WSF retires its oldest ferry: Bon voyage sailing for the Evergreen State is Sunday, June 29
— from Washington State Ferries —
The soon-to-be decommissioned Evergreen State. Courtesy Washington State Ferries.
The public is invited to bid “bon voyage” to Washington State Ferries’ oldest ship, the 87-car Evergreen State, with one last ride from Friday Harbor to Anacortes Sunday, June 29. Crews will decommission the vessel and retire it from service following its final sailing.
The Evergreen State was the first vessel custom built for Washington State Ferries in 1954.
Ferry terminal with ferry Evergreen State docked, Port of Anacortes, Anacortes, June 1960. Courtesy Lopez Island Historical Society
“This remarkable ferry has served our customers well for six decades,” said Interim Assistant Secretary for Ferries Division Capt. George Capacci. “It’s tough to see her go, however decommissioning the Evergreen State and rotating in our newest, state of the art ferry, the 144-car Tokitae, brings us one step closer to improving overall reliability of our entire fleet.”
In the recent past she plied the waters of San Juan County between Anacortes and Sidney B.C. The ferry currently serves the interisland route.
“Washington State Ferries, and the Evergreen State have enabled our county to grow our economic base and provide basic transportation to Anacortes, Sidney and between islands,” said San Juan County Council member Rick Hughes. “Words are not enough to express what the Evergreen State has done for our community.”
Evergreen State’s final sailings on Sunday, June 29:
Interisland
· Departs Friday Harbor at 11:35 a.m. with departures from Orcas (12:25 p.m.), Shaw (12:40 p.m.) and Lopez (1 p.m.).
Friday Harbor to Lopez and Anacortes
· Departs Friday Harbor at 2:15 p.m., making a stop in Lopez (3:05 p.m. departure), before arriving in Anacortes.
The ferry will follow its normal summer sailing schedule until the 2:15 sailing from Friday Harbor on June 29. All applicable vehicle fares apply. Walk-on passenger tickets remain free of charge for both sailings.
San Juan County and the U.S. Coast Guard will provide an unofficial escort for the Evergreen State on her final interisland and Friday Harbor/Anacortes sailings. Private boats are welcome to join the escort and sound their horns in tribute. For safety and security, WSF reminds boaters to stay at least 100 yards, the size of a football field, from the ferry during transit.
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When I graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1967 the Evergreen was our version of The Funhouse. The class had the graduation party on the boat (after regular sailing hours, of course)and I think of that whenever I have the chance to ride it. Glad I rode it to San Juan Island for the Orca Sing on the solstice!
Growing up on Orcas, the Vashon (ferry), only morning and evening, was the transportation. When the Evergreen State was put on the run, is was a “cruise Ship” by comparison.!! This new ferry ride from Anacortes was now about 1 1/2 hours and not two hours.!! Makes me feel old. Can’t believe it has been 60 years!
If you were here in the early ’40’s, you would have ridden the mail boats to the islands…..Evergreen State wasn’t even born yet, a mere idea-for-the-future in someone’s mind
Not betting I’ve seen the last of the venerable Evergreen State…
What will happen to her? according to Rick Hughes, she’ll go to Eagle Harbor to begin the decommission process. “There was hope given today ( June 26)that she may sit in reserve for a year.”
Note, they are “rotating in” the much larger Tokitae, but not here. We get another Evergreen State class ferry, the Klahowya. It’s only a couple of years newer that the E-State. I’ll always have fond memories of seeing whales from the E-State on the way to Sidney.