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Post by SS San Mateo on Jul 26, 2007 11:31:56 GMT -8
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 26, 2007 13:21:39 GMT -8
There is a great website with more information than a person would ever want about the Lummi Island ferry at www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publicworks/ferry/index.jsp. Pretty good information for such a small operation, and it includes a link to design plans for the proposed new ferry.
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Post by Barnacle on Jul 26, 2007 22:09:06 GMT -8
I'm mildly surprised they didn't pick up the old Hiyu from WSF for a million or so... of course, it may no longer be on the table... ;D
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Post by BreannaF on Apr 15, 2008 23:14:07 GMT -8
It looks like there won't be a replacement for the Whatcom Chief anytime soon -- a renovation looks likely instead: ================================================= www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/382032.htmlLummi Islanders won’t get new ferryCouncil opts for renovations to Whatcom Chief SAM TAYLOR A new Lummi Island ferry will not be built. Whatcom County Council members voted 5-2 Tuesday to keep the Whatcom Chief. The county will ask the state to change an $8.15 million grant award to $6 million for renovations to the 20-car Whatcom Chief and ferry docks. Councilmen Sam Crawford and Ward Nelson were in the minority and supported constructing a new vessel. Council members who voted against a new ferry expressed concerns about significant increases in operating costs for a new 35-car ferry, which would have been about $800,000 more per year, Councilman Carl Weimer cited information provided by the Public Works Department. They also said they believed the current ferry, with proper annual maintenance, would remain a sound and safe vessel. A naval architect who has inspected the Whatcom Chief every three years for the better part of the last decade told the council Tuesday that the hull would likely last as long as the ferry was needed, and that many of the boat’s other parts had been upgraded and would work fine. Despite that, Nelson said he supported a new ferry because he was concerned about safety of passengers, and that the county would be liable if something happened. County Council members have been trying to decide whether to construct a new ferry for years, and about a year and a half ago the county had been awarded the grant from the state County Road Administration Board. The money would have been paid in annual installments of about $405,000 over 20 years to pay off what would have been an $11.5 million bond for a new ferry. But Councilwoman Laurie Caskey-Schreiber said the increased operating costs were just too much, and that increasing fuel prices meant ferry fares would likely increase significantly. She said many people were concerned about the ticket price increases approved by the council earlier this month, and some of those people would be priced off the island if a new vessel were constructed. “In today’s uncertainty regarding our dependence on fuel I am really, really leery of taking this small population of citizens down that road,” she said. “I think it would forever change the community out there.”
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Post by SS Shasta on Apr 16, 2008 6:33:17 GMT -8
It looks like there won't be a replacement for the Whatcom Chief anytime soon -- a renovation looks likely instead: ================================================= www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/382032.htmlLummi Islanders won’t get new ferryLikely a good idea. Here in Alaska the newer AMHS vessels are in lay-up for most of the winter because of their high operating costs. The old "Blue Canoes" stay active for most of the year with time outs for annual maintenance/repairs.
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Post by EGfleet on Oct 3, 2009 14:17:04 GMT -8
Tribe: Lummi Island ferry must move
Story Updated: Oct 3, 2009 at 1:22 PM PDT By Associated Press BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) - Ferry service to Lummi Island could see big changes if the Lummi Nation moves forward with ambitious plans to redevelop land for habitat and moorage.
A new lease being negotiated between the tribe and Whatcom County could lead to higher fares on the only public transportation between the small island and mainland Whatcom County.
But the tribe's plans would also require a new location for the mainland ferry dock eventually, according to Whatcom County public works director Frank Abart. The mainland dock, at Gooseberry Point, is on tribal land.
The tribe is not commenting at length about its plans, but a draft summary provided to the county indicates the tribe is planning a $21 million project that would provide a sheltered moorage area by constructing artificial islands offshore, instead of a traditional breakwater.
The artificial islands would provide calm water for pleasure boats and the tribal fishing fleet, and provide habitat for birds and fish while protecting the shoreline from storm surges.
