MV Elwha

{{Short description|1968 Super-class ferry}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image | image = Elwha passing Flat Point 04.JPG | image_caption = The MV ''Elwha'' passing Flat Point between [[Lopez Island]] and [[Canoe Island (Washington)|Canoe Island]] }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career | hide_header = | name = | owner = [[WSDOT]] | operator = [[Washington State Ferries]] | registry = [[Seattle, Washington]], {{flag|United States}} | route = | ordered = | builder = | original_cost = | yard_number = | way_number = | laid_down = | launched = December 16, 1967 | christened = December 16, 1967 | completed = *1967, *rebuilt in 1991 | acquired = | maiden_voyage = June 16, 1968 | in_service = | out_of_service = April 17, 2020 | identification = *{{IMO Number|8835358}} *{{MMSI Number|366773060}} *[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: WY3960 | fate = | status = Retired | notes = }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics | hide_header = | header_caption = | class = {{sclass2|Super|ferry}} | tonnage = * {{GT|2813}} * {{NetT|1322}} | displacement = {{cvt|3978|LT|t|lk=on}} | length = {{convert|382|ft|2|in|m|1|abbr=on}} | beam = {{convert|73|ft|2|in|m|1|abbr=on}} | height = | draft = {{convert|18|ft|9|in|m|1|abbr=on}} | depth = | decks = 2 auto decks/2 passenger decks | deck_clearance = {{convert|15|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} | ramps = | power = Total {{cvt|10,200|hp|lk=in}} from 4 × [[diesel-electric]] engines | propulsion = | speed = {{convert|20|kn|lk=in}} | capacity = *2,000 passengers *144 vehicles (max 30 commercial) - On the international route, SOLAS passenger capacity is 1090 people. | crew = 14 | notes = }} }} '''MV ''Elwha''''' was a {{sclass2|Super|ferry}} in the [[Washington State Ferries|Washington State Ferry System]]. The {{convert|382|ft|adj=on}} vessel entered service in June 1968, and spent most of her career working the [[Anacortes–San Juan Islands ferry|Anacortes-San Juan Islands-Sidney B.C. route]].<ref>{{cite web |title=M.V. Elwha |url=http://evergreenfleet.com/elwhatoday.html |publisher=Evergreen Fleet |access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref> ''Elwha'' was retired in 2020 and set to be scrapped in 2024 until the sale to an Ecuadorian firm was cancelled amid contract issues. She was instead sold in 2025 to a local company to be converted into a floating office and warehouse.

==History==

''Elwha'' was built in 1967 in San Diego, California, as the last of the four Super-class ferries. She made her maiden voyage on June 16, 1968 on the [[Washington State Route 305|Seattle-Bainbridge Island route]], and remained on the route for the first four years of her career before being replaced in fall 1972 by the {{MV|Walla Walla||2}}.

For much of the 1970s, the ''Elwha'' served as a maintenance relief vessel, filling in for other Super and Jumbo-class ferries when and where needed for maintenance cycles.

In the 1980s, ''Elwha'' was assigned to the Anacortes-San Juan Islands route, where she stayed, with rare exception, until her retirement in 2020.

===Incidents===

On October 2, 1983, the ''Elwha'' ran aground in Grindstone Harbor, near [[Orcas Island]], on a submerged reef while carrying 100 passengers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Norton |first1=Dee |last2=Basset |first2=Brian |date=October 3, 1983 |title=Ferry hits reef; steering failure blamed |page=A1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The collision was initially blamed on the failure of a steering component, but was later found to have been caused by Captain Billy Fittro going off-course to give a visitor a view of her waterfront home.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Norton |first1=Dee |last2=Birkland |first2=Dave |date=October 7, 1983 |title=Ferry skipper gave women tour, say officials |page=A1, A4 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The captain resigned in lieu of being discharged a few days after the incident;<ref>{{cite news |last=Birkland |first=Dave |date=October 6, 1983 |title=Ferry 'had time to reverse course' |page=A1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> ferry chief Nick Tracey was fired the following month, after failing to report Captain Fittro's past negligence.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 21, 1983 |title=Ferry chief fired in wake of Elwha furor |page=A8 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The collision caused $250,000 in damage and forced the ferry out of service for several weeks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Corr |first=O. Casey |date=December 10, 1989 |title=Ferry makes the map with rock hit |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1989/12/10/ferry-makes-the-map-with-a-rock-hit/fa09a623-2ece-43c5-8449-3201f311d254/ |access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref> The rock was later named "[[Elwha Rock]]" in 1989 after the ferry;<ref>{{cite news |last=Broom |first=Jack |date=July 26, 2002 |title=Showing Off: Welcome aboard as we float a few facts on the state's ferries |work=The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20020726/showingoff26/showing-off-welcome-aboard-as-we-float-a-few-facts-on-the-states-ferries|access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=December 19, 1989 |title=Ferry crash gives new name to Elwha River |page=44 |work=[[The Free Lance–Star]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |location=Fredericksburg, Virginia |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19891219&id=ZQNOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TIwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6820,3651958 |access-date=September 10, 2016 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> the incident also inspired the song "Elwha on the Rocks", recorded by the Island City Jazz Band and played on Seattle-area radio stations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Duncan |first=Dan |date=November 9, 1983 |title=Spoof song 'Elwha on the Rocks' makes splash in ferry country |page=A1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref name="Journal-Remembering">{{cite news |last=Hampshire |first=David |date=August 23, 2021 |title=A ferry tale: Remembering the Elwha |url=https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/life/a-ferry-tale-remembering-the-elwha/ |work=[[Journal of the San Juan Islands]] |access-date=February 1, 2025}}</ref>

