Buying Old Ferries 'More Challenging' Than We Think

Washington state has put two of its decommissioned ferries—the 144-car Hyak and the 87-car Klahowya—up for sale, but would-be buyers should prepare for a gauntlet of regulatory hurdles and high costs that have deterred all previous takers so far. The two vessels (check out pictures here) have languished on the market for more than a year after a failed sale to an Ecuadorian businessman, whose attempt to tow the ferries away ended with deported crew members and a canceled contract, per the Washington State Standard. "It's more challenging than most people would have guessed," says John Vezina, deputy chief of the state ferry system.

Both ferries, retired due to escalating maintenance costs, have been stripped of valuable parts for reuse in the state's fleet, making recertification for service a costly endeavor. The vessels are now little more than husks, missing navigation equipment, radios, even lifeboats. The Hyak's horn, meanwhile, has found new life as the goal horn for the Seattle Kraken hockey team. Despite this, marine surveys rate the vessels as structurally sound, in fair to poor overall condition. The state, leaning mostly on word of mouth rather than a public auction, is eager to clear the ferries from its Eagle Harbor shipyard to free up space.

But the list of requirements for a sale—including Coast Guard-approved towing plans and an OK from the state's Department of Ecology—means that few inquiries progress beyond the initial fantasy stage. If no buyer emerges, the state may have to consider recycling the vessels, but there are no local shipbreaking facilities equipped for ships of this size, and the ferry system has no budget for disposal. The cost of recycling could far exceed any value recovered from scrap metal.

Prospective buyers would do well to heed the cautionary tales of past ferry repurposing attempts in the Pacific Northwest. The most famous example is the art deco Kalakala, which cycled through a series of owners and failed restoration efforts before being scrapped in 2015. Still, there have been some successes: Everett Ship Repair turned a sister ship of the Hyak into a floating office, and two smaller ferries now serve as event venues on Lake Union. But the risk of abandonment remains real, with several derelict ferries still rotting on local beaches. Vezina is clear about the state's priorities: "We don't want these boats abandoned on Washington beaches." (SNL stars on the other coast were apparently willing to brave such a regulatory ordeal to buy their own ferry.)