The draft summary says the tribe would like to begin the project soon enough to qualify for federal stimulus money. The plans also have tribal council approval.
"They want to do things with their property, and I can't begrudge them that," Abart told The Bellingham Herald.
Abart expects to have a new five-year lease agreement for the current ferry dock in place well before the county's existing 25-year-lease with the tribe expires Feb. 14, 2010. That extension would give the county and tribe time to find a new site for the mainland ferry dock.
"My goal is to have this moved out and even agreed upon by both entities by the end of this year," Abart said. "We're getting pretty close."
How much the new lease will cost the county is still being determined. The county compensated the tribe with a land transfer when the current 25-year deal was struck, and the county has paid no cash to the tribe for the lease since then.
Abart said the tribe is seeking a $300,000 payment for the five-year extension, plus a still-to-be-determined "treaty fishing rights fee" for each ferry trip.
Ferry users could expect to pay a portion of any added cost, since by ordinance fares are required to cover at least 55 percent of the county's ferry expense. The rest comes from county road funds.
A new dock would be expensive, but precise figures won't be available until a site and designed is agreed upon.
The ferry is the only way to get to Lummi Island, other than by private boat. In 2008, the Whatcom Chief made 12,626 trips.
The eventual need for a new mainland ferry dock site first surfaced in 2006, when the tribe obtained a $50,000 grant from the Washington Community Economic Revitalization Board to study the feasibility of a new marina at Gooseberry Point.
Polly Hanson, who operates the West Shore Farm bed and breakfast on the island, said the likely changes in the ferry system will have side effects for island residents. Moving the ferry dock would mean longer trips, and those trips can already be a bit dangerous in fierce winter weather.
Hanson's also concerned that if added costs increase fares, it will become increasingly difficult for lower-income island residents to remain there.
"It will become a refuge for the incredibly rich," she said.
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Rhody
Chief Steward
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Post by Rhody on May 29, 2010 22:02:54 GMT -8
MV Whatchom Chief
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lifc
Voyager
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Post by lifc on Jun 8, 2010 9:43:14 GMT -8
This AM the Whatcom Chief has appeared to have sprung a leak and is out of service. At the moment, this is all we know. Will post more information as it becomes available.
Jim
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jun 8, 2010 11:10:04 GMT -8
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lifc
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Post by lifc on Jun 8, 2010 11:50:25 GMT -8
I went over there and the crew says it has a hole in one of the stern tubes. They are having trouble finding a yard to get it into, my guess is it likely will be out of service for about three weeks. Usually my car is on the other side, I walk across and drive my truck on the Island, but, I brought the car home on Sunday, and didn't go to town yesterday, I'm stuck.
I'm going to suggest to the County that they try to borrow the Guemes from Skagit County to make a few runs in the late evening to get the vehicles, including at least two fuel trucks, off here . Another option would be to get the State to bring in the Hiyu for a few runs. It would have to go to Fairhaven, as the Gooseberry Dock is not wide enough.
This shows a wonderful lack of planning from the County. I have been predicting this for some time, afterall, the boats only 48 years old.
Jim
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FNS
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The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
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Post by FNS on Jun 8, 2010 12:41:15 GMT -8
I went over there and the crew says it has a hole in one of the stern tubes. They are having trouble finding a yard to get it into, my guess is it likely will be out of service for about three weeks. Usually my car is on the other side, I walk across and drive my truck on the Island, but, I brought the car home on Sunday, and didn't go to town yesterday, I'm stuck. I'm going to suggest to the County that they try to borrow the Guemes from Skagit County to make a few runs in the late evening to get the vehicles, including at least two fuel trucks, off here . Another option would be to get the State to bring in the Hiyu for a few runs. It would have to go to Fairhaven, as the Gooseberry Dock is not wide enough. This shows a wonderful lack of planning from the County. I have been predicting this for some time, afterall, the boats only 48 years old. Jim Before the 162-foot MV HIYU comes your way, if she does, your ferry operator will need to measure the distance between the side dolphins (from side to side). The HIYU is 63 feet wide. They will also need to check the water depth at your docks as her draft is 11.25 feet. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Ferries/yourwsf/ourfleet/Hiyu.htm
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lifc
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Post by lifc on Jun 8, 2010 13:33:32 GMT -8
By my estimation, it will fit the Island Dock, just barely, as it the slip was widened last year, of course, this would have to be comfirmed by the County's dock plan. The Hiyu could work here in most tidal conditions, so it would only be restricted at very low water.
