quinault back in service

[old_wsf_fan]

I just logged on to the WSF website, specifically on the vessel watch, and found the Quinault in service.

Does anybody know why the Rhody was removed from service?

She just had her major upgrades and annual service done.

[SS San Mateo]

My guess would be emergency/unshceduled maintenance.

The Quinault was out and about yesterday afternoon (stopped at Colman Dock briefly before heading over to Harbor Island, probably for refueling).

[zman]

I was wondering what boat that was...I saw her come in to the dock, but could not get the name...the Wenatchee was in the way.

[Barnacle]

This maintenance block was scheduled. What for, exactly, I don't know, but she'll be out for about a week. The mighty Tacoma blew the maint. schedule right off the board, but this trip for the Rhody is a quick one and was scheduled some time ago.

So, no, not an emergency.

[old_wsf_fan]

I understand that this is scheduled maintence. Is it being done "in-house" or is she at a local shipyard?

Another question is why was this maintence not done when she was in for the major upgrades recently?

[Barnacle]

If it's that short of a duration, it's probably something going on at Eagle Harbor. I can't comment on why the work wasn't done during the "major" upgrades because I don't know the nature of the work being done this time around, or of the work that was done in the yard period. I don't even know if there was anything "major" done to the boat during the longer yard period, although I'd guess probably not, since the Rhody's on the short-timer's list if we ever get a bloody contract signed on the so-called Millenium Class.

[zman]

The Rody has returned to service today.

[SS Shasta]

She will likely be heading to the Islands to replace MV Illahee which is scheduled for annual maintenance???

[SS San Mateo]

barnacle said:

I don't even know if there was anything "major" done to the boat during the longer yard period, although I'd guess probably not, since the Rhody's on the short-timer's list if we ever get a bloody contract signed on the so-called Millenium Class.

She might be around for a few years after the last of the new vessels goes into service. From what I've heard, there won't be any service improvements on Pt. Defiance-Tahlequah until 2014 (or 2015... not sure which).

[hergfest]

One of the Evergreens will eventually replace the Rhody.

[EGfleet]

hergfest said:

One of the Evergreens will eventually replace the Rhody.

Hopefully the Klahowya. It'd be nice if she could continue her run at Vashon, where she's been since 1958.

[Barnacle]

Klahowya gets my vote for the south Vashon run... I think the best choice for San Juan interisland service is the Evergreen, with her smaller passenger accomodations. Not to mention I'd like the old girl to come home.

Anyway, I think the Q-boat will be up north later this month. I'm too lazy to get up and check the maintenance schedule. ;D

[SS Shasta]

hergfest said:

One of the Evergreens will eventually replace the Rhody.

I would think the Rhody would make a better vessel for the new Vashon/Southworth run in 2015 than MV Hiyu.

[EGfleet]

shasta said:

hergfest said:

One of the Evergreens will eventually replace the Rhody.

I would think the Rhody would make a better vessel for the new Vashon/Southworth run in 2015 than MV Hiyu.

The Rhody will be long gone by then, she's scheduled to be retired along with the Steel Electrics when the new ferries are built.

[Barnacle]

Moreover, the Rhody's vertical clearance is only about 13'6"; the Hiyu's is about 15'6" and is much more practical for any truck traffic that may need to make a west-side crossing.

[SS Shasta]

But what about the ADA issue and MV Hiyu?

[Barnacle]

What ADA issue? Until such time as the vessel is extensively modified, it's grandfathered.

[EGfleet]

This has always been my favorite photo of the Q-boat:

[zman]

That is an awesome picture!
I always love to see the boats before the windows were made into portholes.

[FNS]

Very stunning picture of the QUINAULT! It is especially neat that this is in living color as well. Wonderful beginning of the development of color photography then. This is at its best!

I remember my first ride aboard the QUINAULT.

For years, my family and I went to Whidbey Island on weekends.

It was a late summer day in 1973 or 1974. We were driving down the highway to Mukilteo. We were expecting either the RHODODENDRON, KULSHAN, or VASHON to be arriving at the dock. Instead, here comes a HUGE STEEL ELECTRIC! We got right on board with no problem, just to get used to boarding a bigger ferry. This was the QUINAULT and this was the biggest ferry we have ever seen on this run back then. Yes, she is only 256 feet in length. Big for Whidbey's standards then, though! She was subbing for the RHODY.

