MV Klahowya

History
Name	Klahowya
Owner	WSDOT
Operator	Washington State Ferries
Port of registry	Seattle, Washington,  United States
Builder	Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging
Completed	1958 Refit: 1995
In service	December 9, 1958
Out of service	January 10, 2017
Identification	IMO number: 8836209 MMSI number: 366773110 Callsign: WK7107[1] Official Number: D277872
Status	Retired
General characteristics
Class and type	Evergreen State-class auto/passenger ferry
Displacement	2,413 long tons (2,452 t)
Length	310 ft 2 in (94.5 m)
Beam	73 ft 2 in (22.3 m)
Draft	15 ft 6 in (4.7 m)
Decks	1 car deck 1 passenger deck 1 sun deck
Deck clearance	13 ft 10 in (4.2 m)
Installed power	Total 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) from 2 × diesel-electric engines
Propulsion	Diesel electric (AC/DC)
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Capacity	800 passengers 87 vehicles (max 30 commercial)[2]
Crew	10

The MV Klahowya was an Evergreen State-class ferry that was operated by Washington State Ferries. The vessel was named for a greeting in Chinook Jargon.^[citation needed]

The MV Klahowya passing the MV Chelan in Upright Channel.

The Klahowya served nearly all of her career on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run before being moved to the San Juans to replace her sister ship, MV Evergreen State, which was to be retired. In early 2008, and again in August 2012, she did short stints on the Inter-Island run due to a vessel shortage. She was moved to the Inter-Island route on June 30, 2014,[3]^[better source needed] and remained there until her retirement on January 10, 2017.[4]

On August 16, 2024, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced that the decommissioned Elwha and Klahowya would be sold for $100,000 each to Ecuadorian businessman Nelson Armas. The ferries would be scrapped and recycled in a "clean [and] green" facility in Ecuador after being towed from Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island.[4][5] The two vessels were towed out into Elliott Bay on August 19 to begin their 35-day trip to Ecuador, but a malfunction with the towing equipment caused the trip to be postponed; the Elwha and Klahowya returned to Eagle Harbor.[6][7] The crew on the tugboat were detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on August 30 after their work visas had expired.[6] The sale of the two ferries was cancelled on September 5 after more issues with the tugboat and allegations of poor working conditions were disclosed; Armas forfeited the entire cost of the sale per the contract's terms.[8][9]

References

1. The Evergree State class today - M/V Klahowya Archived 2007-09-13 at the Wayback Machine, evergreenfleet.com
2. Vessel info - M/V Klahowya, WSF, WSDOT
3. "WSF Bulletin". Washington State Ferries.
4. Deshais, Nicholas (August 17, 2024). "What happens to a retired WA ferry? Elwha, Klahowya about to find out". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
5. "Retired state ferries sold for $100,000 each" (Press release). Washington State Department of Transportation. August 16, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
6. Deshais, Nicholas (August 30, 2024). "Immigration agents detain crew after failed WA ferry tow". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
7. "Retired WA ferries' voyage to Ecuador postponed due to tow malfunction". Fox 13 Seattle. August 20, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
8. "Washington State Ferries cancels sale of retired boats" (Press release). Washington State Department of Transportation. September 5, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
9. Deshais, Nicholas (September 5, 2024). "Sale of retired WA ferries canceled after tow failure". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 11, 2024.