Now there appears to be some kind of plan to do an on-the-water patch and a compelete stern tube change when it goes into drydock in September. We'll see.
Jim
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Post by Barnacle on Jun 8, 2010 15:23:34 GMT -8
I don't recall anyone on Lummi being neighborly and offering the use of the Whatcom Chief during the Guemes' service outages. The people on Guemes just suck it up.
The Hiyu might be available for lease, but it would have to come with our crews.
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lifc
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Post by lifc on Jun 8, 2010 22:13:53 GMT -8
I don't think anyone from Skagit ever ask us. Also the Lummi Ferry runs almost continuously, and as you know, no one has a spare boat.
I thought of the Guemes, because, it quits running at 8:30 and we might be able to use it in the late evening for a couple of hours and not impact their normal schedule. The Hiyu would be my second choice, we just need to get these cars off and allow the Islanders a bit of time to prepare and adjust.
This is why I have endeavored to start the Inter-County Ferry Association, so events like this can be handled without a problem. It looks to me that our County has no other response to this other than getting a passenger boat which they thankfully have.
The word out here is that all the yards are too busy to get the boat out and fixed, so I called Matt Nicholls, he said he could. I tried all day to get a hold of the County Public Works people to tell them about it, and didn't get a call back,
Then my neighbor Mark took me across the pass with his sport boat, loaned me his car and I went to the County Council Meeting and laid all this out. The Council looked like a deer-in-the-headlights, now everyone knows.
At least I try.
Jim.
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Rhody
Chief Steward
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Post by Rhody on Jun 9, 2010 21:10:10 GMT -8
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Post by EGfleet on Jun 11, 2010 4:39:14 GMT -8
Stranded Lummi vehicles reach AnacortesAnacortes American June 10, 2010 - 03:00 PM Elaine Walker Dan Crookes guides the first of nine vehicles off his work boat San Juan Enterprise onto land at Anacortes June 9. The cars were stuck on Lummi Island after its ferry was pulled out of service for emergency repairs June 8. Ferry service to Lummi Island was shut down unexpectedly on Tuesday, ruining some people’s travel plans. But nine vehicles stuck on the island reached the mainland, thanks to Dan Crookes and his work boat, San Juan Enterprise.The narrow, tightly packed vessel deposited cars and passengers ashore at Wyman’s Marina in Anacortes at about 2 p.m. Wednesday. Crookes said the San Juan Enterprise was scheduled to return to Lummi Island for another run that night, after finishing regular deliveries. The Whatcom Chief Ferry suspended service to Lummi Island after a small hole was found in the stern tube in the propeller shaft, according to a press release from Joe Bates, a Whatcom County employee. Bates expected it would take up to two weeks to complete repairs. While residents of islands such as Lummi or Guemes are accustomed to making do with passenger-only service, typically they have advance warning, Crookes said. This time islanders were not able to make other plans. www.goskagit.com/home/article/stranded_lummi_vehicles_reach_anacortes/
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lifc
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Post by lifc on Jun 11, 2010 5:48:08 GMT -8
It has been kind of frusterating out here. First, there has been a lack of communication between the Islanders and the County, many rumors. First it was heard that there were no immediate openings in any shipyards to get it pulled out, I got a hold of Nicholls, they could pull it with only a few hours notice, took a day to get the County to acknowledge. Then we heard that they were trying to get a used Vessel out of Canada--- hmm, what about the Jones Act?. Then, finally it was revealed that the were trying to get a Coast Guard approved patch on the stern tube. We ought to know today if it can happen, the idea is to put it back into service for a short time and allow the Islanders to move vehicles about and then send it in for an early annual drydock.
