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Post by WettCoast on Jan 18, 2007 21:05:12 GMT -8
While in the ship identification mode I thought maybe forum members could take a look at this picture. It is a scan from an old negative that was in my brother's (DOT) collection. What is the name of this ferry, where is the photo taken, and approximately what date? I am almost certain that this is not in BC, or even Canada. Could be in Puget Sound. Let me know.  |
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jan 18, 2007 21:27:34 GMT -8
That ferry is the M/V Willapa. The name on the back end is hard to read, but the first letter looks like a 'W'. Looks like it was taken in Seattle. Since it's in WSF colors, the photo was taken no earlier than 1951 and the fact that the car deck windows had been replaced with circular windows would indicate it was taken at least a few years after WSF started. The photo was taken no later than 1968 (year she was retired).
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Post by Fenklebaum on Jan 18, 2007 21:32:53 GMT -8
Wet Coastal Kid, I believe that your mystery ship is none other than Washington State Ferries' "Willapa" (ex "Fresno" from San Francisco). Seeing as how WSF retired her in the 60's, I suggest the photo dates from the early-to-mid fifties. Her livery, plus the car-deck portholes (a modification WSF undertook) indicate that particular era to me.
Fenk, guessing
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Post by Fenklebaum on Jan 18, 2007 21:33:45 GMT -8
ARGHH!!! BEATEN TO THE PUNCH!!!
Fenk, ARRRGGHHH!!!!-y
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Post by WettCoast on Jan 18, 2007 21:42:07 GMT -8
Thank you both for the replies. I could probably have asked my brother but he is not connected to the wired world so it is difficult to describe a photo over the phone.
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Post by Barnacle on Jan 19, 2007 19:29:23 GMT -8
The round portholes replaced the glass windows within the first year of operation, according to Evergreenfleet in a conversation I had with him some time ago. How he came up with that information I don't know, but that was his take.
Another way to identify the Willapa from her 'twin,' the Enetai (a name I would like to see recycled ;D )--and Evergreenfleet pointed THIS out too--is that the camber (slope from midships to either side) of the upper deck is hellacious on the Willapa compared to the nearly-flat Enetai. This is most easily spotted in Harre Demoro's "The Evergreen Fleet" on page 94, where a pic of both sterns side-by-side exists.
Anyway, this picture was taken as the Willapa had just backed out of Colman Dock in Seattle (Pier 52) and was just coming ahead to complete the turn-around to head for Bremerton.
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 20, 2007 8:53:52 GMT -8
The round portholes replaced the glass windows within the first year of operation, according to Evergreenfleet in a conversation I had with him some time ago. How he came up with that information I don't know, but that was his take. It's in the photographic record of the vessels. Several I have seen/have show the boats with portholes within the first two years of the state taking over operations. |
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Post by Barnacle on Jan 20, 2007 9:35:19 GMT -8
I knew you'd found some established proof somewhere, but I couldn't remember what it was. My apologies if it sounded like I was insinuating that you'd arbitrarily decided this. (I remember some of the conversation--mostly that the earliest proof I'd found was a 1954 postmark on a postcard, and you produced something or other that moved the date a fair distance closer to WSF's takeover.)
Anyway, probably within the first year, definitely within the first two.
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Post by EGfleet on Dec 22, 2010 5:22:23 GMT -8
Okay, I looked to make sure there was no thread specifically for the Enetai, and not seeing one, I started this one. If I am mistaken, feel free to move it...however, I don't feel that the Enetai and Willapa should be included with the Steel Electrics as after they were repowered in the 1940's, they weren't diesel electric ferries anymore. Interestingly, in the 1962 vessels assessment report I have from WSF, they classified the Enetai and Willapa as their own class. If the moderators want to split it into separate threads for each ferry, I can understand that too, but I personally have always considered the two a pair, especially given they worked the same route together for nearly 30 years.  Okay, that mouthful out of the way, it was all to post this photo, courtesy of Barnacle, and is rare photo at that. Harre Demoro snapped this historic event on 28 April 1969--the return of the Enetai and Willapa to San Francisco Bay. (Although at that point they were already sporting their old names of Santa Rosa and Fresno.)  |
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Post by Kahloke on Dec 22, 2010 9:34:14 GMT -8
Great photo! And, thanks for creating this thread. You're probably right - it makes sense for these two vessels to have their own space. So, I moved a couple of posts over from the Steel Electric topic that pertain to Willapa and Enetai.
