MV Hyak

{{Short description|Retired ferryboat}} {{For|other vessels of the same name|Hyak (disambiguation){{!}}Hyak}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image | image = Hyak passing Flat Point 04.JPG | image_caption = The MV ''Hyak'' in Upright Channel, in between [[Lopez Island]] and [[Shaw Island]] }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career | hide_header = | name = ''Hyak'' | owner = [[WSDOT]] | operator = [[Washington State Ferries]] | registry = [[Seattle, Washington]], {{flagicon|USA}} | route = Relief vessel | ordered = 1966 | builder = [[National Steel and Shipbuilding Company]] shipyard, [[San Diego, California]] | original_cost = $6,500,000 | yard_number = | way_number = | laid_down = 1966 | launched = December 17, 1966 | christened = December 17, 1966 | completed = 1967 | acquired = July 4, 1967 | maiden_voyage = July 19, 1967 | in_service = July 20, 1967 | out_of_service = June 30, 2019 | identification = *{{IMO Number|8835334}} *{{MMSI Number|366773030}} *[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: WX9439 | fate = | status = Retired | notes = }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics | hide_header = | header_caption = | class ={{sclass2|Super|ferry|0}} [[Ferry|auto/passenger ferry]] | tonnage = * {{GT|2704}} * {{NetT|1214}} | displacement = {{cvt|3634|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 = | draught = | draft = {{convert|18|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}} | depth = | decks = 5 | deck_clearance = {{convert|15|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}} | ramps = | ice_class = | power = Total {{cvt|8,000|hp|lk=in}} from 4 x [[diesel-electric]] engines | propulsion = Diesel-electric (DC) | sail_plan = | speed = {{convert|17|kn|lk=in}} | capacity = *2,500 passengers *160 vehicles (max 30 commercial) | crew = | notes = }} }} [[File:V Hyak.jpg|thumb|''Hyak'' seen approaching [[Lopez Island]] from the {{MV|Samish}}.]] [[File:M-V Hyak Departing Bremerton.jpg|thumb|The ''Hyak'' departs Bremerton with her 9:45 AM sailing to Seattle.]] [[File:MV Hyak Final Day of Service.jpg|thumb|The ''Hyak'' seen passing [[Alki Point, Seattle|Alki Point]] from the {{MV|Tacoma}} on her final day of service]] [[File:M-V Hyak - August 19, 2023.jpg|alt=Side view of an older vessel with the standard Washington State Ferries livery, docked, image taken from another ferry. Worn-out paint, obvious rust, and an empty interior make it clear this ferry has been long retired.|thumb|The retired ''Hyak'' docked in [[Kingston, Washington|Kingston]], pictured four years after final voyage, with clear aging]] '''MV ''Hyak''''' is a {{sclass2|Super|ferry}} that was operated by [[Washington State Ferries]]. Built in 1966 at the [[National Steel and Shipbuilding Company]] shipyard in [[San Diego]], the ferry began service on July 20, 1967, and normally ran on the [[Seattle–Bremerton ferry|Seattle–Bremerton route]] or the [[Anacortes–San Juan Islands ferry|Anacortes–San Juan Islands run]].

''Hyak'' is [[Chinook Jargon]] for "speedy".<ref>{{cite web |title=M/V Hyak |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/vesselwatch/VesselDetail.aspx?vessel_id=13 |publisher=Washington State Ferries |accessdate=September 10, 2016}}</ref>

==History==

The ''Hyak'' was built by the [[National Steel and Shipbuilding Company]] of [[San Diego, California]] in 1966, at a cost of $6.5 million. It was launched and christened by Nancy Evans, wife of Governor [[Daniel J. Evans]], on December 17, 1966.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 18, 1966 |title=1 Ferry Launched, 2 More Started |page=34 |work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref> The vessel traveled north along the Pacific Coast in June 1967, but was delayed by a severe storm near [[San Francisco, California]] when it broke a temporary [[breakwater (structure)|breakwater]].<ref>{{cite news |date=June 27, 1967 |title=New Ferry Will Miss Her Starting Date |page=10 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> She arrived in Seattle on July 4, several days later than scheduled, and was moved to the [[Todd Shipyards]] for repairs.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 4, 1967 |title=Superferry Here; Service Date Uncertain |page=42 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The word ''Hyak'' is [[Chinook Jargon]] for "speedy".<ref>{{cite web |title=M/V Hyak |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/vesselwatch/VesselDetail.aspx?vessel_id=13 |publisher=Washington State Ferries |accessdate=September 10, 2016}}</ref>

