MV Hyak

[SS Shasta]

How long has it been? With MV Hyak going to Edmonds-Kingston to replace MV Walla Walla, I was wondering how long it has been since she has served that route?

[Barnacle]

The last time I clearly remember was in 1998, before the Spokane and Walla Walla were sent to Kingston. I was on the third boat Klickitat at the time. ;D

[hergfest]

I doubt she has been there since the Mark IIs have been in service. They did the three boat deal last year but that was with the Evergreen and the Chelan.

[SS San Mateo]

Oct 7, 2008 7:07:02 GMT -8 Barnacle said:

The last time I clearly remember was in 1998, before the Spokane and Walla Walla were sent to Kingston. I was on the third boat Klickitat at the time. ;D

Did any of the super class vessels serve on that route after that prior to this year?

[Barnacle]

Unless it was in a relief capacity, no. Beyond that, I wouldn't know... I haven't been out of the San Juans for more than two weeks (and even that was a mistake) since then. ;D

[SS San Mateo]

According to the latest maintenance schedule, she's scheduled to go back to Edmonds - Kingston for 3 weeks in December while the Walla Walla and Spokane undergo annual maintenance/inspection.

[SS Shasta]

Did I read somewhere that MV Hyak will be the last Super to be retired? That seems to be quite a change from earlier plans. Considering that she is the oldest of the Supers and for many years listed as the first of her class to retire, I wonder why?

[EGfleet]

Dec 25, 2008 12:06:28 GMT -8 SS Shasta said:

Did I read somewhere that MV Hyak will be the last Super to be retired? That seems to be quite a change from earlier plans. Considering that she is the oldest of the Supers and for many years listed as the first of her class to retire, I wonder why?

Because both plan A and B, which ever gets implemented, still call for a 15 million MLU for the ferry. This is likely to happen in 2010. That overhaul will give her an additional 20 years, and since it is happening ten years after the last one, it'll extend her life longer than the others.

[Kahloke]

Do you have any idea what that MLU will entail? I thought Hyak had all of her major systems upgraded several years ago. The only thing I can think of, MLU-wise, would be an update to the cabin (new chairs, flooring, wall treatments, etc), and possibly new wheel house windows, like what Kaleetan and Yakima have. Are there other systems which still have to be overhauled?

[Barnacle]

Steel work. There's always plenty of that on a salt-water ferry. There are still some upgrades to be made in the propulsion control system, albeit small ones; the pilothouse windows, of course (though for what that costs, I still maintain there's better things to do with the money--the sight lines aren't that bad out of Super pilothouses). The interior refurb would be quite welcome, of course; and naturally, if there's any asbestos left aboard, that will hav to be removed. I'm not saying there is, but if there is some left, it will be removed at that time.

[SS Shasta]

My Oh My! Isn't it interesting that under the latest revision of WSF Plan A, The two vessels from the 1960's with the longest futures with the fleet will be MV Hyak (2031) and MV Hiyu (2027). How times change ;D.

[EGfleet]

Feb 3, 2009 18:42:12 GMT -8 SS Shasta said:

My Oh My! Isn't it interesting that under the latest revision of WSF Plan A, The two vessels from the 1960's with the longest futures with the fleet will be MV Hyak (2031) and MV Hiyu (2027). How times change ;D.

Not terribly surprising on the Hyak, given that they're planning on dumping 20 million into her in the next couple of years.

[Barnacle]

What gets me is that the long-range plan actually mentions building a replacement for the HIYU, which is borderline useless now. Her main qualification is 'better than nothing.'

[SS Shasta]

Feb 5, 2009 8:51:38 GMT -8 Barnacle said:

What gets me is that the long-range plan actually mentions building a replacement for the HIYU, which is borderline useless now. Her main qualification is 'better than nothing.'

Could they still be thinking of a possible Vashon/Southworth route for MV Hiyu?

[Barnacle]

Possibly. But given that it was determined to be too small for that nine years ago, I doubt if it's more useful now.

