MV Samish

Samish parked at Colman Dock in Downtown Seattle shortly after it was accepted by Washington State Ferries in April 2015.
Career
Name: MV Samish
Owner: Washington State Department of Transportation
Operator: Washington State Ferries
Port of registry: Seattle, WA, United States
Route: Anacortes/San Juan Islands
Ordered: Spring 2012
Builder: Vigor Industrial, Seattle, Washington
Cost: $126.45 million (approximate)[1]
Laid down: March 8, 2013
Christened: May 20, 2015 (expected)
Completed: April 10, 2015
Maiden voyage: June 14, 2015 (expected)
Status: Undergoing sea trials and crew training
General characteristics
Class and type:Olympic Class auto/passenger ferry
Displacement:4320 long tons at design load waterline
Length:362 ft 3 in (110.4 m)
Beam:83 ft 2 in (25.3 m)
Draft:16 ft 6 in (5.0 m)
Depth:24 ft 6 in (7.5 m)
Decks:2 vehicle
2 passenger
1 crew
Deck clearance:15 ft 6 in (4.7 m)
Installed power:Total 6,000 hp (4,500 kW) from 2 x EMD 12-710G7C Diesel Engines
Speed:17-knot (31 km/h)
Capacity:1500 passengers
144 vehicles
Notes:All specifications are subject to change. Vessels in design and construction phase.[2]

The MV Samish is the second vessel of the Olympic Class auto ferries built by Vigor Industrial for the Washington State Ferries system.[3] The ship is currently undergoing sea trials and crew training and is planned to enter service on June 14, 2015.[4]

Funding for a second Olympic class was authorized in the Spring 2012 session of the Washington State Legislature and the keel laying and first weld took place on March 8, 2013.

The name Samish was decided by the Washington State Transportation Commission on November 13, 2012 (the same day of the naming of the MV Tokitae) after a public outreach process. The vessel is named after a Coast Salish tribe whose name means “giving people”.[5]

On December 21, 2013, the ship's superstructure was rolled out from Nichols Brothers Boat Builders and sent to Seattle on December 23 to be joined with the superstructure already under construction.

The Samish was accepted by Washington State Ferries on April 10, 2015 and will be officially christened on May 20 in Anacortes. The new ship is expected to undergo two months of sea trials and crew training before entering service on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route at the start of the Summer 2015 sailing season on June 14.[4]

References

  1. Washington State Department of Transportation. "Ferries - Olympic Class (144-Car) Ferries". Retrieved 21 September 2014. Samish, the second 144-car ferry: The total cost of the vessel is approximately $126.45 million.
  2. 144 Auto Ferry Plans
  3. 4.0 4.1 "Welcome aboard, Samish! New Olympic Class ferry joins WSF fleet". Washington State Ferries. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.

External links