What About That Hole in the Samish Hull?

— by Lin McNulty —

WSF ferry Samish pictured during initial construction.

The 144-car ferry Samish was christened less than a year ago, on May 20, 2015, and introduced on the San Juan Islands routes on June 15 of that year.

On February 26, 2016, just eight months after her inaugural sailing, a quarter-size hole was discovered in the hull, resulting in the vessel being pulled out of our sailing schedule and replaced with the 122-car ferry Kitsap while the Samish undergoes repairs in Anacortes.

Upon further inspection, after the ferry was out of the water, other evidence of localized corrosion was found on the hull in the vicinity of both engine rooms. A corrosion expert was called in and an investigation of the cause is being conducted to track down the exact cause. A warranty claim with the builder, Vigor Industrial, has also been initiated.

“Corrosion on these boats is not uncommon,” Jim Corenman of the Ferry Advisory Committee pointed out; what is of concern to Washington State Ferries (WSF) is that this has been discovered on such a new vessel.

As repairs and an investigation are currently underway to definitively determine the cause of the corrosion, the warranty claim “suggests mistakes were made,” adds Corenman.

The public’s safety was never compromised says WSF; however, out of an abundance of caution, the other Olympic Class vessel, Tokitae, is also being inspected to rule out similar corrosion. The Coast Guard has been part of this process from the beginning and they are working with WSF to further guarantee this issue is fully corrected.

The Samish is in dry dock at Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes. Dry dock space is only available there until March 10 and it is expected the Samish will return to service shortly thereafter, although no definitive date has been determined or announced.