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Post by SS San Mateo on Apr 18, 2010 9:09:22 GMT -8
They've dropped the price a little. End result is the same... no bids.
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Post by Barnacle on Apr 22, 2010 10:00:11 GMT -8
Can anyone provide some fact to the rumor that the Chinook was to be headed for Everett for some form of work--i.e., disappearance from Eagle Harbor?
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 22, 2010 10:55:16 GMT -8
Can anyone provide some fact to the rumor that the Chinook was to be headed for Everett for some form of work--i.e., disappearance from Eagle Harbor? I haven't been paying much attention to Eagle Harbor lately, but I'll take a look on my commute home tonight.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2010 14:12:41 GMT -8
I found this on the Golden Gate Transportation website: CONTRACT AWARD FOR REFURBISHMENT OF TWO GOLDEN GATE FERRY VESSELS — M.V. NAPA & M.V. CHINOOK On Friday, March 26, 2010, the Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District’s (District) authorized a contract for Refurbishment of the M.V. Napa and the M.V. Chinook Ferries, as follows: 1. Authorize the award of Contract No. 2010-FT-1 to Ice Floe, LLC, dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, in the amount of $6,910,536, for the refurbishment and repowering of the M.V. Napa and the M.V. Chinook; 2. Authorize a contract contingency budget of $414,632 or 6% of the total contract amount, to cover unanticipated items that may be discovered once work commences, and authorize payment of up to $200,000 for reimbursement of vessel delivery costs consistent with the Invitation for Bid (IFB), and potential sales tax estimated at approximately $200,000; and, 3. Authorize the General Manager to approve change orders to Contract No. 2010-FT-1, up to the maximum of the available contract contingency, with the understanding that any individual change order exceeding $100,000 requires the concurrence of the President of the Board and the Building and Operating Committee Chair. Four bids were received. The lowest bid was received from Ice Floe, LLC, dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB), Freeland, WA in the amount of $6,910,536 which was $3,063,649 lower than the next lowest bid from Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, WA. The lowest bid was determined by District staff to be both responsible and responsive to the IFB requirements. The contract includes refurbishment and repower (new engines) of the two vessels, using engines, other propulsion-system components, and furnishings already purchased separately by the District. The first vessel, the M.V. Chinook, will be delivered by NBBB to their shipyard as soon after the award of the contract as weather will permit. Work on the M.V. Napa will commence when work on the first vessel is complete. The contract is estimated to take approximately six months per vessel and a little over a year in total. The District purchased two vessels, the M.V. Chinook and the M.V. Snohomish (now M.V. Napa), from Washington State Ferries in January 2009. The engines purchased for these two vessels will have emissions that are 20% cleaner than the Tier 2 marine engine required to be installed. Additionally, the District, in partnership with MTU/Detroit Diesel will be conducting a bio-diesel pilot project that is still under development and the cost is not included in this contract award request. In addition to new propulsion systems, the interiors and exteriors of the vessels will be fully refurbished to like-new condition. Budget The project budget $23,410,000 and is funded with $8,566,469 ARRA (economic stimulus) funds, $9,920,000 Federal Transit Administration funds, $2,116,322 State I-Bond funds, and $2,807,209 District funds (37% ARRA/42% FTA/9% State/12% District). This budget includes not only the shipyard installation contract, which is the subject of this item but the purchase of the vessels which was completed last year, procurement of the professional services and all costs necessary to complete the refurbishment of both vessels. goldengate.org/news/ferry/refurbvessels.php
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 22, 2010 17:12:02 GMT -8
Ok. I'm on Tacoma right now. We are just pulling into Bainbridge. Chinook is nowhere to be seen, so I guess they've taken her away after all
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Post by Barnacle on Apr 22, 2010 17:39:30 GMT -8
Thank you for confirming that, good sir. She is now officially off the board for WSF.
