# MV Tokitae

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Passenger ferry operated by Washington State Ferries

Tokitae en route from Clinton to Mukilteo, 2015 History Name Tokitae Owner Washington State Department of Transportation Operator Washington State Ferries Port of registry Seattle, Washington, United States Ordered 2011 Builder Vigor Shipyards, Seattle, Washington Cost $144 million[1] Laid down March 29, 2012 Launched July 19, 2013 Christened March 20, 2014 Maiden voyage June 30, 2014 In service June 30, 2014 Identification Call sign: WDH3588 IMO number: 9720160 MMSI number: 367608860 Status In service General characteristics Class & type Olympic-class auto/passenger ferry Displacement 4,384 LT (4,454 t) Length 362 ft 3 in (110.4 m) Beam 83 ft 2 in (25.3 m) Draft 18 ft (5.5 m) Depth 24 ft 6 in (7.5 m) Decks 5 (2 vehicle decks, passenger deck, sun deck, nav bridge deck) Deck clearance 16 ft (4.9 m) Installed power 6,000 hp (4,500 kW) total from two EMD 12-710G7C diesel engines Propulsion Diesel Speed 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) Capacity 1,500 passengers 144 vehicles (max 34 tall vehicles) Crew 14 (12 with sun deck closed)

**MV *Tokitae*** is an [Olympic-class](/source/Olympic-class_ferry) [passenger ferry](/source/Ferry) operated by [Washington State Ferries](/source/Washington_State_Ferries) which entered service on June 30, 2014. It serves the [Mukilteo-Clinton](/source/Mukilteo-Clinton_ferry) route.

## Naming

On November 13, 2012, the [Washington State Transportation Commission](/source/Washington_State_Transportation_Commission) named the ferry *Tokitae*. *Tokitae* is a colloquial greeting that means "nice day, pretty colors" in [Chinook Jargon](/source/Chinook_Jargon).[2]

MV *Tokitae* en route to Clinton, Whidbey Island.

*Tokitae* was also the earliest name of an [orca](/source/Orca) that had been captured in [Penn Cove](/source/Penn_Cove), Whidbey Island. Jesse White, the veterinarian who bought the captured orca in Seattle for the Miami Seaquarium, gave her that name, but she was renamed [Lolita](/source/Lolita_(orca)) in Miami. Orca Network promoted the choice of *Tokitae* for the ferry under construction, to promote the cause of returning the captive orca to her natal waters,[3] and the Washington state government was sympathetic. The ferry's route crosses a passage where the orca and her orca community were chased during her capture.[2][4][5]

MV *Tokitae* departing Mukilteo

## History

### Construction

MV *Tokitae*'s superstructure arriving at Vigor Shipyards in March 2013

The contracts for the *Tokitae* were signed on November 1, 2011,[6] and its keel was laid on March 29, 2012.[7]

The *Tokitae*'s hull was rolled out of the Vigor construction building onto a drydock on March 2, 2013. It was joined by the completed superstructure the following week; it was built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of [Freeland](/source/Freeland%2C_Washington), a community on [Whidbey Island](/source/Whidbey_Island).[8]

The ferry was floated out of its dry dock and launched in Elliott Bay on July 19, 2013.[9] The *Tokitae* was christened by state Secretary of Transportation Lynn Peterson on March 20, 2014 at Vigor, during a ceremony opened to the media, officials and workers.[10]