Captain Dan has taken two loads off the Island from Mark Cross's boat lauch ramp. Yesterday, Aggregates West took a much larger load off with their gravel barge from their quarry dock in Smugger's Cove to Bellingham, cost was 150.00 each with the proceeds donated to the Island's Boy's and Girl's Club. I had made it into town on the bus and drove my frind Bill's truck off the barge and picked him up from the bus with it.
Later, Bill and I had a completely unplanned conversation with our County Executive Pete Kremen last night in the Fred Meyer parking lot. Pete confirmed the "tube patch". That it was time to get a new or newer Ferry, and the Ferry Dock negotiations with the Lummi Indians were not going as well as he'd like. As Bill and I part of the local Island Citizens Ferry group, we offered a few ideas and we all went on our way. We found out more information from our parking lot meeting than all the official ones we have been attending for months.
Jim
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Kam
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Post by Kam on Jun 11, 2010 6:20:56 GMT -8
Then we heard that they were trying to get a used Vessel out of Canada--- hmm, what about the Jones Act?. Ahhh... the Jones act again... The Albion ferries would be perfect for the Lummi run.
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lifc
Voyager
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Post by lifc on Jun 11, 2010 8:32:26 GMT -8
The Hales Pass crossing to Lummi can get real nasty at times especially in the winter Northeast and Southeast storms. The Albion Ferries remind me of the Guemes with less freeboard and less cabin space, I also do not think they are large enough for future expansion. Don't they have Z type out drives?
The Whatcom Chief is a real ship, very strongly built, above average freeboard, and has lots of passenger space. It's just 48 years old and has had the stuffing run out of it, especially for the last 20 years. It makes 39 trips on an average day, more in season, it's just too old, worn out, and too small. It looks to me that we have the beginnings of metal fatigue setting in, it is just not worth dumping many, many dollars into it to keep it in full operation. It ought to be repaired and kept in reserve and shared with our neighboring Counties when it is needed during dry-docks and emergencies. Even San Juan County has expressed interest in keeping it in reserve to use to move their Public Works equipment around and in emergencies when the State Inter-Island is not available. It will also carry passengers quite well in passenger only situations.
My take is that we need a Ferry the size of the Pierce County Ferries. In 1994, our Ferry Captain, Bill Hawley, wanted to join Pierce County and build not one, but two of what became their Christine Anderson. If we are able to somehow establish an Inter-County Ferry Group, perhaps we might be able to get one of theirs and they get a new larger version which they need, just my idea.
As for the Jones Act, I know the Coast Guard would permit the WSF using an ex-BC Ferry on the Anacortes/Sidney route, but would not allow it to land on the San Juans on the way. The only exemption to the Act I have ever heard of was when the Alaska Marine Highway was established. There were no appropriate U.S. built Vessels available, so they got an exemption for the Wickersham with the requirement that it be retired as soon as new ones were built. I believe it takes an act of Congress to get an exemption. If the Whatcom Chief comes out of it's yearly inspection with a conditional replace and retire as soon as a new Vessel is procured, one of the Albion’s would be a good reserve boat, too bad we can't use one.
Jim
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Post by Barnacle on Jun 11, 2010 15:25:08 GMT -8
We found out more information from our parking lot meeting than all the official ones we have been attending for months. As is, alas, typical. I find out more about what's going on with WSF when I bump into FAC members, Trans. Commission members, and our local State Senator than I ever seem to hear out of the office. But that's politics, and probably doesn't have a huge place on a fan board.
