Name MV Hyak Christened December 17, 1966 Launched 17 December 1966 | Owner WSDOT Completed 1967 Length 116 m | |
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Operator Washington State Ferries Port of registry Seattle, Washington, USA Builder National Steel and Shipbuilding Company | ||
The MV Hyak is a Super-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. Built in 1966 at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company shipyard in San Diego, the ferry began service on July 20, 1967 and normally runs on the Seattle–Bremerton route, but has also served the Anacortes–San Juan Islands run in the past.
Contents
Hyak is chinook jargon for "speedy".
History
The Hyak was built by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company of San Diego, California in 1966, at a cost of $6.5 million. It was launched and christened by Nancy Evans, wife of Governor Daniel J. Evans, on December 17, 1966. The vessel traveled north along the Pacific Coast in June 1967, but was delayed by a severe storm near San Francisco, California broke a temporary breakwater. She arrived in Seattle on July 4, several days later than scheduled, and was moved to the Todd Shipyards for repairs.
The ferry was not able to enter service after arrival because of an ongoing labor dispute with the local chapter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots. The union argued that the wage agreement it signed with Washington State Ferries did not cover new, larger vessels like the Hyak. The dispute reached the King County Superior Court, where a judge signed an injunction ordering the ferry to be manned on its first run on July 19. The Hyak entered service that afternoon, and was assigned to the Seattle–Bremerton route, cutting the crossing time from 65 minutes to 45. The next day, the ferry made its first scheduled run and nearly rammed Pier 52 in Seattle after an engine failure.
Unlike her sisters, the Hyak has not had her cabin refurbished.
She is still a steady runner however, being one of the most trouble-free boats of the fleet. Hyak is chinook jargon for "speedy".
In June 2015, the Hyak was replaced by the MV Samish in the third sailing spot in the San Juans. The Hyak moved to the Seattle–Bremerton route to spend the rest of her life at WSF in calmer waters. The Hyak has returned to the San Juans a few times to replace vessels when maintenance is required, however the Hyak is now based out of Seattle.
She is set to be retired in 2018.
Routes
Since June 2015, the Hyak regularly serves the Seattle–Bremerton route; prior to that, it also ran the Anacortes–San Juan Islands route. She has also appeared on the Edmonds–Kingston route and the Seattle–Bainbridge Island route during vessel shortages.
Incidents
On April 14, 1986, the Hyak ran aground in Anacortes, Washington after a navigational error made by the crew, placing the ferry in shallow water above a reef. Only one injury was reported of the 250 people on board, but the ferry sustained damage that cost $250,000 to repair.
On September 13, 2013, the Hyak collided with a private 27-foot-long (8.2 m) sailboat between Orcas and Shaw islands. No one was injured. The sailboat, however, was damaged and sank about 20 minutes after the accident.