MV Wenatchee

The MV Wenatchee is a Jumbo Mark-II-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. Launched in 1998, she was the second in her class in the fleet following the MV Tacoma. Since delivery, the Wenatchee has almost exclusively been assigned to the busy Seattle–Bainbridge Island route alongside the Tacoma.

MV Wenatchee passing Duwamish Head
History
Name	Wenatchee
Owner	Washington State Department of Transportation
Operator	Washington State Ferries
Port of registry	Seattle, Washington
Route	Seattle–Bainbridge Island
Builder	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington
Cost	$80 million[1]
Completed	1998
Identification	IMO number: 9137351 MMSI number: 366749710 Callsign: WCY3378
Status	In Service
General characteristics
Class and type	Jumbo Mark-II-class auto/passenger ferry
Displacement	6,184 long tons (6,283 t)
Length	460 ft 2 in (140.3 m)
Beam	90 ft (27.4 m)
Draft	17 ft 3 in (5.3 m)
Decks	5 (2 vehicle decks, passenger deck, sun deck, nav bridge deck)
Deck clearance	15 ft 6 in (4.7 m)
Installed power	16,000 hp (12,000 kW) total from four EMD 710 V-16 diesel engines
Propulsion	Diesel–electric
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (service, using two engines) 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) (maximum, using four engines)
Capacity	2,499 passengers 202 vehicles (max 60 tall vehicles)

Wenatchee has been involved in a couple of notable incidents. In 2000, during a particularly low tide, she touched bottom while rounding Tyee Shoal at the entrance of Bainbridge Island's Eagle Harbor, resulting in minor keel and propeller damage. On August 30, 2009, she had a collision with the slip at Colman Dock in Seattle. There was heavy fog at the time and the vessel and slip were out of service for four days.

The Wenatchee and its older sister ship, the Tacoma, suffered from excessive vibration during their early period of operation, until it was repaired during routine maintenance in 1999. The issue was addressed in the final Jumbo Mark-II ferry, the MV Puyallup, before it launched.[1]

The Jumbo Mark-II fleet is planned to be converted to diesel-electric hybrid beginning in 2023. The conversion is part of a state-mandated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and will be funded by part of a settlement from the Volkswagen emissions scandal.[2] The Wenatchee is the first of the fleet to undergo conversion, which is scheduled to begin in September 2023 and take one year to complete.[3]

In April 2021, during sea trials following engine overhauls, the vessel suffered an engine fire and lost power, which led to an ongoing investigation by the US Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board.[4]