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Post by evergreenboatrider on May 16, 2010 20:44:41 GMT -8
Any guesses on if the West Seattle Water Taxi will see a ridership benefit as the Spokane Street Viaduct construction demolishes a key on-ramp at 1st Avenue S? I have rode the WSWT several times since it restarted for the year. It is a short walk(but a little uphill climb on James St) to Pioneer Square Station to connect it with LINK and Pier 50 is served by Metro routes 16 and 66. The impact of the SSV construction, at least 18 months, with some Metro buses losing their fast route via the West Seattle Bridge and having to use the Low Level. I hope the King County Ferry District can find the funding for a year-round run this year.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,947
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Post by FNS on May 23, 2010 22:04:35 GMT -8
Here's a couple of the "other" ferries I've had the chance to see and/or ride here in Washington. First up is the not-so-often mentioned Herron Island ferry, which runs from the privately-owned community on Herron Island to the mainland on the Key Peninsula west of Gig Harbor. The ferry is the Charlie Wells, originally built as the Herron Islander by Nichols Brothers in 1989 and later renamed. The boat is approaching the Key Peninsula dock on a perfect spring morning. As an aside, I found more intact sand dollars at this location than I had ever seen in my life. Apparently, the protected inland waters of Puget Sound are a boon for them. While the Pierce County operation is well covered, a little bit more obscure ferry system also calls on the Steilacoom docks. The Neil Henley is one of three passenger ferries that transport workers from the mainland to the McNeil Island Penitentiary, Washington's own Alcatraz. Here she is sliding up to a special dock that is attached to the Pierce County slip. Jody This vessel was the GOODTIME and operated sightseeing trips in Seattle. This vessel has a sister named GOODTIME II and still does sightseeing trips in Seattle. The GOODTIME was disposed of from sightseeing and was purchased by the operator of ferry services to McNeil Island. No goodtimes for the folks riding this ferry anymore. ;D
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Post by SS San Mateo on May 28, 2010 6:35:56 GMT -8
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 12, 2010 23:52:07 GMT -8
This is at the end of a list of mostly highway projects around the region that they are soliciting public comment on (the whole press release is HERE.) Anyway, a couple of questions came to mind. (Actually, this was being discussed somewhere else online and I couldn't come up with a "for sure" response, a point that irritated me.) - Didn't the whole idea of the KC Ferry District expanding, whether for new routes or for "demonstration" routes, get killed a while back?
- Even if they got it, what might they use it for? (Answer likely requires conjecture or dreaming.) And,
- What the heck would a "hybrid-electric" ferry consist of?
Not that it will likely ever happen anyway, but somebody here might know something..... ;D
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Post by chokai on Jul 13, 2010 12:17:12 GMT -8
Huh. I've been intrigued by the idea of a hybrid ferry for quite some time and I'm very curious to see what it constitutes too. I only hope they are used correctly, many public agencies, even experienced ones, have demonstrated a fundamental lack of understanding in how to use hybrid drive systems or decisions have been dominiated by politics.
Case in point, Metro's brand spakin new A/C equipped hybrid buses were deployed initially on suburban commuter routes (read: wealthier areas of the county, surprise surprise) where they spent a significant amount of time on the freeway and barely got better mileage than a regular bus. As many a hybrid owner has found such vehicles perform only marginally better over long distances on the highway, but shine in the city though. Add to the fact that in metro's case the hybrid system busses cost $200K more than a regular articulated bus.
Theoretically I suppose a hybrid solution would make excellent sense for the water taxi run between downtown and Alki. It might even work on other runs that don't have long crossings such as Pt. Defiance/Tahleqah or the the Interisland boat possibly. I don't think it's there and I wouldn't want to retrofit a big boat, but perhaps with better technology we will see some fundamental changes to the Kwa-Da-Tabil or other boat's propulsion systems when they go in for thier mid-life refurbishments.