In December 1990, a winter storm descended on the Puget Sound region while the Elwha was out of service for routine maintenance. Hurricane-force winds ripped mooring lines and repeatedly slammed the now partially adrift ferry into the concrete pier it was tied up alongside. The accident resulted in millions of dollars in damage and forever altered the ferry.<ref name="Journal-Remembering"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=The M/V Elwha |url=http://evergreenfleet.com/elwhatoday.html |website=evergreenfleet.com|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref> The ''Elwha'' lost control while approaching the Anacortes terminal in January 1994 and destroyed the support structure for the pedestrian walkway.<ref name="Journal-Remembering"/> While on the Friday Harbor–Sidney run in July 1996, the ferry was taken on an alternate route around San Juan Island and was grounded on a rock, which damaged the hull.<ref name="Journal-Remembering"/>

On September 8, 1999, the vessel suffered another serious accident when a software glitch led to it ramming the [[Orcas Island]] ferry dock, causing $3.8 million worth of damage to the [[linkspan]] and other terminal structures.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Santana |first=Arthur |date=September 8, 1999 |title=Ferry Loaded With Passengers Slams Into Orcas Island Dock |work=The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19990908&slug=2981737 |access-date=2021-12-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 9, 1999 |title=Ferry Elwha rams dock, strands passengers |work=Kitsap Sun |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1999/09-09/0064_orcas_island__ferry_elwha_rams_do.html}}</ref>

===Repairs and retirement===

In April 2018, an inspection of the ferry uncovered {{convert|12,000|ft2}} of corroded steel beneath the floor of the ''Elwha''{{'}}s main passenger cabin. Repairs to the ferry took seven months and cost $25 million.

[[File:Washington State Ferries MV Elwha.jpg|thumb|left|MV ''Elwha'' docked at Bainbridge Island]] In July 2019, just eight months after her return to service, another routine inspection at Lake Union Drydock uncovered further steel corrosion on the ferry's car deck. Repairs were estimated at $35 million, and the ferry was placed in layup while WSF attempted to procure the necessary funding to repair the ferry.<ref name="Times-Retired">{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=August 17, 2024 |title=What happens to a retired WA ferry? Elwha, Klahowya about to find out |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/what-happens-to-a-retired-wa-ferry-elwha-klahowya-about-to-find-out/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref> Following the passage of [[Washington Initiative 976|I-976]] in November 2019, the State Legislature proposed to retire the ferry rather than fund the repairs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Allison |first=Jacqueline |date=February 20, 2020 |title=Potential loss of Anacortes ferry 'devastating to this community,' mayor says |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/potential-loss-of-anacortes-ferry-devastating-to-this-community-mayor-says/ |work=[[Skagit Valley Herald]] |via=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref> On April 17, 2020, following seven months of layup, the ferry was towed to Bainbridge Island to be taken out of service.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Private ferry service to Sidney, B.C., possible, but area leaders express worry |work=Anacortes American |url=https://www.goskagit.com/anacortes/news/private-ferry-service-to-sidney-b-c-possible-but-area-leaders-express-worry/article_57a9e4dc-4fab-11eb-b05d-abfd4c1c9f94.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref>

On August 16, 2024, the [[Washington State Department of Transportation]] (WSDOT) announced that the decommissioned ''Elwha'' and ''[[MV Klahowya|Klahowya]]'' would be sold for $100,000 each to Ecuadorian businessman Nelson Armas. The ferries would be scrapped and recycled in a "clean [and] green" facility in Ecuador after being towed from Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island.<ref name="Times-Retired"/><ref>{{cite press release |date=August 16, 2024 |title=Retired state ferries sold for $100,000 each |url=https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/news/2024/postponed-retired-state-ferries-sold-100000-each |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref> The two vessels were towed out into [[Elliott Bay]] on August 19 to begin their 35-day trip to Ecuador, but a malfunction with the towing equipment caused the trip to be postponed; the ''Elwha'' and ''Klahowya'' returned to Eagle Harbor.<ref name="Times-Detained">{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=August 30, 2024 |title=Immigration agents detain crew after failed WA ferry tow |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/immigration-agents-detain-send-home-crew-after-failed-wa-ferry-tow/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 20, 2024 |title=Retired WA ferries' voyage to Ecuador postponed due to tow malfunction |url=https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/retired-wa-ferries-voyage-ecuador-postponed |publisher=[[KCPQ|Fox 13 Seattle]] |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref> The crew on the tugboat were detained by [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] on August 30 after their work visas had expired.<ref name="Times-Detained"/> The sale of the two ferries was cancelled on September 5 after more issues with the tugboat and allegations of poor working conditions were disclosed; Armas forfeited the entire cost of the sale per the contract's terms.<ref>{{cite press release |date=September 5, 2024 |title=Washington State Ferries cancels sale of retired boats |url=https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/news/2024/washington-state-ferries-cancels-sale-retired-boats |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=September 5, 2024 |title=Sale of retired WA ferries canceled after tow failure |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sale-of-retired-wa-ferries-canceled-after-tow-failure/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 11, 2024}}</ref>

WSF approved the sale of ''Elwha'' to Everett Ship Repair for $100,000 in January 2025. The company intends to reconfigure the ferry into a floating office and warehouse, replacing several trailers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=January 31, 2025 |title=Retired and notorious ferry Elwha finds a port in Everett |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/retired-and-notorious-ferry-elwha-finds-a-port-in-everett/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 1, 2025}}</ref>

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==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/your_wsf/our_fleet/index.cfm?vessel_id=21 Vessel info from WSDOT]

{{WSF Ferry Classes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elwha, MV}} [[Category:Washington State Ferries vessels]] [[Category:1967 ships]] [[Category:2025 mergers and acquisitions]]