# MV Willapa

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/MV_Willapa
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/MV_Willapa.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Willapa
> Source revision: 1331886110
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

History Name 1927-1940 Fresno 1940-c. 1990s Willapa c. 1990s-2009 Fresno Namesake Extinct Willapa tribe of Southwestern Washington; meaning unknown Owner 1927-1940: Southern Pacific-Golden Gate Ferries 1940-1951: Puget Sound Navigation Company 1951-1967: WSDOT Operator Southern Pacific-Golden Gate Ferries 1940-1951: Black Ball Line 1951-1967: Washington State Ferries Builder Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco Completed 1927 In service 1927 Out of service 1967 Refit 1941 Identification IMO number: 7619795 Call sign: WB4495 Fate Aground on Spud Island on the San Joaquin River, everything but the hull was scrapped General characteristics Class & type Steel Electric-class ferry Tonnage 1,368 GRT 930 NRT Length 256 ft (78 m) Beam 65 ft (20 m) Deck clearance 12 ft (3.7 m) Installed power 2,800 hp (2,100 kW) Propulsion 1 × Busch-Sulzer diesel engine Speed 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) Capacity 90 cars (1927) 800–1,500 passengers Notes Source:[1]

**MV *Willapa*** was a car [ferry](/source/Ferry) that served on the [San Francisco Bay](/source/San_Francisco_Bay) and later on [Puget Sound](/source/Puget_Sound). She was one of the [Steel Electric-class ferries](/source/Steel_Electric-class_ferry) built in 1927 for service across the [San Francisco Bay](/source/San_Francisco_Bay). Originally named **MV *Fresno***, she was operated by the [Southern Pacific Railroad](/source/Southern_Pacific_Railroad#Ferry_service) and provided ferry service across the bay.[1]

*Fresno* served on the San Francisco Bay for ten years, when the completion of the [San Francisco Bay Bridge](/source/San_Francisco_Bay_Bridge) in 1936 and the [Golden Gate Bridge](/source/Golden_Gate_Bridge) in 1937 made the ferries no longer necessary. In 1940, all six Steel Electric ferries were purchased by [Puget Sound Navigation Company](/source/Puget_Sound_Navigation_Company) (PSN) and they were brought up the coast to [Puget Sound](/source/Puget_Sound) two at a time, allowing PSN to modernize their ferry fleet.[1]

These ferries were all renamed—*Fresno* was renamed *Willapa*—and two of them were significantly modified to be single-ended ferries for use on the [Seattle-Bremerton ferry route](/source/Seattle-Bremerton_Ferry). These two ferries were *Willapa* and [*Enetai*](/source/Ferryboat_Santa_Rosa), which had already been serving on the Bremerton ferry route while two other Steel Electrics were being readied for service. The pilothouse and propeller on one end of *Willapa* was removed and the rudder on that end was welded straight. The [diesel-electric](/source/Diesel-electric) propulsion was removed and it was replaced with a 2,800-horsepower (2,100 kW) [Busch-Sulzer](/source/Busch-Sulzer) [direct-drive](/source/Direct_drive) [diesel](/source/Diesel_engine), which increased her speed to 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The passenger cabin was also enlarged, increasing her passenger capacity from 800 to 1,500 passengers.[1]

These modifications made both *Willapa* and *Enetai* better suited for the hour-long Seattle-Bremerton route, which was seeing an increase in traffic with more people commuting to and from the [Puget Sound Naval Shipyard](/source/Puget_Sound_Naval_Shipyard) in Bremerton, where more warships were being built in preparation for [World War II](/source/World_War_II). The modifications that *Willapa* and *Enetai* received made them no longer true Steel Electric-class ferries.[1]

*Willapa* continued service between Seattle and Bremerton from 1940 until 1967, when she was retired. Her running mates on that route included *Chippewa*, her sister *Enetai*, and *Kalakala*. For a short period during late-World War II, the steamers [SS *Malahat*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Napa_Valley&action=edit&redlink=1) and [SS *City of Sacramento*](/source/SS_Asbury_Park) also served on the route.[1]

In 1951, all of PSN's routes and almost all their vessels, including *Willapa*, were purchased by [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)) State to form Washington State Ferries (WSF). In 1953, all six Steel Electrics had their car deck windows replaced with round portholes. By the mid-1960s, WSF began building four [Super-class](/source/Super-class_ferry) ferries to replace *Willapa*, *Enetai*, and *Kalakala*. These vessels were all single-ended and by the 1960s were no longer considered faster than double-ended vessels and their engines were expensive to run and maintain. Once the first Super-class ferry *Hyak* arrived, *Willapa* and *Kalakala* were retired. *Hyak* was much faster and larger than the older ferries.[1]

*Willapa* was sold to a group of San Francisco investors who moved her back to the Bay area and changed her name back to *Fresno*. However, the vessel was neglected and eventually sank at her berth in 30 feet of water. She was partially submerged for six months until a salvage company raised the vessel and patched her hull with concrete. Her hull was still in poor shape and constant pumping was required to keep the vessel afloat. By October 2006, after unsuccessful attempts to sell her on [eBay](/source/EBay) earlier that year, her owner was planning to sell the vessel for scrap. In November 2009, the vessel was scrapped by Enterprise Marine Company Inc., resulting in the [*Santa Rosa*](/source/Ferryboat_Santa_Rosa) (aka *Enetai*) being the only remaining Steel Electric-class ferry.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-EvergreenFleet_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-EvergreenFleet_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-EvergreenFleet_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-EvergreenFleet_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-EvergreenFleet_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-EvergreenFleet_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-EvergreenFleet_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-EvergreenFleet_1-7) ["The M/V Willapa"](http://www.evergreenfleet.com/mvwillapa.html). *EvergreenFleet.com*. Retrieved 21 January 2014.

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

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