MV Chimacum

The Chimacum makes her first public arrival in Seattle after her first trip from Bremerton to Seattle with passengers on board

The Olympic-class auto ferries, also known as the 144 Car Ferries, are based on the Issaquah design.[2] They measure 362 feet 0 inches (110.34 m) long overall[3] and 335 ft 3 in (102.18 m) between perpendiculars[4] with a beam at the lower vehicle deck of 83 ft 4 in (25.40 m) and a draft at design load waterline of 16 ft 6 in (5.03 m). The vessels have a displacement at design load waterline of 4,320 long tons (4,390 t).[3]

Ferries of the Olympic class are powered by two Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) two-stroke 12-710G7C diesel engines, each mounted at either end of the ferry turning a propeller at each end of the ship[5] creating 6,000 shaft horsepower (4,500 kW) total.[3] This gives the ships a maximum speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) and the vessels have capacity for 63,700 US gallons (241,000 L; 53,000 imp gal) of diesel fuel. The Olympic-class ferries were designed with two car decks, a sun deck and a passenger deck. They can load up to 144 automobiles, using a ramp that is three lanes wide. The ferries can embark 1,500 persons with seating for 1,300.[3]

The Olympic class is the result of the Washington State Department of Transportation requiring replacements for its aging ferry fleet. Funding for a third Olympic-class vessel was authorized in the Spring 2014 session of the Washington State Legislature, and the keel laying and first weld took place on December 9, 2014.[2] The name Chimacum, the gathering place of the Chemakum tribe, was chosen by the Washington State Transportation Commission in November 2014.[2]

She was christened on September 14, 2016 by Lynne Griffith, who at the time was serving as the head of the ferries system, the first woman to hold the office. The ceremony took place at the Vigor Industrial shipyard on Seattle's Harbor Island.[2][6] She was delivered to Washington State Ferries on April 7, 2017, with her entry into service, replacing Klahowya, expected in the following months.[7] The vessel cost $123 million approximately.[2] Chimacum was forced into a three-day early temporary service on May 24 after Kitsap suffered a mechanical breakdown and all other vessels were in maintenance until Kaleetan, could replace her on the Seattle–Bremerton run to finish sea trials and training.[8] The vessel entered regular service in June 2017 on the Seattle–Bremerton route.[9] In November 2020, Chimacum was the only ferry servicing the route after emergency repairs were required for fleetmate Spokane.[10]

• Washington State Ferries – Chimacum Vessel Details