The ship underwent two months of sea trials and crew training before entering service on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route at the start of the Summer 2015 sailing season on June 14. The Samish was accepted by Washington State Ferries on April 10, 2015, and christened on May 20 in Anacortes. The name Chimacum was picked for the third ferry by the Washington State Transportation Commission in November 2014 after a public outreach process.
įunding for a third Olympic-class vessel was authorized in the Spring 2014 session of the Washington State Legislature and the keel laying and first weld took place on December 9, 2014. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee was the one to strike the first weld on the Samish. The keel laying of the Samish happened on March 8, 2013. On March 5, 2013, the superstructure was on top of the hull. It was joined by the superstructure from Nichols Brothers Boatbuilders of Freeland, Whidbey Island on March 3, 2013. The Tokitae 's hull was rolled out of the construction building onto a drydock on March 2, 2013. On November 13, 2012, the Washington State Transportation commission named the first ferry MV Tokitae and the second MV Samish. It was announced on June 20, 2012, in The Seattle Times that State of Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond had selected the name "Olympic class" from more than 130 suggestions from department employees. The Steel Electrics were replaced by three smaller Kwa-di Tabil-class ferries that carry 64 cars and entered service between November 2010 and January 2012. When the Steel Electrics were retired in 2007 due to hull corrosion, no auto ferries were able to serve the Port Townsend - Keystone route. Some local residents opposed this plan, so no new ferries were built.
Washington State Ferries planned to move the ferry terminal out of Keystone Harbor and build a 144-car vessel to replace the 60-car Steel Electrics used on the route. They were the only vessels in the fleet that were able to run on the Port Townsend- Keystone route as no other vessel could be used in the small, shallow Keystone Harbor. In the early 2000s, Washington State Ferries began planning a replacement for their aging Steel Electric-class ferries, which were built in 1927 and were their oldest ferries. All vessels were built in Washington as required by state law since July 2001. The Olympic-class ferries are designed to serve all routes and terminals in the Washington State Ferries system. The ferry design is based on the Issaquah-class ferries which have proven to be the most reliable and versatile in the fleet. They are intended to allow the agency to retire the aging Evergreen State-class ferries currently in service.
The Olympic-class ferries are the newest vessels to the Washington State Ferries fleet. The Tokitae en route from Clinton to Mukilteo.ĥ (2 vehicle decks, passenger deck, sun deck, nav bridge deck)Ħ,000 hp (4,500 kW) total from two diesel engines or future lithium-ion batteryĭiesel ( integrated electric propulsion capable)
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