[EGfleet]

Feb 5, 2009 22:16:46 GMT -8 Barnacle said:

Possibly. But given that it was determined to be too small for that nine years ago, I doubt if it's more useful now.

WSF may give Southworth its own boat

By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN
Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer
Today, 11:17 AM · UPDATED

Following numerous boisterous meetings with ferry commuters across Kitsap County and beyond, Washington State Ferries officials released a revised version of their controversial long-range plan last weekend.

One of the changes proposed in the new plan includes separating the three stops of the Triangle Route that serves Southworth, Vashon Island and Fauntleroy.

“This is the most troubled route in our system,” said David Moseley, who directs the WSF as assistant secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation in charge of ferries, as he presented the long-range plan in Olympia Monday.

Moseley said the new plan’s “Scenario A” would add a fourth boat to the route — the M/V Hiyu — and run one dedicated boat between Fauntleroy and Southworth, one between Vashon and Southworth, and two between Fauntleroy and Vashon.

“For a very modest increase, we can both improve service for our customers and provide efficiencies,” Moseley said, explaining that the boats would also travel at slightly slower speeds to increase fuel efficiency.

Breaking up the route was one of the suggestions presented by ferry riders at the public meeting held last month in South Colby.

Rich Barringer, a member of the Southworth Ferry Advisory Committee, advised ferry officials that if they wanted to save fuel, instead of just slowing the boats down they should quit having them stop at Vashon Island between Southworth and Fauntleroy.

Too often when that happens, he said, fuel is wasted as boats turn around getting into or out of the dock, or when a boat sits idle for 10 minutes or more waiting in the slip.

“Scenario B,” however, would take away one of the Triangle Route’s current boats, leaving it with only two and less service.

Also speaking Monday in Olympia with Moseley was Jill Satran, Gov. Chris Gregoire’s transportation policy adviser, who said that while there was “no easy fix on the horizon” for the ferry system’s financial problems, Gregoire is “facing the realities of the WSF’s” crisis.

“The bright spot is, ‘Plan B’ is a very real call to action,” Satran said, explaining that ferry workers also “stepped up to the plate” and offered to renegotiate recently for no salary increases.

Now that the long-range plan has been presented, Teresa Berntsen, a member of the Washington State House of Representatives’ Joint Transportation Committee, said the next steps will be “scrubbing and reviewing” the numbers before reporting back to the legislature in early March.

In the meantime, a group formed by Rep. Larry Seaquist (D-Gig Harbor), to write create another option for the WSF, “Plan C,” will be meeting again tomorrow, Feb. 7, at the Norm Dicks Government Center in downtown Bremerton from 9 a.m. to noon.

[Barnacle]

I understand that, but I honestly doubt the Hiyu will be adequate to the task, particularly in the arena of overheight space. (And no, you can't just put them in the uncovered areas; they still have to get through the tunnel.) I stand by my skepticism, but I certainly welcome the jobs and think that it is at least conceptually a good idea. It would expedite the loading process on the run greatly.

[SS Shasta]

Feb 6, 2009 15:34:38 GMT -8 Barnacle said:

I understand that, but I honestly doubt the Hiyu will be adequate to the task, particularly in the arena of overheight space. (And no, you can't just put them in the uncovered areas; they still have to get through the tunnel.) I stand by my skepticism, but I certainly welcome the jobs and think that it is at least conceptually a good idea. It would expedite the loading process on the run greatly.

Could someone help me to understand this "over-height space" issue a bit better? I am a bit confused. Is it the same as "auto deck clearance?"

WSF lists the "auto deck clearance" on MV Hiyu as 15'. This is higher than the clearance for MV Klahowya and MV Tillikum. The only vessel with a higher clearance that sometimes serve the route is MV Issaquah (15'8).

[Nick]

The issue is that only 2 lanes on the ship are capable of carrying overheights, so the Hiyu can only use 1/3 of her deck space for overheight vehicles. As far as I know, the Issaquah has full clearance on all lanes of the ship, so in theory, she could take a full load of overheight vehicles if necessary.

