Washington State Ferries cancels sale of two decommissioned ferries

(The Center Square) – Washington State Ferries has cancelled the sale of two decommissioned ferries to an Ecuador-based company due to “failures to meet contractual obligations and deadlines.”

The 144-car Elwha and 87-car Klahowya, built in the 1960s and 1950s respectively, were decommissioned several years ago after exceeding their service life of 60 years. They were sold to Armas, which attempted to move the ferries to Ecuador, but returned them to a WSDF maintenance facility at Bainbridge Island after towing equipment failed.

“It’s in the best interest of Washington state, the public and WSF to sever ties due to multiple failures to meet contractual obligations and deadlines,” WSF Assistant Secretary Steve Nevey said in a news release.

WSF also noted allegations that the crews to staff the ferries experienced “poor living conditions and fear of intimidation,” a claim Armas has denied.

As a result of the cancelled sale, Armas has forfeited a total of $200,000 for both vessels, which WSF says it has used to pay for fuel removal from the ferries, while the rest will be transferred to the Puget Sound Ferry Operations Account.

A third decommissioned state ferry, the 144-car Hyak, is expected to be sold soon, while the Elwha and Klahowya already have potential buyers, according to WSF.

Elwha served on the Anacortes-Friday Harbor-Sidney, British Columbia route before being retired April 8, 2020. Hyak was used on the Seattle-Bremerton route.

According to a WSDOT spokesperson, the state agency conducted a “thorough review” to see if the ferries could be restored to service. They concluded “significant funding and years of work would be required to make them serviceable again. It would likely cost tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars, and years of work to make them serviceable again.”