Kwa-di Tabil Class Design & Construction

[FNS]

11-20-2009

WSF has given us the privilege to see six more photos in the construction of the new MV CHETZEMOKA. The end pieces of the curtain plates and the pickle-forks have arrived from Everett. More of the hull is shown as well as more pipe work. One of these will be put on this posting. The rest can be seen on WSF's photo site.

www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157621006556309/


I begin my "ferry fan's" presentation by visiting Nichols. The first side piece of the Number Two End core is in place. They have just covered over that alligator/crocodile box with that dark colored one. It was fun to see a picture of one of those nasty critters with the CHETZY's cabin modules. Very appropriate as the prototype ferry was built near where you must watch out for the wide open mouths of those monsters! ;D

Chetzemoka construction

WSF photo taken on November 13, 2009.
Main steel shop wall removed to accommodate the height of the 64-car ferry Chetzemoka, under construction at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle.

[abs1342]

After looking over the plans for the new Chetzemoka class ferry, I was wondering if anyone else noticed that the stairs and bike ramps from the car deck up to the bicycle parking area on the mezzanine level are rather steep? I would think that the stair and bike ramp footprints could be extended a bit forward on the car deck for a more gentle bicycle push up the stairs.
Also, I can't help placing a vote for the new ferry names - M/V OKANOGAN for the 2nd and M/V CHEHALIS for the 3rd.

[abs1342]

If you don't see a problem with the general public trying to get their bicycles up and down those stairs, then what can I say?

[Kahloke]

I would assume that most bicycle riders are pretty fit, and should be able to manage the stairs while pushing their bicycles up the little ramp that will be adjacent to those stairs. The only concern I can foresee is families who bicycle with their kids, especially ones who tow those little kiddie trailers behind them. Hopefully, WSF has thought of this contingency and will provide some space on the main car deck for at least a few bicycles.

[lmtengs]

Nov 27, 2009 19:40:44 GMT -8 @abs1342 said:

If you don't see a problem with the general public trying to get their bicycles up and down those stairs, then what can I say?

I agree with you. Bikes can be heavy, and It's often hard to get them up even not-so-steep stairs, especially if their long. I wouldn't even bother bringing my bike up those stairs shown in the picture in the last post. Too cumbersome and difficult. Maybe you could ask a crew member if there's a space on the main level of the car deck that you can place your bike safely.

Maybe they'll be nice and put in an elevator? Probably not, but it would be nice. On the BC Ferries like the Spirit class and the Coastal class they have racks on the car deck that hold between 4 and 8 bikes. Maybe that's the case on these new ferries?

[Kahloke]

Nov 27, 2009 21:50:21 GMT -8 @lmtengs said:

I agree with you. Bikes can be heavy, and It's often hard to get them up even not-so-steep stairs, especially if their long. I wouldn't even bother bringing my bike up those stairs shown in the picture in the last post. Too cumbersome and difficult. Maybe you could ask a crew member if there's a space on the main level of the car deck that you can place your bike safely.

Maybe they'll be nice and put in an elevator? Probably not, but it would be nice. On the BC Ferries like the Spirit class and the Coastal class they have racks on the car deck that hold between 4 and 8 bikes. Maybe that's the case on these new ferries?

Chetzemoka will have 2 elevators on the side that has the stair/mechanical casing that goes all the way down to the car deck. The bicycle mezzanine will not have elevator access because it's not supported by a casing that goes to the car deck. It will be like Island Home's mezzanine - see photo in my previous post.

I agree that there could be issues with people getting their bicycles up and down from the mezzanine, even with the bicycle ramp next to the stairs. Like I said before, I hope they allocate some space on the main car deck for a few bicycles, but I'll reserve final judgment until I see it in action, or until we start hearing complaints about it.

[Kahloke]

Great - so now we're going to have a Sqeaky ferry? Oh, excuse me, I meant Squi Qui

[lmtengs]

Nov 28, 2009 16:56:06 GMT -8 EGfleet said:

Take the Squi Qui from Keystone?

By NATHAN WHALEN
Whidbey News Times Reporter
Nov 27 2009, 2:30 PM

How would you like to hop aboard the Squi Qui?

A partnership between several Coupeville organizations and the Swinomish Tribal Community has come up with a possible name for the future ferry that will serve the Port Townsend-to-Keystone route.