The ferry was not able to enter service after arrival because of an ongoing labor dispute with the local chapter of the [[International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots]]. The union argued that the wage agreement it signed with [[Washington State Ferries]] did not cover new, larger vessels like the ''Hyak''. The dispute reached the [[King County Superior Court]], where a judge signed an [[injunction]] ordering the ferry to be crewed on its first run on July 19.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 19, 1967 |title=Judge Orders Union to Man Superferry |page=1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The ''Hyak'' entered service that afternoon, and was assigned to the [[Seattle–Bremerton ferry|Seattle–Bremerton route]], cutting the crossing time from 65 minutes to 45.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 20, 1967 |title=Operators, Passengers Agree: Hyak's Great! |page=6 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hannula |first=Don |date=July 16, 1967 |title=Superferry Hyak May—Or May Not—Make 1st Run Tomorrow |page=44 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The next day, the ferry made its first scheduled run and nearly rammed Pier 52 in Seattle after an engine failure.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 20, 1967 |title=New Superferry Almost Rams Pier As Engines Die |page=1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Stein |first=Alan J. |date=March 4, 2001 |title=Ferry Hyak enters service on July 20, 1967. |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/3051 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |accessdate=September 10, 2016}}</ref> During the 1990s, she was on the Edmonds-Kingston route and she would fill in there and the Seattle-Bainbridge route during the last few years of her service life.{{cn|date=February 2026}}

Unlike her sisters, the ''Hyak'' did not have her cabin refurbished.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.evergreenfleet.com/superstoday.html |title=The Super class today |publisher=Evergreen Fleet |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081214201716/http://www.evergreenfleet.com/superstoday.html |archivedate=December 14, 2008 |accessdate=September 10, 2016 }}</ref> In June 2015, the ''Hyak'' was replaced by the {{MV|Samish}} in the third sailing spot in the San Juans. It was moved to the [[Seattle–Bremerton ferry|Seattle–Bremerton route]] for the remainder of its life, but returned to the San Juan route several times to replace vessels undergoing maintenance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Anna V. Smith |date=December 30, 2015 |title=Elwha out of service due to "necessary repairs" |url=http://www.sanjuanjournal.com/news/elwha-out-of-service-due-to-necessary-repairs-updated/ |work=[[Journal of the San Juan Islands]] |accessdate=July 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Friedrich |first=Ed |date=April 28, 2001 |title=Hyak returning to Bremerton |url=http://web.kitsapsun.com/archive/2001/04-28/0076_roundup__hyak_returning_to_bremer.html |work=Kitsap Sun |accessdate=September 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lee Carlaw |first=Rex |date=February 13, 2009 |title=Back home on the Hyak |url=http://www.kingstoncommunitynews.com/community/39580809.html |work=Kingston Community News |accessdate=September 10, 2016}}</ref> The ''Hyak'' primarily served as a standby vessel for the rest of the fleet and was considered for experimental conversion to use hybrid diesel-electric generators until the plan was scrapped in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last=Friedrich |first=Ed |date=March 25, 2015 |title=WSF reconsidering converting ferry power |url=https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/blogs/the-commute/2015/03/25/wsf-reconsidering-converting-ferry-power/95183846/ |work=[[Kitsap Sun]] |accessdate=July 1, 2019}}</ref> The retirement of the ''Hyak'', originally anticipated for the arrival of {{MV|Samish}}, was delayed into 2019 after {{MV|Suquamish}} replaced it as a relief vessel.<ref name="Kitsap-2018">{{cite news |last=Pilling |first=Nathan |date=February 16, 2018 |title=Once home to square dances, ferry Hyak headed toward retirement |page=A5 |url=https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2018/02/16/once-home-square-dances-ferry-hyak-headed-towards-retirement/346940002/ |work=Kitsap Sun |accessdate=July 1, 2019}}</ref>

