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Post by Barnacle on Aug 11, 2011 4:51:47 GMT -8
How about get the Hiyu back up there, she is a backup boat is she not? Good grief. I can't recall for certain, but the Hiyu may have restrictions against traveling across traffic lanes, or possibly a distance-off-shore restriction like the Rhody. Otherwise we'd probably have seen her out there at some point, if only in desperation. Either way, on the first strong ebb tide the Hiyu would probably end up out at Neah Bay. ;D |
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Aug 11, 2011 7:57:09 GMT -8
How about get the Hiyu back up there, she is a backup boat is she not? Good grief. I can't recall for certain, but the Hiyu may have restrictions against traveling across traffic lanes, or possibly a distance-off-shore restriction like the Rhody. Otherwise we'd probably have seen her out there at some point, if only in desperation. Either way, on the first strong ebb tide the Hiyu would probably end up out at Neah Bay. ;D Or, in Hawaii where her sister is. ;D |
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Post by zargoman on Aug 11, 2011 8:08:57 GMT -8
The Hiyu and Rhody have a one mile restriction...The Chetz is in the #2 spot for right now. Have they even looked into trying an Evergreen boat at Port Townsend? I'm not really sure what the low tide depth is at Keystone.
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Post by rusty on Aug 11, 2011 9:49:53 GMT -8
Any potential replacement vessel from within WSF's fleet was thoroughly vetted in late 2006. Nothing would work, hence the arrival of the Steilacoom II.
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lifc
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Post by lifc on Aug 11, 2011 14:04:34 GMT -8
They seem to have patched the cooler,why not use the boat till after Labor day and then take it in. If the patch fails in that tenure, OK, well at least they got some more days of hauling vehicles, collecting fares and maintaining the traffic to Port Townsend. If it wasn't up against labor day the State might be able to get the STII back for a week or so., 54 cars is better than zero
As usual, another mess.
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Post by EGfleet on Aug 11, 2011 15:21:40 GMT -8
They seem to have patched the cooler,why not use the boat till after Labor day and then take it in. If the patch fails in that tenure, OK, well at least they got some more days of hauling vehicles, collecting fares and maintaining the traffic to Port Townsend. If it wasn't up against labor day the State might be able to get the STII back for a week or so., 54 cars is better than zero As usual, another mess. I seem to recall that all the extra safety equipment that was added to the Steilacoom II was taken off, per Pierce County's request, when the ferry was returned to them. That would likely make her ineligible to work the route again. |
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Aug 11, 2011 15:46:48 GMT -8
They seem to have patched the cooler,why not use the boat till after Labor day and then take it in. If the patch fails in that tenure, OK, well at least they got some more days of hauling vehicles, collecting fares and maintaining the traffic to Port Townsend. If it wasn't up against labor day the State might be able to get the STII back for a week or so., 54 cars is better than zero As usual, another mess. I seem to recall that all the extra safety equipment that was added to the Steilacoom II was taken off, per Pierce County's request, when the ferry was returned to them. That would likely make her ineligible to work the route again. This just underlines the inefficiency of having separate operators for car ferries in the same region. Pierce County has two boats, one of which is always sitting idle, while WSF would be well served by having the Steilacoom II always equipped to fill in, if need be, as well as filling in on the Anderson/Ketron route. |
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Aug 11, 2011 19:55:41 GMT -8
They seem to have patched the cooler,why not use the boat till after Labor day and then take it in. If the patch fails in that tenure, OK, well at least they got some more days of hauling vehicles, collecting fares and maintaining the traffic to Port Townsend. If it wasn't up against labor day the State might be able to get the STII back for a week or so., 54 cars is better than zero As usual, another mess. I seem to recall that all the extra safety equipment that was added to the Steilacoom II was taken off, per Pierce County's request, when the ferry was returned to them. That would likely make her ineligible to work the route again. PCF sure didn't do a good thing as they didn't retain the liferafts WSF installed aboard the STEILACOOM II. I think the CHRISTINE ANDERSON has two, ST2 has NONE now (and as originally set up). The ST2 is like a "TITANIC" of today with only flotation vests aboard and one rescue boat. I felt a little safe aboard the ST2 on the Keystone run with those three liferafts placed on her Saloon Deck. Much safer aboard a KDT with four 190-passenger rafts and two MES stations. I'm pretty surprised that the Coast Guard would even allow the ST2 to run without liferafts. |
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Post by rusty on Aug 11, 2011 20:50:30 GMT -8
The St2 was built under less rigrous standards, which, IIRC, was sub-chapter K. The designers used all sort of tricks to have a boat under 100 tons. That classification allows a boat to be constructed and operated with limited safety equipment.
