Four octogenarian state ferries — Quinault, Klickitat, Illahee and Nisqually — that once proudly served the Port Townsend-Keystone route and other runs are now just so much scrap metal in the Industria Naval Del Pacifico wrecking yard in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.
These photos were obtained recently by Capt. Richard J. Rodriguez, director of operations for Seattle-based Zenith Maritime. He first posted them on his Internet website, BitterEndBlog.com.
To see the photos, go to http://bitterendblog.com/?s=steel .
The four Steel Electric-class ferries, built in 1927, were pulled from service and retired in November 2007 because of concerns about the integrity of their aging hulls.
They were sold for scrap last year to Eco Planet Recycling Inc. of Chula Vista, Calif., for a combined price of $200,000.
The company towed the ferries to Mexico for dismantling last August after the ferry system stripped the four vessels of items that could be used elsewhere in its fleet.
“The Steel Electric class vessels served as unforgettable icons of life in the Pacific Northwest,” said David Moseley, assistant state transportation secretary in charge of the ferry system, when the sale was announced.
“We now must continue to focus our attention on getting new vessels built and into service, starting with the 64-auto ferry under construction.”
That ferry, the Chetzemoka, is on schedule to launch this summer to serve the Port Townsend-Keystone route.