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lifc
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Post by lifc on Jun 11, 2010 17:28:39 GMT -8
If this Board had not been here, I would not have learned near as much about Ferry operations as I have, thank you all. As far as for politics, unfortumately, they are just there, yes, one does learn things in the oddest places. I'm just an observer, I don't make it up. just report it. Remember, I am a Ferry rider, and not a provider so I may take a different view. I like riding Ferries, hope to go on a Sound-wide Ferry tour one of these days. If it hadn't been for this board and only listened to the radio like so many do, I would not know the details about the Steel Electric's retirements, or the engineering on the new 64's or what it requires on the Anacortes/Sidney run. Politics. just the way it is.
The latest on the Chief is that they have the patch done, approved and have to put in bilge alarms so it can go back to work through the Forth of July weekend. Then it goes into the yard for stern tube(s) replacement and hopefully to complete the yearly drydock. However, it won't be back on the run until 10 PM on Sunday Night! The email was sent out at 4:22 PM today (Friday), just before quiting time at the County, hmm. I cannot see how putting in bilge alarms would take more than a few hours, makes one wonder.
Hey you Canadians, do both the Albion's have out-drives?
Jim
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Jun 11, 2010 18:19:17 GMT -8
If this Board had not been here, I would not have learned near as much about Ferry operations as I have, thank you all. As far as for politics, unfortumately, they are just there, yes, one does learn things in the oddest places. I'm just an observer, I don't make it up. just report it. Remember, I am a Ferry rider, and not a provider so I may take a different view. I like riding Ferries, hope to go on a Sound-wide Ferry tour one of these days. If it hadn't been for this board and only listened to the radio like so many do, I would not know the details about the Steel Electric's retirements, or the engineering on the new 64's or what it requires on the Anacortes/Sidney run. Politics. just the way it is. The latest on the Chief is that they have the patch done, approved and have to put in bilge alarms so it can go back to work through the Forth of July weekend. Then it goes into the yard for stern tube(s) replacement and hopefully to complete the yearly drydock. However, it won't be back on the run until 10 PM on Sunday Night! The email was sent out at 4:22 PM today (Friday), just before quiting time at the County, hmm. I cannot see how putting in bilge alarms would take more than a few hours, makes one wonder. Hey you Canadians, do both the Albion's have out-drives? Jim That's conditionally good news. I guess that they'll keep watching the hull of the WHATCOM CHIEF like a hawk for a while. www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publicworks/pdf/Backinservicetemp61110.pdfThis forum is a really great "home" for us ferry fans. Lots of ideas to share. Mr. Brinkmann et al have done well with the building coverage of new Flensburger ferries and Mr. Keenleyside and I had a real good time with the coverage of their voyages to BC as well as the departing Pacificats from Burrard Inlet to the Persian Gulf. And, then, there is our neat coverage of the new ferries being built and completed for WSF. There are so many things that are offered on this forum. I found this forum in my quest for action information and discussion during the trial and tribulation just after the sinking of the QUEEN OF THE NORTH and possible successors. This is a great forum!
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Mirrlees
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Post by Mirrlees on Jun 11, 2010 21:11:11 GMT -8
In response to your quote, Jim about both Albion ferries having RAD's (right-angle drives). Yes they do, one at each end on opposite sides of the hull.
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lifc
Voyager
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Post by lifc on Jun 11, 2010 21:21:08 GMT -8
I was not sure of it, I know at one time, one had a standard prop system. Thanks for the reply.
I also agree with FNS, this is a great forum!
Jim
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Post by Barnacle on Jun 12, 2010 3:54:10 GMT -8
I cannot see how putting in bilge alarms would take more than a few hours, makes one wonder. Well, consider where it has to go on the vessel, and how difficult it is to access that location. Also consider that it can't exactly be a battery-powered radio transmitting unit. After all, if it's tough to get at, it's tough to change the batteries... and you never know when they quit. Plus, transmitting through all that steel? You might as well try to change the channel on yout TV from three houses down the road. Further, any wiring that has to be run will inevitably have to go through steel somewhere. Drilling for that takes time, and if it has to go through a watertight division (i.e. main deck), the watertight integrity must be re-checked and approved by USCG or whomever before allowing the vessel back into service. So, no, not a twenty-minute job.
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