The lack of life rafts on the St2 is stupid and foolish, but legal.
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lifc
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Post by lifc on Aug 12, 2011 7:49:34 GMT -8
During the time when the Governor was trying give the WSF to the Counties, they asked PC to consider backing up the Point Defiance run. The response from the PC ferry users was quite negative, they didn't want to revisit the loss of the spare ferry for 3 years, so it didn't happen. I do know that his is also PC's busiest season, they will likely have both boats on the run for part of several days around Labor day. Right now it is likely the ST2 is in first position on the run, as it will carry a few more cars than the Anderson, likely around 60 as they are able to park cars closer to the ends than the State is allowed on the Keystone run. Several times the State got 57 cars on the ST2 with the, with the open deck ends. The Anderson's record is 59 cars, parked the ends. I have not heard what they are getting on the ST2.
I cannot imagine that it would take too long to put a set of rafts on the ST2, -a couple of hours???
If the Chetz has to go in, take it to Dakota Creek immediately after the last run, pay them the extra it takes to pull it out and work on it at night, get it back sometime the next day. Since the route is doing well, it would pay to not lose the extra revenue.
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Post by rusty on Aug 12, 2011 8:20:30 GMT -8
It should be a quick drydocking, and could be two days or so off the run. I remember when the Kittitas went up to Vancouver for a drydocking that was to be for a couple of days. It took about 3 weeks, and at that, they didn't even fix the root problem. That won't happen with the Chetzemoka, but it would be interesting to see any scrapes that might be on the hull.
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Aug 23, 2011 9:38:50 GMT -8
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Aug 23, 2011 12:00:41 GMT -8
The CHETZEMOKA is in Anacortes and is again on the move. This time to the yard.  The first sighting of a "CHETZEMOKA" in Anacortes, perhaps, since the 1960s. The HYAK was in the west slip.  On the move to the yard. |
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Aug 23, 2011 12:37:42 GMT -8
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Aug 23, 2011 21:33:59 GMT -8
 MV GUEMES departs for her namesake island. ENDThat is one gigantic dock elevator structure for such a little, little ferry that uses it ;D. |
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Aug 23, 2011 22:38:00 GMT -8
MV GUEMES departs for her namesake island. ENDThat is one gigantic dock elevator structure for such a little, little ferry that uses it ;D. Quite large indeed! ;D They have that one rigged nicely for the tides we get. One ferry fan after another can get hooked onto this camera site. You can watch the ferry come and go. Unload and load. Watch the footies come and go as well. Day and night. Nice hot sunny days in one season and good old fashioned blizzards in another. Refreshes every fifteen or so seconds. You just press "F5" to get a new picture. Very nice camera to view ferries being moved to the Dakota Creek Yard, too! We have the people of Skagit County to thank for in setting up this webcam for us ferry geeks to enjoy. www.skagitcounty.net/PublicWorksFerry/Images/ferrycam.jpgMeanwhile, the SALISH has a chance in running the PTD-KHC run all by herself for a little bit. The "boss" of the run will be back sooner than you think and will reclaim the Number One schedule assignment, once again. The SALISH will, however, get this run by herself again when the CHETZY goes in for her first maintenance break. |
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Aug 24, 2011 10:18:50 GMT -8
www.marinelink.com/news/chetzemoka-weekends340060.aspx
