulation...which has now caused even more rot. The pumps run all the time on that boat--you could hear them back when I was doing tours of the Kalakala and they were moored close to one another. It's too bad too, the Skansonia is a neat little boat. There might be chance to recondition the hull, but it'd take a lot of money. Rumor had it that the person who owns the Skansonia was trying to keep her afloat long enough to replace her with a steel-hulled boat for the same purpose--the Olympic. I guess at the time the sale price was too much and he never bothered. The Oly would need quite a bit of enviornmental work done to her--asbestos and lead paint. She'd be worth the money though, nice little boat that can still run. (Although one wheelhouse's wheel and navigation equipment was removed and is current on display on the Cathlamet.) |
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Post by Starbucks Queen on Jan 15, 2006 2:59:30 GMT -8
Thanks for that lot of information - and you are correct the Wawona was built for Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Company of Eureka California.
Though, I do wonder - if one owns such a historic ship like the Skansonia, doing a business with it is one thing, but when buying a ship like this there comes also the responsibility for saving some history. Not just because it´s a neat looking wooden boat, but because of it´s past within the region. But, it´s interestisng and let´s hope they can keep it, even it sounds as if the owner did not have alot of foresight or forgot the fact that ships do need maintenance work every now and then and that wooden hulls don´t last for 100 years without maintenance.
What do you think - about all these failed attempts to preserve historic vessels ? Is there any which you would give a bit of better chance ? I somewhat believe that the best way to do is is how they worked on the Skansonia - all private money, a business started which could attract the "general public" too, and keep the ship that way - but not just taking out the money but investing it into the ship too.
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jan 15, 2006 13:19:00 GMT -8
Was the Ballard in Lake Union when she sank?
-- LB
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Post by SS Shasta on Jan 15, 2006 14:26:02 GMT -8
Yes. I think the old Ballard sank just west of where the SS San Mateo was docked.
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 15, 2006 15:13:06 GMT -8
Yes. I think the old Ballard sank just west of where the SS San Mateo was docked. That's right, I'd forgotten the Ballard met her end there too. I don't know what it is about Seattle and its maritime history. People I know from out of state are always shocked to hear there is no maritime museum in a city that owes its very existence to that maritime heritage. San Francisco and San Deigo have mad successes of their preserved vessels--heck, San Francisco has one of WSF's old boats serving well as the corporate headquarters for Hornblower Yachts. Yet Seattle, time and again, has thrown away it's boats again and again. There are a few success stories--the Virginia V for example, but she is a working vessel, which is part of her continued success. (A beautiful boat, I might add.) The fireboat Duwamish isn't doing too bad. But heck... San Mateo, Kalakala, Ballard, Chippewa, Crosline, Kehloken, Klahanie...we've thrown away our historic vessels again and again.  |
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jan 15, 2006 21:24:15 GMT -8
There are a few success stories--the Virginia V for example, but she is a working vessel, which is part of her continued success. (A beautiful boat, I might add.) The fireboat Duwamish isn't doing too bad. But heck... San Mateo, Kalakala, Ballard, Chippewa, Crosline, Kehloken, Klahanie...we've thrown away our historic vessels again and again. Another success story is the former Pierce County ferry Islander, built in 1924 and wood hulled. After she was retired in the mid 90's, Argosy Cruises acquired her and converted her to a cruise boat. She was renamed Kirkland. A picture of her and a brief history can be found at: www.explorekirkland.com/things_to_do.cfm?content=71-- LB |
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 16, 2006 9:44:46 GMT -8
I think here the key again is the Kirkland, like the Virginia V, is a working, mobile vessel. Seems to be the only way for them to be successful and get the required maintenance done on them. Maybe Tacoma will come through for the Kalakala.  |
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Post by cascade on Jan 16, 2006 11:15:49 GMT -8
How does WSF come up with all these names for there vessels ?
(Sorry I know off subject matter here - but reading all the names of vessels that have visited Dave Jones Locker....makes me wonder - they are very interesting)
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Post by hergfest on Jan 16, 2006 11:40:50 GMT -8
Black Ball started a tradition of naming their boats with Native American names. WSF also decided to do this, but only after the Rhody, Olympic, and Evergreen State were already named. I believe on the evergreenstate website it says if WSF built a fourth Jumbo Mark II boat it would have been named Sequim. Probably means one of the new class of boats will be named that way too.
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 16, 2006 13:11:22 GMT -8
Black Ball started a tradition of naming their boats with Native American names. WSF also decided to do this, but only after the Rhody, Olympic, and Evergreen State were already named. I believe on the evergreenstate website it says if WSF built a fourth Jumbo Mark II boat it would have been named Sequim. Probably means one of the new class of boats will be named that way too. Hee, not if we can help it! A good friend of mine who works for WSF is on the naming committee for the new boats. I've helped him come up with a presentation on names...we're looking to recycle some older ones, as WSF has done many times ( Kitsap, Chinook, Issaquah, just to name a few). One thing we're really going to push for is to have at least one boat end up with a "Q" name. If there isn't one after the Quinault is retired, it'll be the first time in close to 100 years that there has been the absence of a "Q" boat on Puget Sound. We did briefly consider "Woolochet" however, upon discovering that it meant "squirting clams" we didn't think that'd be quite the right name for a new boat.  |
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