### Launch and early problems

The official public unveiling occurred on June 8, 2014, at the [Clinton](/source/Clinton%2C_Washington) ferry terminal.[11] The ferry made its maiden voyage on June 30, 2014.[12] The *Tokitae*'s first week of service was marred by a hydraulic leak and a design flaw that caused cars to scrape against the car ramps.[13] In the vessel's first 13 months it lost propulsion a total of 18 times.[14]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Olympic Class (144-Car) Ferries"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150414041912/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/ferries/144carferries/). [Washington State Department of Transportation](/source/Washington_State_Department_of_Transportation). Archived from [the original](http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/ferries/144carferries/) on April 14, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-EH_20121113_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-EH_20121113_2-1) ["Two new ferries named Samish, Tokitae"](http://www.heraldnet.com/news/two-new-ferries-named-samish-tokitae/). [The Everett Herald](/source/The_Everett_Herald). [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). November 13, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ON_130_3-0)** Garrett, Howard (November 14, 2012). ["Lolita Update #130"](https://indigo-ukulele-jm29.squarespace.com/lolita-update-130). *Orca Network*. [Freeland, Washington](/source/Freeland%2C_Washington). Retrieved August 20, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Colby,_2018_p308_4-0)** Colby, Jason M. (2018). *Orca: how we came to know and love the ocean's greatest predator*. Oxford: [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press). p. 308. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780190673116](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780190673116).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Clinton_Ferry_Schedule_5-0)** ["Clinton Ferry Schedule 2023"](https://clintonferryschedule.com/). *Clinton Ferry Schedule*. Retrieved August 19, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Moseley, David (November 4, 2011). ["Construction to start on new 144-car ferry"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075901/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/105768E1-30AA-4CC4-9FE2-AF7DD36B3258/79915/MoseleyWeeklyUpdate_110411.pdf) (PDF) (Press release). Washington State Ferries. Archived from [the original](http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/105768E1-30AA-4CC4-9FE2-AF7DD36B3258/79915/MoseleyWeeklyUpdate_110411.pdf) (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Moseley, David (March 30, 2012). ["144-car ferry milestone"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304105906/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/105768E1-30AA-4CC4-9FE2-AF7DD36B3258/82913/MoseleyWeeklyUpdate_033012.pdf) (PDF) (Press release). Washington State Ferries. Archived from [the original](http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/105768E1-30AA-4CC4-9FE2-AF7DD36B3258/82913/MoseleyWeeklyUpdate_033012.pdf) (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Nichols Brothers Boat Builders Launch 144-Car Washington State Ferry Superstructure"](http://www.nicholsboats.com/pdfs/news/WSF%20Superstructure%20Launch-NBBB%202013-03-12.pdf) (PDF) (Press release). Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. March 12, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Friedrich, Ed (October 19, 2013). ["Smoother sailing on construction of 144-car ferries"](http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/local/355869981.html). *[Kitsap Sun](/source/Kitsap_Sun)*. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Van Bronkhorst, Erin (March 20, 2014). ["State's newest ferry, Tokitae, is christened at Seattle shipyard"](http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2014/03/states-newest-ferry-tokitae-christened-at-seattle.html). *[Puget Sound Business Journal](/source/Puget_Sound_Business_Journal)*. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Haglund, Noah (June 8, 2014). ["Whidbey Island welcomes new ferry Tokitae"](http://www.heraldnet.com/news/whidbey-island-welcomes-new-ferry-tokitae/). *The Everett Herald*. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Friedrich, Ed (June 30, 2014). ["Tokitae begins service this week with problematic ramps"](http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/local/tokitae-begins-service-this-week-with-problematic-ramps-ep-509799281-355478181.html). *Kitsap Sun*. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Provenza, Nick (July 1, 2014). ["Some cars scrape on new Washington ferry Tokitae"](http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/jul/01/slow-start-for-new-washington-state-ferry-tokitae/). *[The Columbian](/source/The_Columbian)*. Associated Press. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-KIRO_14-0)** Horcher, Gary (April 15, 2015). ["Ferry Tokitae loses power with 173 passengers on board"](http://www.kiro7.com/news/ferry-tokitae-loses-power-drifting-water-mukilteo/43485873). [KIRO 7 News](/source/KIRO-TV). Retrieved September 10, 2016.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [IMO 9720160](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:IMO_9720160).

- [Ferry Plans](https://web.archive.org/web/20090327130726/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E18CADE8-0195-43DA-93AB-51BBCD140BA8/0/VesselMap.pdf)

- [Washington State Ferries class information](http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/your_wsf/our_fleet/index.cfm?fuseaction=classes)

v t e Washington State Ferries Routes Anacortes–San Juan Islands Edmonds–Kingston Fauntleroy–Vashon–Southworth Mukilteo–Clinton Point Defiance–Tahlequah Port Townsend–Coupeville Seattle–Bainbridge Island Seattle–Bremerton Terminals Colman Dock (Seattle) Other Public art Current fleet Evergreen State class MV Tillikum Super class MV Kaleetan MV Yakima Jumbo class MV Spokane MV Walla Walla Issaquah class MV Issaquah MV Kittitas MV Kitsap MV Cathlamet MV Chelan MV Sealth Jumbo Mark-II class MV Tacoma MV Wenatchee MV Puyallup Kwa-di Tabil class MV Chetzemoka MV Salish MV Kennewick Olympic class MV Tokitae MV Samish MV Chimacum MV Suquamish MV Wishkah (future) Retired fleet Wood Electric class MV Chetzemoka (1927) MV Kehloken MV Klahanie Steel Electric class MV Enetai MV Illahee MV Klickitat MV Nisqually MV Quinault MV Willapa Evergreen State class MV Evergreen State MV Klahowya Super class MV Hyak MV Elwha Skagit Kalama class MV Kalama MV Skagit Passenger-Only Fast Ferry class MV Chinook MV Snohomish No class MV Chippewa MV Crosline MV Hiyu MV Kalakala MV Kitsap (1925) MV Kulshan MV Leschi MV Olympic MV Rhododendron MV Rosario SS San Mateo SS Shasta MV Skansonia MV Tyee MV Vashon

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [MV Tokitae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Tokitae) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Tokitae?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.