Kalakala
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| MV KALAKALA (ferry) | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | Hylebos Creek Waterway, 1801 Taylor Way Tacoma, Washington |
| Added to NRHP: | March 22, 2006 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 06000177 |
The Kalakala was a Washington State Ferry which plied the waters of Puget Sound from 1935 until her retirement in 1967. She was notable for her unique streamlined superstructure, art deco styling, and luxurious amenities. The vessel was a popular attraction for locals and tourists, and was voted second only to the Space Needle in popularity among visitors to Seattle during the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The ship is known as the world's first streamlined vessel for its unique art deco styling.
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[edit] Prior History
From 1926 to 1933 the Kalakala's hull sailed as the ferry Peralta, one of the Key System's ferries on San Francisco Bay. On May 6th, 1933, the Peralta burned as a result of an arson fire at the terminal it was moored at, completely destroying the superstructure. The hull was still intact, and on October 12, 1933, it was sold to the Puget Sound Navigation Company for re-use.
[edit] Name
In November 1934, William Thorniley, publicist for the Black Ball Line, and president of the Olympic Peninsula Travel Association named the new ferry Kalakala, which he said meant "flying bird" in the local Chinook Indian language, though he later admitted the name was a fabrication with no real meaning in any Native American dialect. Thorniley launched a national promotional campaign beginning with bill boards that simply said "KALAKALA!" Later, they said "KALAKALA, Seattle, WA" and featured a picture of the vessel as well.
[edit] Wheelhouse
The bridge and wheelhouse are built entirely out of copper, from fear that the steel used in the rest of the vessel would interfere with the ship's compass. Set back from her streamlined superstructure for aesthetics, it was impossible to see the bow of the vessel from the bridge. As visibility also depended on round portholes rather than a fully-glazed wheelhouse, she was known for being difficult to handle when docking.
In 1946, Kalakala was issued FCC license #001 for the first commercial radar system. It's unrecorded if this was encouraged by her poor visibility.
[edit] Work as a factory ship
After her retirement in 1967, the vessel was sold to a seafood processing company and towed to Alaska to work as a factory ship. After working as a crabbing ship for a couple of years, the ship was beached in Kodiak, Alaska in 1970 and used to process shrimp.
[edit] Restoration effort
A group of artists in Seattle discovered the rusting hulk in 1984, purchased the vessel, and managed to refloat her and tow her back to Seattle in 1998. The ferry has since been a source of controversy, as her owners were unable to raise sufficient funds to refurbish the vessel or even to keep her moored in Seattle's Union Bay. The vessel was sold in 2004 to a private investor, who moved her to moorage in Neah Bay provided by the Makah Tribe. Soon, however, the Kalakala was evicted by the Makah, who also brought a lawsuit against the owners. The vessel has since been relocated to Tacoma, Washington.
In February of 2008, Kalakala owner Steve Rodrigues announced his intention to acquire additional vintage ferries and to restore them and the Kalakala as either ferries powered by wind and solar technologies or as museums. The Kalakala is currently scheduled for work on its hull and superstructure in dry dock in 2010.[1]