Chetzemoka Stays in Service During Busy Summer WeekendsVessel will go to drydock for repairs mid-week. PORT TOWNSEND – The Port Townsend and Whidbey Island communities have been seeing record-breaking numbers of tourists as vacationers take advantage of the last few weekends of summer. To help accommodate another influx of tourists expected this weekend, Washington State Ferries (WSF) is scheduling needed repairs to the Chetzemoka for mid-week. WSF has been running the Chetzemoka after temporary repairs were made to the vessel last week, but yesterday a custom-manufactured part arrived from Wisconsin and the vessel has been scheduled for drydock. “Our goal is to stay at full capacity on this route, so we are scheduling the repair to the Chetzemoka mid-week to accommodate weekend travelers,” said George Capacci, WSF deputy chief of operations and construction. Commuters and travelers planning to take the Port Townsend/Coupeville ferry next week should plan ahead for a modified schedule and reduced capacity on the route. WSF will reduce the route to one-boat service Tuesday, Aug. 23, through Thursday, Aug. 25, while shipyard workers permanently repair the Chetzemoka. The 64-car Salish will provide one-boat, 15-hour-a-day service Tuesday, Aug. 23, through Thursday, Aug. 25 (6:30 a.m. out of Port Townsend to 9:15 p.m. out of Coupeville). The goal is to have the Chetzemoka back in service as the #1 vessel on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route on Friday morning, Aug. 26. WSF strongly recommends that customers make reservations for travel on the route during the three-day period of reduced capacity. Travelers can make reservations online or by calling 511. On Aug. 9, the Chetzemoka was removed from service for the day due to a leaking keel cooler, a component on the vessel’s hull that cools fresh water from the diesel engines so systems don’t overheat. The U.S. Coast Guard approved a temporary fix and the Chetzemoka returned to service Aug. 10. A replacement keel cooler was manufactured and shipped from Wisconsin, arriving Thursday, Aug. 18. It will take three days (including transit to and from Dakota Creek Industries shipyard in Anacortes) to install the replacement.
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Post by zargoman on Aug 25, 2011 9:51:19 GMT -8
I've sure been busy lately. The Salish has been filling up on every trip and managed to get 45 minutes behind yesterday. We better get the Chetz back tomorrow. People either don't know about the one boat service or think it wont be too busy. There have been quite a few people that have had 2.5-3 hour waits at Keystone. A lot more people with reservations are showing up than normal, leaving not much standby space. The one thing that I've kept in mind, especially when people get real mad, is that there is nothing that can be done whatsoever to make it go faster. Patience and understanding have been super helpful.
The Chetz and Salish seem to have some super reliability issues with the elevators. They are breaking every other week it seems. The service elevator was broken on the Salish, then the passenger elevator went out. The Chetzemoka's passenger elevator is good at breaking too...Couldn't they have used the same kind as they did on the Supers and Jumbos? They seem to work really well. And are faster.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Aug 25, 2011 9:55:27 GMT -8
How much reservable space is there on the Port Townsend route??? Is it like the Coho where all vehicle space is reservable?? I think it should be reduced like BC Ferries when you have to pay exta to make a resevation which is mandatory to travel. I know you dont pay extra on the Port Townsend route but on the Coho you do. Would be nice if they had more standby space on the Coho for people who dont want to pay extra for a reservation. I dont know how the Sidney to Anacortes ferry works though but I think you have to pay extra too for a needed reservation!
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Post by zargoman on Aug 25, 2011 11:29:14 GMT -8
It's 70% of the boat, which amounts to 45 spaces. Anything 20' or under will take up one space, even if it's a motorcycle. Anything that's over 20' will be given multiple spaces.
We have 20-70% of reservations actually show on a normal day. The last couple of days, there's been about 80-90% showing up. I would like to see reservations that required a deposit towards the fare. Not an extra fee for a reservation, just an amount that will be applied towards the fare when travelling.