The ''Hyak'' had a $37 million maintenance backlog that was left unaddressed by the state legislature, which allocated $2 million in supplemental funds to operate the ferry until June 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vosler |first=Christian |date=March 9, 2018 |title=State supplementary transportation budget would keep Hyak afloat |url=https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/2018/03/09/state-supplementary-transportation-budget-would-keep-hyak-afloat/412632002/ |work=Kitsap Sun |accessdate=July 1, 2019}}</ref> The supplemental funds were not extended in the 2019–21 transportation budget, signaling the vessel's retirement. On June 30, 2019, the ''Hyak'' made her final run on the Seattle–Bremerton route; the vessel's retirement caused schedule modifications on several routes to accommodate the downsized fleet. The ''Hyak'' will be stripped of her usable equipment and prepared for sale as surplus property.<ref>{{cite press release |date=June 27, 2019 |title=State ferry Hyak to sail into retirement |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/news/2019/06/27/state-ferry-hyak-sail-retirement |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |accessdate=July 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Guevara |first=Natalie |date=June 30, 2019 |title=Ferry Hyak to retire after final sailing Sunday night |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Ferry-Hyak-to-retire-after-final-sailing-Friday-14062101.php |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |accessdate=July 1, 2019}}</ref>

===Legacy===

The vessel's horn was donated to [[Climate Pledge Arena]], where it is used by the [[National Hockey League]]'s [[Seattle Kraken]] every time they score a goal during home games.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Clark|first=Ryan S.|title=Ferry horns and Nirvana: As Kraken open Climate Pledge Arena, here's what you can expect to hear|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2907835/2021/10/23/ferry-horns-and-nirvana-as-kraken-open-climate-pledge-arena-heres-what-you-can-expect-to-hear/|access-date=November 7, 2021|website=The Athletic|language=en}}</ref> Four years later, the [[engine order telegraph]] was also salvaged for a new part of the pre-game show The Surge.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Baker|first=Geoff|title=A Bigger Entry To Kraken In-Game Entertainment|url=https://www.nhl.com/kraken/news/seattle-kraken-in-game-entertainment-climate-pledge-arena-ft|access-date=October 31, 2025|website=NHL.com|language=en}}</ref>

==Incidents== On April 19, 1977, the ''Hyak'' rammed the terminal slip at Seattle causing an estimated $500,000 worth of damage.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca/fedora/repository/pgc:1977-04-19-05 |page=5 |title=Prince George Citizen |date=19 Apr 1977|website=www.pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca}}</ref>

On April 14, 1986, the ''Hyak'' ran aground in [[Anacortes, Washington]] after a navigational error made by the crew, placing the ferry in shallow water above a reef. Only one injury was reported of the 250 people on board, but the ferry sustained damage that cost $250,000 to repair.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 14, 1986 |title=Ferry runs aground at Anacortes—300 aboard; 1 passenger |page=A1 |work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=April 29, 1986 |title=Ferry's first mate is suspended |page=D1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Nadler |first1=Eric |last2=Guillen |first2=Tomas |date=April 17, 1986 |title=Grounding of Hyak laid to navigation |page=B2 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref>

On September 13, 2013, the ''Hyak'' collided with a private {{convert|27|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} sailboat between Orcas and Shaw islands. No one was injured. The sailboat, however, was damaged and sank about 20 minutes after the accident.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 13, 2013 |title=Sailboat sinks in San Juans after crash with state ferry |url=http://www.kiro7.com/news/state-ferry-collides-sailboat-san-juan-islands/246451159 |publisher=[[KIRO-TV|KIRO 7 News]] |accessdate=September 10, 2016}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|IMO 8835334}} *[http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/vesselwatch/VesselDetail.aspx?vessel_id=13 MV ''Hyak'' vessel info from WSDOT]

{{WSF Ferry Classes}} {{Seattle Kraken}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyak, MV}} [[Category:Washington State Ferries vessels]] [[Category:1967 ships]] [[Category:Ships built in San Diego]]