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mrdot
Voyager 
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Post by mrdot on Dec 22, 2010 11:09:08 GMT -8
:)I too must add accolades on the vintage Enetai-Willapa shots and the joy I get out of this old time memorabilia. mrdot. |
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Post by Kahloke on Dec 22, 2010 21:23:35 GMT -8
Santa Rosa (ex Enetai), as it looks today moored on the San Francisco waterfront near the Ferry Building: 2005  2008  |
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Post by EGfleet on Mar 16, 2011 14:58:42 GMT -8
I spotted this photo and thought, "Boy, that sure looks like a Busch-Sulzer engine." The description had it as "engine room, USS...?" When I spotted the signature on the photo, I knew it wasn't any navy ship--Ashel Curtis. Curtis took the most well-known photos of the engine room of the Kalakala...but as the former volunteer archivist for the Kalakala Foundation and having seen many photos of the K's engine, this looked too small to be the Kalakala.  So that narrowed it down to the Chippewa, Enetai or Willapa.Luckily, Curtis kept excellent records. The photo is numbered 60584. I contacted the Washington State Historical Society, current holder of the Curtis archives and asked if they had a record of #60584. Sure enough, they did--it is in fact the engine room of the M/V Willapa, dated 17 May, 1941! |
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Post by lmtengs on Apr 6, 2012 16:58:24 GMT -8
Two photos of the Santa Rosa in San Francisco during March:   |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Apr 6, 2012 17:15:07 GMT -8
Two photos of the Santa Rosa in San Francisco during March: ...just moving Luke's recent photos of Enetai into her existing thread. |
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Post by EGfleet on Jan 2, 2015 10:28:02 GMT -8
I updated it on the website, but the Fresno/Willapa is no more. The company that owned the vessel and the firm in charge of scrapping it were sued by the State of California several years back for the removal of both the Willapa/Fresno and the hull of the San Leandro. The Willapa was stripped down to the hull, but between 2012 and sometime last year, the hull was finally broken up as well. As of spring of last year, the San Leandro hull is still at Spud Island. Meanwhile, I just picked up this negative of the Fresno's forward observation room in San Francisco in 1940, just before coming up to Puget Sound, where she would be totally remodeled into a single-ender.  |
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Post by Barnacle on Jan 4, 2015 15:36:34 GMT -8
Meanwhile, I just picked up this negative of the Fresno's forward observation room in San Francisco in 1940, just before coming up to Puget Sound, where she would be totally remodeled into a single-ender. That is a great detail shot of the forward (aft? who knows) lounge. I never got to ride any of the Steel-Electrics before the conversions and I'm really sorry I missed out. At least the four that still had these cabins during my lifetime. |
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Jan 5, 2015 2:02:03 GMT -8
Meanwhile, I just picked up this negative of the Fresno's forward observation room in San Francisco in 1940, just before coming up to Puget Sound, where she would be totally remodeled into a single-ender. That is a great detail shot of the forward (aft? who knows) lounge. I never got to ride any of the Steel-Electrics before the conversions and I'm really sorry I missed out. At least the four that still had these cabins during my lifetime. This would be the Marin/Alameda counties end of the ferry. Here are the original layouts I posted on the Steel Electrics thread:   The observatory at the other end had wicker chairs. The benches in the Marin/Alameda observatory were not present when I rode the Steel Electrics. Chairs with green upholstery were on green tile flooring in the observatories during my time. |
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Post by Barnacle on Jan 5, 2015 18:39:03 GMT -8
That is a great detail shot of the forward (aft? who knows) lounge. I never got to ride any of the Steel-Electrics before the conversions and I'm really sorry I missed out. At least the four that still had these cabins during my lifetime. This would be the Marin/Alameda counties end of the ferry. Here are the original layouts I posted on the Steel Electrics thread: The observatory at the other end had wicker chairs. Oh, right. Thank you. So that Fresno shot would be what we would call the #2 end, not that it ever pertained up here. |
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Mar 11, 2015 20:44:31 GMT -8
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Mar 7, 2016 6:29:13 GMT -8
 Sun Deck aboard the WILLAPA. From a purchased slide. |
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jun 29, 2016 7:45:30 GMT -8
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tom98250
Deckhand
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Post by tom98250 on Jul 1, 2016 8:24:00 GMT -8
Has to be Bremerton...
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Oct 10, 2016 20:44:32 GMT -8
Here's a classic 1967 United Airlines film promoting the western part of the USA: At 14:50 of the video, you'll see the WILLAPA backing out of Colman Dock (WATCH IN FULL SCREEN).  This is a thumbnail image from the video. |
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FNS
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Post by FNS on Sept 29, 2020 2:12:30 GMT -8
Click ME for a larger image.
Here we are in Seattle back in 1956. We see the WILLAPA nosing her way towards Colman Dock.
The ship of interest in this post card was the troop carrier USNS GEN HB FREEMAN.
Touring the piers, from the north was big Pier 66 with the PORT OF SEATTLE sign on top of its structure. Next to that was the Pier 65/64 complex. This was most likely in the winter as we see either the PRINCESS JOAN or PRINCESS ELIZABETH at old but elegant Pier 64. The PRINCESS MARGUERITE and PRINCESS PATRICIA would be hibernating until the summer. The LIZ and JOAN were mainly night ships that ran between Victoria and Vancouver with their abundance of staterooms. One of those ships ran trips to Seattle during the colder months. Under the Exchange Building and a little to the north, we see the KALAKALA at Colman Dock.
The beautiful Northern Life Tower held its strong distinction as being one of the tallest buildings in Seattle then besides the LC Smith Building.
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