We climbed the long stairway up to the Saloon Deck and to the galley. Our favorite waitress was there (she was regularly manning the RHODY GALLEY on this run). The galley was immense in size and our waitress was only serving donuts and drinks as she couldn't do everything by going back and forth between the huge galley and the massive serving counters on this short run. The RHODODENDRON was the only food ferry on this run between 1970 to 1977 and it took only one person to man her galley. On this day, the QUINAULT's galley end touched Clinton. We sat on the stools next to the side bulkhead with a view toward Whidbey. A few ladies were walking on her large open promenade and were quite startled by the departure blast from the whistle. The trip across was fun. She had loud machinery and a feel of great power with a little soothing vibration added. Thank goodness that her captain was using the north slip on this trip as this added a few more minutes and a breathtaking wide port turn around to the dock. On the way off the dock, I was able to see her neat and beautiful lines. This fun was short lived as the RHODY returned the next day as we went to Everett to see a movie matinee.

Here is what I remember what the layout was on the QUINAULT on my first ride aboard her. I was in my fifth or sixth grade in school then. Both sides of the QUINAULT are shown and the Saloon Deck layout.



The next time the QUINAULT came for a visit, her galley was remodeled to what the NISQUALLY had later (as seen on her thread on the Northwest section of this forum) and touched Mukilteo. I took her several more times on this run in her guest appearances there. The ILLAHEE and NISQUALLY would be regulars on this run in the late 1970s to 1982. The San Juan KLICKITAT made visits on this run in the late 1970s and I bought a San Juan booklet as a souvenir. I memorized the interior enough to put on paper, and eventually in byte form for presentation on this forum.

One more thing. If you are wondering about why her nameboards are longer than usual, Black Ball retained them and flipped them over to put QUINAULT on (the other side had REDWOOD EMPIRE). Interesting to note that the CHETZEMOKA had her original GOLDEN POPPY nameboards all her life as, again, these were flipped (see page 86 in Harre Demoro's book "The Evergreen Fleet").

ENJOY!

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

Everytime I see the profiles and floorplans ferrynutseattle creates, I am impressed.

How are you creating these, CAD or some other software? No matter how you are doing it, I suspect it takes a while to create each drawing with the level of detail included.

[old_wsf_fan]

It will be interesting to see the Q-boat on the Edmonds-Kingston run. I for one will get out and ride those old boats when the swap occurs.

One other question I have is about the Q-boat running at Edmonds is the Coast Guards position on this. I thought they don't like the Steels running across shipping lanes. I know the class is grandfathered and they just don't hold enough cars to run cross-sound on just about any route anymore, but does WSF have to ask for any exemption for them to be used like this?

[Barnacle]

oldwsffan said:

One other question I have is about the Q-boat running at Edmonds is the Coast Guards position on this. I thought they don't like the Steels running across shipping lanes. I know the class is grandfathered and they just don't hold enough cars to run cross-sound on just about any route anymore, but does WSF have to ask for any exemption for them to be used like this?

I honestly don't know if anything official has been set down or not. In most cases, it's a matter of the operating costs of a Steel-Electric when viewed in terms of capacity and revenue vs. bottom line, they're too small to make any real dent in the traffic and cost the most of any auto ferry in the fleet to run (MV Hiyu notwithstanding; I don't know the costs for the "Flying Saucer").

That having been said, one of the most fun weeks I had with WSF was back in 1998 when I worked the mighty Klickitat betwixt Edmonds and Kingston as the third boat. No schedule, just sidecar the Tillikum and stay out from underfoot of the Hyak. It was like Mother Hubbard's Ferry Service... people on the dock were actually letting people cut in line ahead of them, allowing them to board the Tillikum, so that the donor of the cut could hop on the Klickitat...

[Koastal Karl]

I heard it was gonna follow one boat and pick up any remaining traffic left behind or something like that!

[Barnacle]

That's about it... it will follow the Evergreen State and basically load-and-go, like we did with the Klickitat in '98. And hopefully clear the dock before the Jumbo du jour arrives.