5 (2 vehicle decks, passenger deck, sun deck, nav bridge deck)
Deck clearance
15 ft 6 in (4.7 m)
Installed power
16,000 hp (12,000 kW) total from four EMD 710 V-16 diesel engines
Propulsion
Diesel–electric
Speed
18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (service, using two engines)
25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) (maximum, using four engines)
Capacity
2,499 passengers
202 vehicles (max 60 tall vehicles)
The MV Wenatchee is a Jumbo Mark-II-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. Launched in 1998, she was the second in her class in the fleet following the MV Tacoma. Since delivery, the Wenatchee has almost exclusively been assigned to the busy Seattle–Bainbridge Island route alongside the Tacoma.
MV Wenatchee docking at Colman Dock in seattle.
Wenatchee has been involved in a couple of notable incidents. In 2000, during a particularly low tide, she touched bottom while rounding Tyee Shoal at the entrance of Bainbridge Island's Eagle Harbor, resulting in minor keel and propeller damage. On August 30, 2009, she had a collision with the slip at Colman Dock in Seattle. There was heavy fog at the time and the vessel and slip were out of service for four days.[citation needed]
The Wenatchee and its older sister ship, the Tacoma, suffered from excessive vibration during their early period of operation, until it was repaired during routine maintenance in 1999. The issue was addressed in the final Jumbo Mark-II ferry, the MV Puyallup, before it launched.[1]
The Jumbo Mark-II fleet is planned to be converted to diesel-electric hybrid beginning in 2023. The conversion is part of a state-mandated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and will be funded by part of a settlement from the Volkswagen emissions scandal.[2] The Wenatchee is the first of the fleet to undergo conversion, which is scheduled to begin in September 2023 and take one year to complete.[3]
In April 2021, during sea trials following engine overhauls, the vessel suffered an engine fire and lost power, which led to an ongoing investigation by the US Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board.[4]
^ abNalder, Eric (March 5, 1999). "Giant New Ferries Experience Bad Vibrations -- $52,000 Per Ship To Remove Shaking 'As Bad As The Old Kalakala'". The Seattle Times.
^Giordano, Lizz (November 4, 2019). "Washington State Ferries plans for an electric-hybrid fleet". The Everett Herald. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
^Cornfield, Jerry (August 16, 2023). "Washington awards $150M contract to convert ferries to hybrid-electric power". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
^Pilling, Nathan (April 26, 2021). "Washington State Ferries, Coast Guard, NTSB investigating fire on ferry Wenatchee". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
The MVWenatchee is a Jumbo Mark-II-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. Launched in 1998, she was the second in her class in the fleet following...
Seattle–Bainbridge Island route. The Tacoma and its sister ship, the MVWenatchee, suffered from excessive vibration during their early period of operation...
Jumbo Mark-II-class ferries MV Tacoma and MVWenatchee in 1998, Spokane was moved to the Edmonds–Kingston route alongside MV Puyallup. The ferry was featured...
first vessel to undergo conversion to use hybrid-electric propulsion is MVWenatchee, which will be converted from 2023 to 2024. The program was originally...
spent its early years. In late July 2014, the Jumbo Mark-II-class ferry, MVWenatchee sailed to Vancouver, British Columbia for repairs. Since Washington State...
the highway since 1994, is served by the Jumbo Mark-II-class MV Tacoma and MVWenatchee and operates on a 35-minute crossing time. SR 305 begins at Colman...
The MV Sealth is a Issaquah-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. She is named for Chief Sealth. The Sealth underwent cabin rebuilding in last...
MV Puyallup is a Jumbo Mark-II-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. This ferry and her two sisters are the largest in the fleet. Puyallup...
Left-right from top: Seattle skyline, Washington State Capitol, WSF MVWenatchee, Mount Rainier, Diablo Lake, Mount Shuksan, Bellevue skyline Coordinates:...
The MV Tillikum is the sole remaining Evergreen State-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries (WSF) and the oldest ferry operating in the WSF...
The MV Kaleetan is a Super-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. The Kaleetan (meaning arrow in Chinook) is named for a mountain peak northwest...
The MV Samish is the second vessel of the Olympic-class auto ferries built by Vigor Industrial for the Washington State Ferries system. The vessel started...
MV Skagit was a Skagit Kalama-class[citation needed] passenger ferry originally operated by Washington State Ferries (WSF) from 1989–2009 and then in Tanzania...
The MV Hyak is a Super-class ferry that was operated by Washington State Ferries. Built in 1966 at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company shipyard...
The MV Yakima is a Super-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. The Yakima was built in 1967 for the Seattle–Bremerton run and remained there...
The MV Klickitat was a Steel Electric-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. Originally built as the MV Stockton in San Francisco for Southern...
MV Chetzemoka ("The Chetzy") is a Kwa-di Tabil-class ferry built at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington for the Washington State Ferries. It...
The MV Hiyu was a ferry boat operated by Washington State Ferries. Originally built in 1967 to replace an earlier ferry, it was used on the Point Defiance–Tahlequah...
MV Salish is a Kwa-di Tabil-class ferry built at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington for the Washington State Ferries. The vessel was put into...
MV Chimacum is the third vessel of the Olympic-class auto ferries for the Washington State Ferries system. The ship was built by Vigor Industrial at their...
MV Elwha was a Super-class ferry in the Washington State Ferry System. The 382-foot (116 m) vessel entered service in June 1968, and spent most of her...
The MV Tokitae is an Olympic-class passenger ferry operated by Washington State Ferries which entered service on June 30, 2014. It serves the Mukilteo-Clinton...
MV Kitsap is an Issaquah-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. The Kitsap was built in 1980 as an Issaquah class and upgraded in 1992 moving...
The MV Chelan is an Issaquah-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries, completed and in service in 1981. In 2004, the vessel was refit with a second...