Retired WA ferries' voyage to Ecuador postponed

Retired WA ferries' voyage to Ecuador postponed due to tow malfunction

Two retired Washington ferries set for delivery to Ecuador have had their final voyage postponed due to technical issues.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. - Two retired Washington ferries set for delivery to Ecuador have had their final voyage postponed due to technical issues.

The Elwha and Klahowya ferries were purchased by Nelson Armas of Ecuador for $100,000 each, but their 3,700-mile trip to South America has been put on hold. According to Washington State Ferries (WSF), the buyer's tow equipment malfunctioned, and the Elwha and Klahowya were unable to even get out of Elliott Bay.

The two ferries have been out of commission since 2020 and 2017, respectively. WSF say the sale will alleviate costs and staffing concerns associated with storing and moving the old ferries around their docks.

This $200,000 deal was billed as a boon for taxpayers, as the old ferries have occupied valuable space at shipyard facilities for years.

"It’s difficult to sell these boats because by the time they’re done with decades and decades of service, they’re just used up, and they’re tough to do things with," said WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling.

(Takeshita Kenji // CC BY-SA 3.0 / Getty Images)

With the move postponed, the old ferries are coming back to the Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility on Bainbridge Island, where they will remain indefinitely.

"Sometimes in these processes we look at even having to pay to have ferries taken away, so this is a good result," said Sterling at the time.

The questions remain if the state will still get their $200,000 check as promised, if the ferries will ever reach Ecuador, and if the vessels are not considered seaworthy in Puget Sound, how will they fare in the open ocean?