The Swinomish Tribal Community, which represents the Lower Skagit tribe that used to live on Whidbey Island, along with the Island County Historical Society, the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce and the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association, want to name the ferry the Squi Qui.

The Washington State Transportation Commission ultimately will decide the name for the new 64-car ferry that is slated to be complete sometime in 2011.

Squi Qui (1816 to about 1874) lived in a village on the north shore of Penn Cove across from present-day Coupeville. He was a tribal leader who was one of the signers of the Point Elliott Treaty in 1855 (his name was recorded as S’kwai-kwi), according to information provided by the Swinomish Tribal Community, which is based near Anacortes. The Lower Skagit tribe lost large amounts of its territory as a result of the treaty and Squi Qui led his people through the difficult years following the signing of the treaty. His descendants still live in the Swinomish Tribal Community.

Barbara James, vice chairperson of the Swinomish Tribal Community, visited the Tuesday evening Coupeville Town Council meeting to advocate for naming the ferry Squi Qui.

She said her grandmother, Laura Squi Qui Edwards (1890 to 1990), lived in the Coupeville area and there are still 200 descendants living in the Swinomish Tribal Community.

“We were very fortunate to have her as long as we had,” James said.

Speaking for the Coupeville Waterfront Association, Mary Alice Sterling said, “We feel that it’s a great sign of respect to them and our history.”

The first 64-car ferry, which is due to start serving the Port Townsend/Keystone route in the summer of 2010, has been named Chetzemoka, another Native American leader. Squi Qui was a contemporary of Chetzamoka.

The naming of the second ferry is sure to take longer and the process will be more in depth. The Transportation Commission is deciding how to proceed with naming future ferries. In addition, it’s scheduled to report to the Legislature in January about the possibility of selling the naming rights to ferries.

Town Councilman Bob Clay suggested that it may be more prudent to wait and see which names come forward before deciding on which one the town should support.

Councilwoman Molly Hughes said that the proposal the Swinomish Tribal Community is submitting has the support of three prominent organizations in town, which should be good enough for the town council to approve a letter of support.

In the end, the council unanimously approved a letter of support for naming the second ferry the Squi Qui.

Well, WSF better treat these new ships better then they're treating Chelan (see photo). In my opinion, they should keep this new new girl "Squi-qui" clean at ALL times. ;D

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

Nov 28, 2009 17:19:15 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

Great - so now we're going to have a Sqeaky ferry? Oh, excuse me, I meant Squi Qui

Better Squi Qui than leaky...groan, please excuse the cheese...

[FNS]

Greetings, all!

Just thought about finishing off November with some great webcam captures from Nichols.

Today, Nichols reached another great milestone in their part of the construction of the new MV CHETZEMOKA. You'll see this at the bottom of this posting.

11-30-2009


Morning view. The sides are up on the Number Two End core as well as some of the end pieces. This was the scene before the time the folks at Nichols took their turkey dinner break.


Work resumes. A stairway is being installed on the port side. The steps will be welded on.


A side piece is installed.


Time for some duck watching.


THE NUMBER ONE END WHEELHOUSE IS INSTALLED!

It's going to be fun to see the Number Two End wheelhouse installed before the lens of this cam of theirs.

One additional note. It appears that WSF is going for good looks on this one. You see two windows of the crew lounge on the Sun Deck. There should be three on the starboard side of their lounge. On the ISLAND HOME, only one window per side for a total of two, compared to five on the CHETZEMOKA.


The night cap of a productive day at Nichols.

[FNS]

12-03-2009

WSF added four new photos today. Two from Todd and two from Nichols. The photos from Nichols pretty well dittos Emory's contribution above. I'll just put one from Todd on this posting.


The Nichols cam shows the Number Two End core taking shape. The Sun Deck plates are being installed. The facial plates are yet to be put into place.

Chetzemoka end section lift

WSF photo taken on December 2, 2009
No. 2 end section lift for construction of the hull of the 64-car ferry Chetzemoka at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle.


My chart is now updated with the installation of the Number Two End bow piece.

[FNS]

12-05-2009

I took a trip to Whidbey today. I swung by Nichols and took these photos of their contribution of the new MV CHETZEMOKA from the outside.