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Post by evergreenboatrider on Jul 13, 2010 14:05:09 GMT -8
Actually, as newer hybrids entered service, some of the first-generation ones have begun ending up on non-tunnel routes, such as the Ballard-Downtown-West Seattle trunk route combo. As for a hybrid ferry, I do think it would work good on the West Seattle run, but the King County Ferry District's two current boats are interchangeable, so if in one case, the Vashon boat breaks down, they can use the West Seattle boat. Perhaps if it has a smaller wake footprint, the hybrid might work well with public relations with some of the property owners on Vashon Island. Also, Hornblower Cruises have a hybrid vessel used on the Alcatraz run, that combines diesel, solar, and wind turbines for propulsion, combined with a battery bank. www.inhabitat.com/2009/01/20/hornblower-hybrid-by-alcatraz-cruises/www.respectourplanet.com/hybrid-vessels.aspxwww.windwingtech.com/inthepress.html
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Post by SS Shasta on Jul 14, 2010 15:58:47 GMT -8
I think it is clearly the time for King County to get out of the ferry business; they never should have gotten into it in the first place. I just hate to see my King County property taxes go up, up,up for so many services that are not necessary. Sorry to sound so negative, but folks that live on Vashon should run their fast ferry as a private company or be happy to take the WSF.
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Post by Barnacle on Jul 14, 2010 17:25:48 GMT -8
Yeah, those pesky EMS levies can be such a burden. How often do you really need that fire department, anyway?
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Post by lmtengs on Jul 14, 2010 17:32:55 GMT -8
I think it is clearly the time for King County to get out of the ferry business; they never should have gotten into it in the first place. I just hate to see my King County property taxes go up, up,up for so many services that are not necessary. Sorry to sound so negative, but folks that live on Vashon should run their fast ferry as a private company or be happy to take the WSF. If your Vashon Island ferry were privatized, I'd bet you'd be paying more for the ferry then you are in your taxes. A small ferry operation costs more comparatively to operate than a big one when it comes to fares and similar stuffs.
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 14, 2010 22:18:33 GMT -8
I think it is clearly the time for King County to get out of the ferry business; they never should have gotten into it in the first place. I just hate to see my King County property taxes go up, up,up for so many services that are not necessary. Sorry to sound so negative, but folks that live on Vashon should run their fast ferry as a private company or be happy to take the WSF. If your Vashon Island ferry were privatized, I'd bet you'd be paying more for the ferry then you are in your taxes. A small ferry operation costs more comparatively to operate than a big one when it comes to fares and similar stuffs. I think that his point is not so much the relative cost of the passenger service (public vs private), but the fact that the Vashon-Downtown passenger ferry should even exist, given that it duplicates service that is provided by WSF's Vashon-Fauntleroy followed by a Metro Transit bus from Fauntleroy to Downtown. That, and that (presuming that his his property is about average) that it is unfair that he should pay an extra dollar or so per year for a service that doesn't even serve his part of the county. Perfectly valid points that I respect. On the other hand, since he doesn't use the county transit bus that passes my property, and I probably don't use the one that passes his, then we could argue that we shouldn't have to pay for each others' bus, either. In the end, it enriches the value of both of our properties that we pay for a community college that neither of us attend, a public school system that neither of us have children in, a zoo that I rarely go to, and so on. So, should we pay for a ferry district that neither of us use? Maybe.
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Post by SS Shasta on Jul 15, 2010 11:16:46 GMT -8
Yeah, those pesky EMS levies can be such a burden. How often do you really need that fire department, anyway? I agree with Barnacle that EMT Levies provide necessary services, but they happen to be levies that are voter approved by local fire districts and added to property taxes. These levies must be renewed and re-voted on from time to time. Unfortunately, the King County Ferry District, imposes taxes without a public vote.
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Post by evergreenboatrider on Jul 21, 2010 20:30:18 GMT -8
One interesting role that the WSWT can fill is a backup for the West Seattle Bridge, for situation like the traffic nightmare this morning. I have been working near Harbor Island for a few days this week. This morning, I saw the long backup going Eastbound on the West Seattle Bridge because of the accident. I took the 125 to work this morning, the Water Taxi home in the afternoon. At Pier 50 as I was getting off the boat, I saw a long line(about a hundred, and growing) waiting for the next boat. Does anybody know how many people ride the Water Taxi for the sailings during the afternoon peak period?
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 21, 2010 22:02:49 GMT -8
Rachel MarieFrom the M/V Tacoma on 26 June 2010.