We need something that will stop people from making reservations for 3 or 4 trips b/c they dont know when they are coming. It is really hard right now because the reservations are free and there is no penalty for missing them. On busy days, I cannot give an accurate prediction of when somebody will get on that does not have a reservation. It's just frustrating because anywhere else, you can say "oh, it's going to be an X boat wait". The way I have to do it right now is "it could be the next boat or it could be 3 boats from now". Oh well, nothing that I can do to change it.
I have not had experience at Anacortes, but I think that their system makes people pay a deposit on the fare to Sidney with no extra reservation fee. I would love to see the exact same thing extended to Port Townsend/Keystone.
Okay...I'm done ranting for now =)
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Aug 25, 2011 16:48:50 GMT -8
Just turned on the trackers as I arrived home and the CHETZEMOKA is on her way back to Port Townsend. She's off Burrows Bay at this time at 1748PDT. When she gets closer to Port Townsend, she could be seen at: www.ptguide.com/photo-a-video-tourTwo boat service returns to Port Townsend/Coupeville on FridayDate: Thursday, August 25, 2011Contact: Joy Goldenberg, WSF CommunicationsPORT TOWNSEND – Full service will resume Friday on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route when the 64-car Chetzemoka returns to service for the noon sailing from Port Townsend. The vessel was pulled from service Tuesday so shipyard craftsmen could install a new keel cooler. “We met our goal to get the Chetzemoka back into service for the busy weekend,” said Assistant Secretary David Moseley. “It couldn’t have been accomplished without the hard work of ferry and shipyard employees. I also want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding.” The Chetzemoka was towed on Tuesday to Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes for drydocking. The repairs were made Wednesday, and following successful testing of the keel cooler systems, the Chetzemoka was put back into the water late Thursday afternoon. The ferry will be towed to the Anacortes ferry terminal where it will meet its crew and then make its way to Port Townsend under its own power. On Aug. 9, the Chetzemoka was removed from service for the day due to a leaking keel cooler, a component attached to the vessel’s hull that cools fresh water from the diesel engines so cooling systems stay within designed temperatures. The U.S. Coast Guard approved a temporary fix and the Chetzemoka returned to service Aug. 10. A replacement keel cooler was manufactured and shipped from Wisconsin, arriving Thursday, Aug. 18. WSF is in the process of investigating what caused the keel cooler to develop a leak and should have more information in approximately two weeks. www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2011/08/25_Chetzemoka.htm The SALISH makes one of her last solo trips on the run to Keystone Harbor. Shortly, the "boss of the route" will be within view again. |
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Aug 25, 2011 19:54:17 GMT -8
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 26, 2011 21:02:51 GMT -8
It's 70% of the boat, which amounts to 45 spaces. Anything 20' or under will take up one space, even if it's a motorcycle. Anything that's over 20' will be given multiple spaces. We have 20-70% of reservations actually show on a normal day. The last couple of days, there's been about 80-90% showing up. I was one of those 80-90% on Thursday. We made reservations on the 11:15 PT-KEY sailing, and yes, we actually showed up. They got a fair number of the standby's on, and were pretty creative about getting the last truck on. I actually have pictures of that one because of the way they shoe-horned him in, and then they had to get the owner of another vehicle back down to the car deck after we departed, so they could move that last vehicle (the truck) off the hatch. It was quite entertaining to watch. |
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 27, 2011 11:16:23 GMT -8
A couple of photos of Chetzemoka at Dakota Creek in Anacortes, taken Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, I did not get a realy good view of her. They had her on the farthest out drydock.   |
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Post by zargoman on Aug 27, 2011 20:41:16 GMT -8
I have seen things like that happen before. They had to get the driver of one of the 75' trucks back because they took up 2 lanes. It took up an extra 10 minutes that nobody had, but they ended up getting more spaces out of the load. I think it was on Wednesday, or Friday...I can't remember. The days are all mixing up together.
I'd like to see what the keel cooler damage looks like. I'm told that somebody could stick their finger in the hole.
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