The Number One End wheelhouse.


The Number One End Sun Deck vestibule. You can notice the cutouts for the windows.


The central core and the stack.


A close up of the Number One End wheelhouse.


A close up of the vestibule with the elevator shaft.


From the Nichols cam. The Sun Deck has been fully plated now.

I just can't believe that I'm going to ride a ferry named CHETZEMOKA once again. I'm very lucky to have been privileged to ride the old one and that was such a neat ferry. All those four corner compartments and the grand central lobby I saw on the Saloon Deck aboard that one. It'll be fun to see all of the passenger compartments on this new one.

[Freeland]

I see Seattle Ferrynut made it over to Freeland.
Today the gate is wide open on Shore Drive for some reason.
I don't see a barge coming. Might go down and take another picture, but pictures
above are pretty much the same, except maybe more white paint.

Nice side view.....Seattle Ferrynut. I probably should call someone I know who works
there to see if I can get feeling when it will be taken away to Todd ship yard.

Emory in Freeland

[Barnacle]

Found in this week's US Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners (49/09):

The West Waterway of the Duwamish River in the vicinity of Todd Shipyards will be closed to marine traffic from approximately 0330 to 0930 on 16 Jan 10. This closure is to facilitate the launch of a car ferry from a trestle into a drydock. The U.S. Coast Guard will implement a safety zone to restrict marine traffic during the vessel transfer time. For additional information contact Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation at [phone].

[FNS]

Dec 9, 2009 15:27:48 GMT -8 Barnacle said:

Found in this week's US Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners (49/09):

The West Waterway of the Duwamish River in the vicinity of Todd Shipyards will be closed to marine traffic from approximately 0330 to 0930 on 16 Jan 10. This closure is to facilitate the launch of a car ferry from a trestle into a drydock. The U.S. Coast Guard will implement a safety zone to restrict marine traffic during the vessel transfer time. For additional information contact Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation at [phone].

This would be fun to watch. This means that they'll be sliding her hull directly from the building hall onto a movable drydock. I guess that's how she'll be when her upper works is lowered into place. Mapquest and Google Earth show the trestle next to the hall.

Looks like she'll be lowered onto the water on the drydock on "launch"-day. No violent splashes like her eastern sister had to startle even the nastiest of crocodiles and alligators down in the swamplands where that one was built (the ISLAND HOME).

12-09-2009

WSF gave us ten more photos to enjoy today. Two will be shown on this posting.

The Main Deck curtain plates have been extended to the ends now. And, the CHETZEMOKA's name has been affixed!


The Nichols cam shows us the first of the facial plates installed on her Number Two End core.

The Chetzemoka

WSF photo taken on December 8, 2009.
Washington's first new ferry in more than a decade is under construction at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle.
This shows her name. It's been awhile since we've seen a ferry named CHETZEMOKA here on our waters.

Chetzemoka Construction

WSF photo taken on December 8, 2009.
Our first view from her Main Deck. We see one of her larger cousins out on the bay. Except during the clammiest of clammy days, as well as night times, we'll be seeing those Olympic mountains from this deck besides the upper ones.


My chart shows the Main Deck curtain plates extended to the ends. This'll be the last one until the real vessel gets her upper works installed or this current component gets painted beforehand.

[DENelson83]

Wow! The new Chet'z coming through quite well, dont'cha think?

[FNS]

Dec 12, 2009 8:26:17 GMT -8 EGfleet said:

Dec 11, 2009 13:22:42 GMT -8 DENelson83 said:

Wow! The new Chet'z coming through quite well, dont'cha think?

And fast. No wonder it is costing so much to built with the pace they are going...

Could be nearly as fast as FSG! ;D

12-12-2009

Nichols is half done with the facial plating of the Number Two End core. The Sun Deck vestibule has just been placed on this core.

[Jody]

What's the catamaran in the shelter to the right of the Chetzy's wheelhouse at Nichols?

Thanks.

Jody

[SS San Mateo]

Dec 14, 2009 23:11:09 GMT -8 Jody said:

What's the catamaran in the shelter to the right of the Chetzy's wheelhouse at Nichols?

That would be the M/V Del Norte, one of the many SF Bay area passenger-only ferries. I'm guessing she's up here for engine replacement work (scheduled for this past summer).

