The MV ''Wenatchee'' is a operated by

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation. It runs ten routes serving 20 terminals loc ...

. Launched in 1998, she was the second in her class in the fleet following the . Since delivery, the ''Wenatchee'' has almost exclusively been assigned to the busy Seattle–Bainbridge Island route alongside the ''Tacoma''. ''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 Colman Dock, also called Pier 52, is the primary ferry terminal in Seattle, Washington, United States. The original pier is no longer in existence, but the terminal, now used by the Washington State Ferry system, is still called "Colman Dock". ...

in Seattle. There was heavy fog at the time and the vessel and slip were out of service for four days. 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 , before it launched. The Jumbo Mark-II fleet is planned to be converted to diesel-electric

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

beginning in 2021. The conversion is part of a state-mandated reduction in

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and ...

and will be funded by part of a settlement from the

Volkswagen emissions scandal The Volkswagen emissions scandal, sometimes known as Dieselgate or Emissionsgate, began in September 2015, when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to German automaker Vol ...

. In April 2021, during

sea trials A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and i ...

following engine overhauls, the vessel suffered an engine fire and lost power, which led to an ongoing investigation by the

US Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Notes

External links

*
MV Wenatchee vessel info from WSDOT
Washington State Ferries vessels 1998 ships Ships built in Seattle Maritime incidents in 2021 Maritime incidents in 2000 Maritime incidents in 2009 {{ferry-stub