MV ''Wenatchee'' is a 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 ...

. 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''. The ''Wenatchee'' and her older sister ship, the ''Tacoma'', suffered from excessive vibration during their early period of operation, until she was repaired during routine maintenance in 1999. The issue was addressed in the final Jumbo Mark-II ferry, the , before she 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 diff ...

beginning in 2023. The conversion is part of a state-mandated reduction in

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

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 ...

. The ''Wenatchee'' is the first of the fleet to undergo conversion, which began in September 2023 and was scheduled to take one year to complete. Due to differences between the blueprints and the boat's condition, as well as other issues, the conversion's completion was delayed to mid-2025. In April 2021, during

sea trials A sea trial or trial trip 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 o ...

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 law enforcement service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, mi ...

and the

National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and inci ...

. The conversion to a hybrid system was completed in July 2025 at a total cost of $133 million. She returned to service on the Bainbridge Island–Seattle route on July 18, becoming the first hybrid electric vessel to enter the Washington State Ferries fleet.

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 Ferries 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.

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