[FNS]

12-15-2009

Nichols reached another milestone today on their contribution to the construction of the new MV CHETZEMOKA, and on the same day Boeing reached an awesome milestone with their new 787 airliner.


The last of the Saloon Deck facial pieces of the Number Two End core is in place. Some last trimming of the archway is required, though. The wheelhouse is due to be placed any day now.

WSF released four new photos five days ago with two dramatic photos and two with workers doing their things. Here's one of them:

Chetzemoka construction

WSF photo taken on December 10, 2009.
Vehicle deck and curtain plates of No. 2 end of WSDOT's 64-car Chetzemoka, under construction at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle.

[Ferryman]

Interesting to note that they're building it with the windbreakers already in place where the entrances to the pickle fork decks are. Two years ago when I was able to go for three trips on the Island Home, the crew mentioned that those windbreakers were a later addition, due to the doors not opening/closing properly with the wind.

Certainly looking forward to making the trip down there to see her when she's all finished.

[steamfan]

I am puzzled by the lack of cross ventilation in the curtain plates. This is a discint departure from long standing practice that does not seem to be terribly logical to me. Is there a structural reason that there are no car deck windows or portholes?

The reason I ask is this. My grandfather started working for PSN in 1945 aboard the Nisqually. He recalls that life was a lot more pleasant on the car deck when she had the partially broken out windows instead of WSF's portholes. It seems that the portholes didn't allow exhaust fumes to dissipate quite as well as the old windows.

[FNS]

Dec 15, 2009 23:48:08 GMT -8 steamfan said:

I am puzzled by the lack of cross ventilation in the curtain plates. This is a discint departure from long standing practice that does not seem to be terribly logical to me. Is there a structural reason that there are no car deck windows or portholes?

The reason I ask is this. My grandfather started working for PSN in 1945 aboard the Nisqually. He recalls that life was a lot more pleasant on the car deck when she had the partially broken out windows instead of WSF's portholes. It seems that the portholes didn't allow exhaust fumes to dissipate quite as well as the old windows.

I believe the reason is that these are designed for the water conditions up on the Keystone run. There were ports in the initial design of these ferries, but were dropped in favor of the solid sides to keep as much of the waves out of the Main Deck as possible. Whatever water that gets on this deck will drain out through those rectangular holes at the bottom of the curtain plates. There may be a porthole in each of the three side hatches like what the ISLAND HOME has. Essentially a rough weather ferry these are designed to be. We'll see how the rescue boats and life rafts fare and it'll be interesting to see if they get moved up during the initial years of their careers. We might see rotating wave breakers installed at the ends. We'll see how these will perform during the rough and wild conditions and what changes will be made by WSF.

One thing for sure. It would have been nice to have wire reinforced glass portholes installed on the sides of these ferries. I guess shipbuilding codes may have changed, though. The RHODODENDRON had these wire reinforced glass in her portholes until removed in the 1970s (possibly maintenance reasons).

[moravian]

Well that is not exactly true. The open ports in the side are omitted because the ship would not meet CG fire safety requirements if it had the same open car deck that other WSF ferries were built with. The Coast Guard has been re-examining the original Island Home because of it's findings with the WSF vessel.

The IH derivative (Chetz) is not modified for the heavy weather of Admiralty Inlet, in fact the opposite is true. The ship is essentially the same as the IH in terms of sea keeping qualities because the WSF needed to keep it's vessel nearly the same as IH in order to be allowed to build it without opening a complete CG re-analysis of the design. WSF has actually reduced the protection of the car deck of the original by modifying the bow door design.

WSF has made slightly more significant changes to the original IH design with vessels two and three. These ships will have controllable pitch propellers for improved fuel efficiency and more reliable stopping capacity which are certainly desirable for the Keystone Harbor. With these modifications, it seems likely that WSF will only use the Chetz on Port Townsend until the second and third vessels are constructed. At that time it seems likely the Chetz would become the Point Defiance boat.

[FNS]

As I've been watching the cabin construction, I think that the Class-B specs are being implemented into the CHETZEMOKA. I've seen this on the curtain plate pieces as well. They have made a few modifications "on the fly" during her construction. I wouldn't be surprised that she'll come out with CP propellers.

We'll see!