Two veteran ferries, the 'Elwha' and 'Klahowya,' once integral parts of the Washington State Ferries (WSF) fleet, have commenced their final journey to Ecuador after being sold for a modest sum of $100,000 each, according to a recent announcement by the WSDOT. Purchased by Nelson Armas, an Ecuadorian buyer, these ferries – having served the Pacific Northwest for over five decades – are destined for an eco-conscious steel mill facility in South America for recycling.
Join us as we wish bon voyage to two vessels that spent 50 years in our fleet. The #Elwha and #Klahowya will be towed out of #EagleHarbor on Monday. Their final journey will be to a clean, green steel mill facility in Ecuador. More: https://t.co/VSdgvIiI8n pic.twitter.com/TKuVQIbKfU
— Washington State Ferries (@wsferries) August 16, 2024
The preparation for transit will begin from the Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility on Bainbridge Island, where the tug 'Wycliffe' will escort the retired boats out of Puget Sound, the tug, provided by Armas, will lead the ferries on Monday, Aug. 19 starting at 9:30 a.m, with Elwha and Klahowya's departure from Washington's waters set to be trackable in real-time using the MarineTraffic platform. This maritime farewell marks the end of an era for these vessels that have reliably shuttled passengers across the waters for generations.
WSF Assistant Secretary Steve Nevey noted the sale's practical benefits, stating, "After safely serving our customers for more than five decades each, the sale of these two retired ferries will free up our docking space so we can focus vessel maintenance needs on our current fleet," as stated by the WSDOT. Additionally, the sales relieve the state of financial and logistic burdens related to the decommissioned vessels' relocation when waterfront space was required for operational maintenance.
