MV Rhododendron arriving at Tahlequah Ferry Terminal
History
Name
1947-1951: Gov. Herbert R. O'Conner
1951-present: MV Rhododendron
Owner
1947-1951: Chesapeake Bay Ferry System
1951-2013: WSDOT
2013-present: Atlantic Capes Fisheries[2]
Operator
1947-1951: Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry Company
1951-2012: Washington State Ferries
Port of registry
1951-present: Seattle, Washington, United States
Builder
Maryland Drydock Company, Baltimore
Completed
1947
Refit: 1990
Out of service
January 23, 2012
Identification
IMO number: 8836118
MMSI number: 366772790
Callsign: WB6079[1]
Official Number: 2516446
Status
Retired
General characteristics
Class and type
Rhododendron-class auto/passenger ferry
Tonnage
937
Length
227 ft 6 in (69.3 m)
Beam
62 ft (18.9 m)
Draft
10 ft (3.0 m)
Deck clearance
13 ft 6 in (4.1 m)
Installed power
2,172 hp
Propulsion
2 Diesel engines
Speed
11 kn (20 km/h)
Capacity
546 passengers
48 vehicles (max 15 commercial)[3]
The Motor Vessel Rhododendron was the sole Rhododendron-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. She was named for the state flower of Washington, the rhododendron. She was referred to affectionately as "The Rhody" by residents of Vashon Island.
The Rhododendron was one of two similar Chesapeake Bay ferries that were purchased to become part of the WSF fleet in the 1950s; the other being the now-retired MV Olympic. The Rhododendron's former name was the MV Governor Herbert R. O'Conor. She was originally purchased to be used in the interim while other new ferries were being built.
The ferry was retired in January 2012 and was sold in February 2013.[2] It is currently anchored in Fanny Bay, British Columbia, where it serves as a storage and operations platform for nearby oyster farming.
^Rhododendron - The Ferry of the State Flower, evergreenfleet.com
^ abFriedrich, Ed (27 February 2013). "Scallop-farming company buys 66-year-old ferry Rhododendron". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
^M/V Rhododendron, Washington State Ferries. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012.
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