The MV ''Tillikum'' is the sole remaining 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) and the oldest ferry operating in the WSF system.
History
The ''Tillikum'' entered service in April 1959 for 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 ...
–
Bainbridge Island
Bainbridge Island is a city and island in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located in Puget Sound. The population was 24,825 at the 2020 census, making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County.
The island is se ...
route.
Upon the delivery of the ferries in 1968, the ''Tillikum'' was moved to the
Edmonds-Kingston run where it remained until approximately 1980. After being displaced by the ferry in the early 1980s, the ''Tillikum'' spent roughly a decade as a relief boat before settling on the
Fauntleroy-
Vashon-
Southworth Southworth may refer to:
People
* Southworth (surname)
Places
* Southworth, Ohio, an unincorporated community
* Southworth, Washington – unincorporated community on Puget Sound in Kitsap County, Washington
* Point Southworth – on Kitsap Penins ...
run in the early 1990s. The ''Tillikum'' has become a reserve vessel since the delivery of the in 2015. Since the retirement of its sister in 2017, it has been serving primarily as the San Juan Inter-island vessel.
References
Washington State Ferries vessels
1959 ships
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