MV ''Skagit'' was a ''Skagit Kalama''-class passenger ferry originally operated by

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget ...

(WSF) from 1989–2009 and then in

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

until her sinking in

Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...

in July 2012.

Operational history

''Skagit'' and were the only two ships of their class in the WSF fleet. Together they served on the

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

- Vashon Island route (see King County Water Taxi).Route information
WSF, WSDOT In 2006, WSF was directed to end its passenger-only service, and in 2011 ''Skagit'' and ''Kalama'' were sold and transported to

to provide service between the mainland and

Sinking

On July 18, 2012, the vessel sank near Chumbe Island while in ferry service in

. After departing

Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...

bound for Unguja Island (Zanzibar) with more than 250 people on board, the ship struggled in rough seas and sank approximately from Unguja. At least 146 were rescued while as many as 150 were still missing after a day of rescue operations.Toll from former Vashon ferry sinking in Tanzania could hit 150
, Seattle Times, Wednesday, July 18, 2012. Accessed 15 August 2012. Early reports attributed the disaster to high winds and overloading of passengers. The ship was certified for a maximum capacity of 250 yet officials said it had 290 aboard at the time.

Outcome

The Zanzibar government blamed the disaster on the ship operating over too long of a distance, and the island's transportation minister resigned. In addition, vessels had been warned not to make the crossing because of the high seas, according to Tanzania's chief meteorologist. After ''Skagit''s loss, Zanzibar barred

sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same Ship class, class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They o ...

MV ''Kalama'' from operating and later "deleted" her and three other ferries from its list of sea vessels for safety reasons.

References

External links

* — Capital Television News Tanzania, October 11, 2012 Washington State Ferries vessels 1989 ships Maritime incidents in 2012 2012 in Tanzania Maritime incidents in Tanzania Ships built in New Orleans July 2012 in Africa 2012 disasters in Africa {{ferry-stub Ferry boat disasters

Operational history

Sinking

Outcome

See also

References

External links