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 21, 2010 22:21:26 GMT -8
Does anybody know how many people ride the Water Taxi for the sailings during the afternoon peak period? I almost thought I had found this, but the Water Taxi website only has the info for the Vashon run. For posterity (and the curious) their site says this: Average ridership
The charts below show the daily average number of passengers on the Vashon Island-Downtown Seattle route in June. The vessel’s capacity is 150 passengers. A.M. sailings, Vashon to Seattle 6:10 7:10 8:15 Total Monday 55 127 102 283 Tuesday 50 129 117 295 Wednesday 52 123 111 285 Thursday 51 131 107 288 Friday 37 104 100 241
P.M. sailings, Seattle to Vashon 4:30 5:30 6:30 Total Monday 137 141 63 341 Tuesday 139 138 71 347 Wednesday 132 142 78 352 Thursday 132 141 71 344 Friday 126 99 49 274 But no similar info for West Seattle. Drat.
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Post by EGfleet on Jul 24, 2010 15:05:43 GMT -8
Seattle-Port Townsend ferry proposal advances
By Associated Press and Peninsula Daily News
Proposed passenger ferry service between Seattle and Port Townsend is one step closer to becoming real. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray's office says a Senate subcommittee has approved $1 million for the high-speed service.
Story Published: Jul 24, 2010 at 3:00 PM PDT
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. (AP) - Proposed passenger ferry service between Seattle and Port Townsend is one step closer to becoming real.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray's office says a Senate subcommittee has approved $1 million for the high-speed service.
Murray spokesman Evan Miller tells the Peninsula Daily News that the money's not guaranteed. But he notes that the appropriation now goes to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Committee - which Murray chairs - and then to the Senate Appropriations Committee, where she is the senior member.
Murray's office announced the approval Thursday, saying that the port "will receive funding for the acquisition of a vessel to establish high-speed passenger-only ferry service between Port Townsend and downtown Seattle."
"The proposed high-speed passenger ferry link between Port Townsend and downtown Seattle Colman Dock will promote and offer commuters, visitors and residents a number of new modes of travel that reduce costs and environmental impacts associated with vehicle travel, enhance the regional mobility of Puget Sound as well as the economic benefits to several cities and counties," Murray's announcement said.
"This is a priority for her," Miller said of the Democratic senator.
"Especially now, it is critical to steer funding into transportation projects that create jobs and boost local economies in our own backyard on the Peninsula," Murray said in a prepared statement.
Ultimately, the Senate and House would pass partner bills for the appropriation, which would then be signed by President Obama, Miller said.
"Establishing this passenger-only ferry service is an important step towards ensuring the long-term vibrancy and health of Jefferson County and the region," said Larry Crockett, port executive director.
"Not only will this service support sustainable economic growth and the well being of our citizens, it does so in a way that is environmentally sensitive, consistent with our historic character, and enjoys the support of a broad cross-section of our community."
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Post by SS San Mateo on Sept 17, 2010 6:41:17 GMT -8
The vessel that will be used on the Seattle - Kingston route will be on the Vashon route for a week or so. source
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Post by Barnacle on Sept 18, 2010 3:42:13 GMT -8
Good heavens. They can only use 28-inch boarding ramps? That's a recipe for slow-flow at the dock...
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Post by BreannaF on Sept 19, 2010 14:04:09 GMT -8
Good heavens. They can only use 28-inch boarding ramps? That's a recipe for slow-flow at the dock... . My wheelchair van has a ramp that is 28" wide, mostly because that is roughly the width of the door on a Dodge Caravan minivan. From the ADA standpoint, many wheelchairs will fit on that width, and many others are just too wide for both wheels to get on there at the same time (in which case, we cue the full-size van or the bus). From the practical standpoint, that is a pretty narrow hole to get 100 people on board through in an efficient manner. Or, it is sort of like getting everybody through a single turnstile in the passenger terminal, with no option for going around. Sigh.
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Post by powerforward on Sept 23, 2010 11:46:45 GMT -8
The Victoria Express II departing the Inner Harbour, Victoria, BC for Port Angeles. Operated by Victoria Express out of Port Angeles, crossing time is 55 min.
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