"Auto deck clearance" is the maximum vehicle height the ship can carry. It has nothing to do with the NUMBER of overheight vehicles that can be carried.

I hope I have made this clear enough... I know it can be convoluted sometimes.

[SS San Mateo]

Feb 12, 2009 11:37:51 GMT -8 Nick said:

As far as I know, the Issaquah has full clearance on all lanes of the ship, so in theory, she could take a full load of overheight vehicles if necessary.

You much be thinking of the Sealth (the only Issaquah class vessel w/o galley (side) decks).

[Nick]

Feb 12, 2009 12:10:01 GMT -8 SS San Mateo said:

Feb 12, 2009 11:37:51 GMT -8 Nick said:

As far as I know, the Issaquah has full clearance on all lanes of the ship, so in theory, she could take a full load of overheight vehicles if necessary.

You much be thinking of the Sealth (the only Issaquah class vessel w/o galley (side) decks).

Yes, you're right. I'm still learning to tell WSF's boats apart... sorry for the confusion.

[Kahloke]

Feb 12, 2009 11:37:51 GMT -8 Nick said:

The issue is that only 2 lanes on the ship are capable of carrying overheights, so the Hiyu can only use 1/3 of her deck space for overheight vehicles.

Technically that's true, but her lanes are very narrow, making it difficult to accommodate more than a single lane of oversize/overheight vehicles down the center. Observe:
www.pbase.com/bswanplsbo/image/106245416

I am curious, however, as to what the yields are for vehicle traffic between Southworth and Vashon. Are there really that many commercial and overheights going between those two points? It seems to me, anytime I have travelled through there, that most of the traffic is going between Southworth and Fauntleroy, and between Vashon and Fauntleroy. It could be that Hiyu might work out OK between Vashon and Southworth, especially with a larger vessel at the south end of the island, and improved service to Seattle on the north end of the island.

[Barnacle]

Feb 12, 2009 12:51:08 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

Feb 12, 2009 11:37:51 GMT -8 Nick said:

The issue is that only 2 lanes on the ship are capable of carrying overheights, so the Hiyu can only use 1/3 of her deck space for overheight vehicles.

Technically that's true, but her lanes are very narrow, making it difficult to accommodate more than a single lane of oversize/overheight vehicles down the center. Observe:
www.pbase.com/bswanplsbo/image/106245416

I am curious, however, as to what the yields are for vehicle traffic between Southworth and Vashon. Are there really that many commercial and overheights going between those two points? It seems to me, anytime I have travelled through there, that most of the traffic is going between Southworth and Fauntleroy, and between Vashon and Fauntleroy. It could be that Hiyu might work out OK between Vashon and Southworth, especially with a larger vessel at the south end of the island, and improved service to Seattle on the north end of the island.

Thanks. I was just about to mention that point. Two overheight semi's are very tough to fit side-by-side on the Hiyu. The drivers have to be really sharp and get in there perfectly straight, and I'm still not sure it's possible. It has been nearly twelve years since I worked on the Hiyu and we didn't haul any semis that day that I recall.

And that having been said, it's been eight years since I've worked down at F/V/S, so I've no idea what the traffic flow looks like down there. Even though I am a seasoned veteran of the San Juan Islands, loading on the Triangle Route completely flummoxes me.

[SS Shasta]

Anything wrong with MV Hyak? She is listed as being in service on the Seattle/Bremerton route according to the WSF maintenance schedule. MV Kitsap is running in her place.

[FNS]

Dec 30, 2009 11:45:56 GMT -8 SS Shasta said:

Anything wrong with MV Hyak? She is listed as being in service on the Seattle/Bremerton route according to the WSF maintenance schedule. MV Kitsap is running in her place.

Has the HYAK been grounded by a board of health due to her horrifically rusting Main Deck curtain plates?