STEILACOOM – The Christine Anderson, which is being leased for use out of Port Townsend, is smaller than the Steel Electrics which once plied the route.
It maneuvers well, said Toby Rickman, Pierce County Public Works and Utilities deputy director.
“It has a controllable pitch propeller and an electronic engine system driving, which is driving with a joystick.
“It also can run both directions,” he said.
It can carry 54 cars and 250 passengers.
“The MV Christine Anderson’s top speed is 14 knots, but its operating speed is 12 knots or so,” Rickman said.
Pierce County’s ferry fleet consists of two vehicle vessels.
In addition to the Christine Anderson, it has the MV Steilacoom II.
The county operates a ferry run daily from Steilacoom, 14 miles southwest of Tacoma, to Anderson Island and Ketron Island in southeastern Puget Sound.
The $11.2 million Steilacoom II began service in January.
The Christine Anderson has been in service since 1994.
Rickman said the Christine Anderson is scheduled for drydock maintenance in mid-April 2008.
“Hopefully, the maintenance period will be less than two weeks, although they don’t know what the boat needs yet,” he said.
The regular drydock maintenance is necessary for the boat’s Coast Guard certificate, Rickman said.
The Steilacoom doesn’t need certification until December 2008.
The inspection probably will be just an underwater inspection because the boat is so new, he said.
Then it probably will go in for drydock maintenance in late 2009, Rickman said.
Pierce County will use the Steilacoom exclusively while the Christine Anderson is rented to the state, instead of alternating the two every other week, he said.
“We do serve two islands [Anderson and Ketron], but we use them in a triangle run,” Rickman said.
“We don’t run over to Ketron Island every time. It’s a fairly small island.
“We hope it will work. As long as our main boat is working well, we should be in acceptable shape to provide our service,” he said.
