Ferries chief wants to plan ahead, build bigger boats now, not later

The state is considering scrapping its proposed 130-car ferries and replacing them with 144-car ferries, a change that could cost at least $15 million.

Mike Anderson, head of Washington State Ferries, said no final decision has been made, but he said it may make more sense to build bigger boats now to accommodate the growing population in Kitsap County and other areas served by the ferry system.

He said the state conducted a feasibility study of the larger boats after the Washington Legislature this year put money in the budget to replace the 144-car Hyak, a Super Class ferry built in 1967 that is in need of major repair or replacement.

Anderson said it seemed to make little sense for the state to build four 130-car ferries and one 144-car ferry, when the same design could be used for all five.

"It makes no sense to build four boats and have a new program for one special boat," said Anderson, who said he began considering a bigger boat two years ago, when he was operations director of the ferry system.

He said the feasibility study indicated a bigger boat would not cost more to staff or operate and essentially would mean adding 18 feet to the middle of the boat. It would cost more in steel, he said, estimating that the bigger boat would cost about $3 million more per vessel, or about $15 million for five.

The new 130-car ferries were expected to cost about $68 million each.

He said the state doesn't have the money for the bigger boat, "but from a planning perspective the idea has legs. It's a viable alternative and gets us into what we've been trying to do in the first place: standardize the fleet."

The state in February announced that it had chosen Todd Shipyards of Seattle as the only shipyard qualified to build the new state ferries. Martinac Shipyards of Tacoma appealed that decision, asserting it, too, should be allowed to bid on the lucrative contract.

Last month an administrative-law judge sided with Martinac, saying the financial prequalification of the shipyard should not have been denied. In an unusual process, the state is appealing that decision to Anderson.

Anderson said the dispute with Martinac had nothing to do with the decision to redesign the ferries.

He said it will be up to the winning shipyard to design the boats. Anderson did say the $13 million bonding requirement required in the first round of qualification would likely be higher with the more-expensive boat.

The state is engaged in various terminal modifications that create larger holding areas for cars — another reason to consider larger boats, Anderson said. The Mukilteo terminal holds only 100 cars, but modifications will raise its capacity to 260 cars, he said.

Anderson said a final decision has not been made on the 144-car ferry. He said he hasn't spoken to legislators nor taken the idea to the State Transportation Commission.

"The downside: It's more money," he said. "The upside is, as we look at the 144-car ferries built in the 1960s, they are beginning to reach the end of their life span, and as we look at replacing them we can consider a standardized fleet."

Today the state has six Issaquah-class ferries built in the 1980s as 130-car ferries, but with required safety and security equipment they now have room for only 124 cars.

There are four 144-car Super Class ferries built in the 1960s, the 198-car Spokane and Walla Walla Jumbo Class ferries built in 1972 and the three 204-car Jumbo Mark II ferries built in the late 1990s. There also are several smaller boats, including steel-class ferries built in 1927 that the new ferries will replace.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com